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Utah runs its business register through the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, a part of the Department of Commerce, not a Secretary of State. The lookup is called Search Business Entity Records, inside the division's Business Registration System. You can search by entity name, entity number, principal name or registered agent name. Plain copies of filed documents are free to download at the moment. Even so, many people search for a "Utah secretary of state business search". This division is the office that answers that search.
Utah LLC and corporation search in the Business Registration System
On the Business Registration System page, the search link sits just below the login button. The division's ordering page walks through it: search by entity name or entity number, click the name to open the record, then open Filing History at the bottom to download filed documents.
Searching by person works too. Enter a Principal Name or a Registered Agent Name and you get a list of every entity linked to that name. That is useful when you know an owner or agent but not the company name. Our business owner lookup guide puts this in context.
Two money notes. The ordering page says principal search is free today, but fees of $1 to $3 will return once the new platform is fully built. The fee schedule already lists $3 for a registered principal search and $1 for business entity search principals.
The Searches page also lists a Business Name Availability check. It is "just a basic search", and a name counts as available only on the division's final approval. For names that start with initials, the division suggests the Alphabetic search option and lists spellings to try, such as A.B., A & B and A-B.
Statuses on a Utah record
The division's own pages use these status words: Current, Delinquent, Involuntarily Dissolved, Voluntarily Dissolved, Expired, Revoked and Cancelled. Current and Delinquent are the two where a Certificate of Existence can still be bought.
To fix a Delinquent LLC, you renew it online. An Expired domestic LLC needs reinstatement instead. A foreign LLC that has expired cannot be reinstated at all and has to register as a new entity. The business entity status guide explains how to treat each status before you deal with a company.
Utah name rules
The division's name conventions page sets out the rules. Under Utah Code 48-3a-108, an LLC name must include limited company, limited liability company, L.C. or L.L.C., and it may not include association, corporation, incorporated, limited partnership or L.P. A corporation name needs corporation, incorporated, company, corp., inc. or co.
The test for a new name is that one key word is different. A key word is anything other than articles, prepositions, conjunctions and entity endings. Some changes do make a name different, such as the same key words in a new order ("Windows Wash" and "Wash Windows"). Many do not: punctuation, capital letters, singular versus plural, spacing, abbreviations, or adding "the", "and", "a" or "plus". An ampersand counts the same as "and". Words like bank, trust and credit union need written approval from the Department of Financial Institutions first.
A name reservation costs $22. Be aware that a dissolved entity's name may still be held: the division says a dissolved entity has a two-year period to apply for reinstatement, and its name is reserved during that time. Our name availability guide covers the wider checks.
Renewals, fees and certificates
Every Utah entity files a yearly annual report, also called a renewal, to stay active. You file it in the Business Registration System after signing in with a UtahID. For an LLC the fee is $18, which includes the $5 portal surcharge, and a late renewal adds $10. Reinstating an expired LLC costs $54, plus $18 for each missed year and a $10 delinquency fee.
Setup fees are low. An LLC certificate of organization costs $59, and so do articles of incorporation for a business or nonprofit corporation and a foreign LLC registration. Most online filings are processed immediately. Those needing manual review can take 5 to 7 business days, and expedited processing costs $75 per filing.
For proof of standing, order a Certificate of Existence. The regular one-page version costs $12 and is emailed once you pay online. The long form costs $20 and lists filed documents such as amendments and mergers. Certified copies cost $12 for the stamp plus $0.30 a page. Our certificate of good standing guide explains who asks for one. DBAs are also registered with the division for $22, so the same search covers them; see our DBA search guide.
Bulk data
For bulk records, the Business Entity List service builds a custom list of registered businesses, and the fee schedule prices a customized list at $5 plus $0.03 per record.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Utah and the Utah registered agent rules.
Also see our guides to the Utah DBA and Utah business license.