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Iowa business entity search

The Iowa Secretary of State's Business Services Division keeps the register. Its Business Entities Search is the Iowa business search, by the first letters of a company name or by business number, and a Certificate of Existence costs $5 online.

Iowa business search at a glance

Open the IA state searchsos.iowa.gov

Search by

  • Business name
  • Entity or file number
sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
LLC filing fee
$50sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Biennial report fee
$30 online or $45 on paper (LLC)sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Biennial report due
LLCs: odd years, January 1 to April 1sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Certificate of Existence
$5sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Name reservation
$10, 120 days (Iowa Code 489.113)sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)

Iowa registered agent rules

Last updated

Iowa business filings go to the Iowa Secretary of State, handled by its Business Services Division. The lookup tool is Business Entities Search, and it gives you two choices: search by business name or by business number. Running a search is free. The main cost you are likely to meet is $5 for a Certificate of Existence printed from the record.

Step one on the search page is choosing the search type. Step two is entering the details:

  • By name. Enter the first few letters or words. Iowa returns every entity that begins with them, so NOW can bring up NOW INC., NOWHERE INC. and NOW PUBLICATIONS INC. Because it matches from the start of the name, begin with the first word.
  • By number. Enter the complete business number, numbers only. A number search takes you straight to the company's summary page.

From a name search, click the business number in the results to open the Business Entity Summary. The office treats the register as a filing repository and makes no warranty that filings are correct or complete. It also says it is up to businesses to watch their own records for filings made without authority. Social security numbers are redacted from document images before they go online.

Iowa does not collect owner lists. The Business FAQ says ownership and membership are kept in the company's own records. If you are trying to identify who is behind a company, see our business owner lookup guide for other routes, and our registered agent lookup guide for using the agent named on the record.

What the summary is good for

The Business Entity Summary is where you check a company before you deal with it, and where you buy proof of standing. Above the business name there is a Print Certificate of Existence link. You pay online, then print from the receipt page, so do not close that page first. Read the summary carefully and use our business entity status guide for what common statuses mean.

A Certificate of Existence is issued only for a domestic entity in good standing. A foreign entity registered in Iowa gets a Certificate of Authorization/Registration instead. Someone handed a certificate can confirm its number with the state's Certificate Validation Tool, linked from the Certificate of Existence page.

Iowa name rules

Iowa Code 489.112 says an LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or "limited company", or L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC. Ltd. and Co. are accepted short forms. The name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from existing entities, reserved and registered names, and fictitious names. One detail matters when a name looks free: an administratively dissolved entity keeps its name protected for five years from the date of dissolution.

A name reservation costs $10 and lasts 120 days under Iowa Code 489.113. See our name reservation guide before paying for one.

Biennial reports and fees

Iowa companies file a biennial report, every other year. LLCs file in odd-numbered years between January 1 and April 1, for $30 online or $45 on paper. Profit corporations file in even-numbered years for $60. Nonprofit corporations pay no fee. Notice goes to the registered agent in January of the filing year.

The fee pages show no late fee. Instead, a company that misses its report goes inactive. Domestic LLCs and corporations can then apply for reinstatement, which costs $5.

Other fees from the Forms and Fees page: $50 for an LLC certificate of organization, $50 for profit corporation articles, $20 for nonprofit articles and $100 for a foreign LLC registration. Many of these forms can be filed online through Fast Track Filing. Expedited service is charged per document: $15 for five business days, $50 for two, $125 for the same day and $200 for one hour. Sole proprietors register trade names with their County Recorder, not the state. Compare costs on our LLC fees by state page.

Bulk data

Iowa publishes a free dataset called Active Iowa Business Entities on data.iowa.gov. It lists each active company's legal name, type, effective date, registered agent and principal office address. It is updated monthly and licensed CC BY.

Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Iowa and the Iowa registered agent rules.

Also see our guides to the Iowa business license.

