Every US state runs a Secretary of State (or equivalent Department of State / Department of Commerce / Corporation Commission) business-entity search. Any LLC, corporation, limited partnership, or other state-registered business entity is searchable by anyone, free, no login.
Each state's search portal is different. Some accept pre-filled query strings. Some require you to paste the name into a form after arriving. Some use session tokens that make deep-linking impossible.
The State Business Lookup tool routes your query into the right state's portal with a pre-filled search where possible and a manual-paste note where not.
Three use cases
1. Vendor vetting. A new vendor quotes you on a $50,000 contract. Before you sign, check their LLC status in the state they claim to be registered in. An "Inactive" or "Administratively Dissolved" entity is a yellow flag. "Good Standing" is the minimum bar. Use this in combination with a BBB check, a Google search for lawsuits, and a reference call.
2. Competitor research. Public filings list the registered agent (often the founder or owner), the filing date (when the business was formed), the officers or members in states that require disclosure (CA, DE, IL, MA disclosure rules vary). A thorough competitor profile starts with the state filing.
3. Confirming your own good standing. LLCs and corps have to file an annual report (or biennial in some states) to maintain active status. Miss the filing and your entity gets "administratively dissolved" — and you may not find out until you try to open a bank account, apply for a loan, or sign a contract. Check quarterly.
What to look for when you find an entity
- Status: "Active" / "Good Standing" is what you want. "Inactive," "Forfeited," "Administratively Dissolved," or "Suspended" means the entity has tax, annual-report, or other state-compliance issues.
- Filing date: When they registered. A 2-month-old LLC claiming 10 years of experience is a flag.
- Registered agent: The person or service authorized to receive legal mail. A registered agent mismatch between website and state record is a yellow flag.
- Principal office address: Where the business claims to operate from.
- Officers / members / managers: Varies by state. CA, DE, IL, MA disclose. WY, NM, NV do not (popular states for anonymous LLCs).
- Last annual-report filing date: Should be within the last 12-18 months depending on state.
The anonymity states
Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and Delaware are known for anonymity — they don't require member/manager disclosure on public filings. This is legal and legitimate for many businesses. It's also the pattern you see for shell companies. If you're vetting a vendor whose LLC is in WY / NM / NV / DE and whose website is cagey about who runs it, consider that a flag worth investigating further (attorney, private investigator, or just walking away).
Why deep-linking isn't always possible
A third of state SOS portals use form-posts or session tokens. Their search URLs look like https://corp.sec.state.ma.us/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSearch.aspx — no query-string accepts the business name. You have to paste the name into the form after arriving.
Our tool opens the correct search page for the state and tells you to paste. Still faster than finding each state's SOS homepage and navigating the menu tree manually.
When you need more than this
For litigation, M&A, or high-stakes vendor onboarding, the state SOS search is the starting point, not the answer. Paid services for deeper diligence:
- LexisNexis / Westlaw — litigation history, docket searches.
- Dun & Bradstreet — credit reports, DUNS number verification.
- OpenCorporates — aggregator of state filings + some international filings.
- CT Corporation / CSC — registered-agent services with diligence add-ons.
A state SOS lookup is free and takes a minute. It catches the obvious problems (wrong name, wrong state, inactive entity). Paid services catch the deeper issues.
Related reading
- Trademark Pre-Screen — pre-filing name check
- DNS / Email Auth Audit — vendor email-reputation check
- Mega Analyzer — vendor website audit
Fact-check notes and sources
- 50 state Secretary of State or equivalent business-entity search portals as of April 2026.
- