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Oklahoma company records are kept by the Oklahoma Secretary of State, through its Business Filing Department. The public tool is the Business Entities Search. You search by entity name, and the search itself costs nothing. The state lists the filing number, entity type, state of incorporation and the registered agent's name and address as free information. If you want the full entity details screen, the fee schedule charges $5 for one to three entities.
Running an Oklahoma LLC and corporation search by name
The search page has a single name box. Type the name and click Search. The page calls the result "a preliminary search for a business with a particular name", so treat a match or a miss as a first check, not a ruling.
A few habits help:
- Start short. If the full name finds nothing, try only the distinctive word and drop endings like LLC or Inc.
- Use the filing number. Every result has a hyperlinked filing number. Click it to open the record, and keep the number for later orders.
- Find a number from the orders page. The orders page asks for the filing number. If you do not have it, the spy glass icon there opens a search.
- Name checks are separate. The Name Availability Search is a different screen. It is also preliminary, and the Business Filing Department makes the final call.
There is an Advanced Search link on the search page. Test which fields it offers before you rely on an officer or agent search. For owner questions, our business owner lookup guide explains what state records usually reveal.
What an Oklahoma record shows
The Secretary of State says entity details may include the correct name, status, date of registration, the registered agent's name and office address, the state of domicile, authorized shares and par value, and any amendments, name changes, mergers and trade names.
Two status words matter most for LLCs and LPs. Terminated or Expired means the entity is not in good standing because its annual certificate is late. One thing you will not find online is the date an entity went inactive or how many years it owes. The business FAQ says that data is not available online and points you to the Annual Certificate Department. Our business entity status guide covers what to do with an inactive company.
Oklahoma name rules and reservations
An Oklahoma LLC name must contain limited liability company, limited company, LLC, LC, L.L.C. or L.C. You may shorten Limited to Ltd. and Company to Co. That list comes from Title 18, Section 2008. The procedure sheet adds that the name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from corporations that exist or existed in the last three years, limited partnerships, other LLCs, trade or fictitious names, and reserved names. Corporation names need a word such as corporation, company, incorporated or limited, or an abbreviation like Inc., Corp., Co. or Ltd.
Getting a name on the register blocks only later filings under the same or an indistinguishable name. It is not a trademark. To hold a name before you file, a reservation costs $10 and lasts 60 days under Title 18, Section 2009, as the LLC procedure sheet explains. See our name reservation guide for when it is worth doing.
Keeping an Oklahoma LLC in good standing
Oklahoma LLCs file an annual certificate, not an annual report. It costs $25 and is due each year on the entity's formation date. The state gives a 60 day grace period. The fee list shows no late fee, but after those 60 days the LLC becomes inactive and loses good standing. To fix it, you file a reinstatement form, which is free, plus one annual certificate for each past-due year.
The franchise tax has been eliminated, according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, so the annual certificate is the main yearly filing at the Secretary of State.
To prove standing, order a Certificate of Good Standing for $20 on the orders page. A Certificate of Fact also costs $20. Other fees from the fee schedule include $100 for LLC articles of organization, $300 to register a foreign LLC, a $50 minimum for a for-profit corporation and $25 for a nonprofit. Paying by card adds 4 percent. Filings are worked in the order received, and in-person filers can pay $50 per document for same-day service. Compare these numbers with other states on our LLC fees by state page.
Bulk data
Oklahoma sells its business entity data. The fee schedule lists a Business Entities New Master Download at $500 and a Weekly Filing Update at $150.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Oklahoma and the Oklahoma registered agent rules.
DBA and assumed names in Oklahoma
Oklahoma calls a DBA a trade name, and the Secretary of State files it. The forms page lists a Domestic (Oklahoma) Trade Name at $25 and a Foreign (Out of State) Trade Name at $25. An amended trade name, a transfer and a withdrawal each cost $25 too. A general partnership uses a different form, the Certificate of Partnership Fictitious Name. The Business Filing Department handles trade names alongside LLCs and trademarks.
A trade name also affects your LLC. The Secretary of State's LLC instructions say an LLC name must be distinguishable on its records from, among other things, existing trade names or fictitious names. Check the name before you file the Articles. Our LLC name search guide shows how.
A trade name does not form a company or protect your personal assets. That is the job of an LLC, and the DBA vs LLC page explains the gap. For the general steps, see how to file a DBA and DBA search.
We did not find how long an Oklahoma trade name lasts or whether it renews, and we did not check county rules. Confirm both on the forms page before you rely on a name. To start the company itself, read the Oklahoma LLC guide.
Also see our guides to the Oklahoma business license.