Iowa fees and deadlines with sources

ItemState rule or feeSource
LLC articles of organization$50sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Corporation articles of incorporation$50sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Nonprofit corporation$20sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Foreign LLC registration$100 Foreign Registration Statementsos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Biennial report, LLC$30 online or $45 on paper (LLC)sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Biennial report dueLLCs: odd years, January 1 to April 1sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Late filing penaltyNo late fee listed; entity goes inactive if the report is missedsos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Name reservation$10sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Reservation lasts120 days (Iowa Code 489.113)legis.iowa.gov, checked
Certificate of Existence$5sos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)
Processing timeExpedite per document: $15 five days up to $200 one hoursos.iowa.gov, checked (archived copy)

State fees only. A commercial registered agent, a lawyer or a filing service charges its own fee on top.

Iowa name rules at a glance

LLC name must include
Must contain 'limited liability company' or 'limited company', or the abbreviation L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC. 'Limited' may be 'Ltd.' and 'company' may be 'Co.' legis.iowa.gov, checked
Corporation name must include
Must contain 'corporation', 'incorporated', 'company' or 'limited', or the abbreviation corp., inc., co. or ltd. (or words of like import in another language) legis.iowa.gov, checked
How names are compared
Name must be distinguishable on the SOS records from existing entities that are not administratively dissolved (or were dissolved within the last five years), reserved or registered names, registered foreign names and fictitious names. Type words are ignored when comparing: corporation, corp., inc., limited, ltd., LLC, L.L.C., LP, LLP, cooperative and similar. Exceptions: written consent plus an undertaking, or a court judgment. legis.iowa.gov, checked
Restricted words
No fixed list. Names may not use words that need approval from another state department or agency unless that approval is filed (LLCs, 489.112(5)). Corporate names may not imply a purpose other than the articles allow (490.401(1)(b)). legis.iowa.gov, checked
Reservation lasts
120 days. Corporate reservation is nonrenewable. legis.iowa.gov, checked

Contact the Iowa filing office

Office
Iowa Secretary of State legis.iowa.gov, checked

Does Iowa publish its business register as data?

Free download. Updated: Monthly (last update seen: 2026-10-23 3:26 PM). Format: Downloadable table on a Socrata portal; unique identifier field is corp_number. Specific export formats and API endpoint not shown on the page read.. Price: Free. See the official data page data.iowa.gov, checked

How to search for a business in Iowa

  1. Open Business Entities Search

    Go to the search on the Iowa Secretary of State site.

  2. Choose the search type

    Pick Search by Business Name or Search by Business Number.

  3. Enter the details

    Type the first few letters or words of the name, or the complete business number with digits only.

  4. Open the summary

    Click the business number in the results to reach the Business Entity Summary.

Good to know

Questions people ask

How does the Iowa business name search work?

It is a starts-with search. Type the first few letters or words of the name and you get every entity that begins with them. The state's example is that NOW may return NOW INC., NOWHERE INC. and NOW PUBLICATIONS INC.

Does Iowa have an annual report?

No. Iowa uses a biennial report. LLCs file in odd-numbered years and profit corporations in even-numbered years, between January 1 and April 1. The LLC fee is $30 online or $45 on paper.

How do I get a Certificate of Existence in Iowa?

Search for the business, open its Business Entity Summary and click Print Certificate of Existence. It costs $5. A foreign entity gets a Certificate of Authorization/Registration instead.

Can I find the owners of an Iowa LLC on the state search?

Usually not. The Secretary of State says ownership and membership are kept in the company's own internal records and are not filed with the office.

Where are Iowa DBAs filed?

Sole proprietors file a Trade Name Application with the County Recorder in the county where they do business. Companies registered with the state can file a fictitious name with the Secretary of State for $5.

Does the Iowa Secretary of State business search cost anything?

No. Running a search on Business Entities Search is free. The main cost you are likely to meet is $5 for a Certificate of Existence printed from the record.

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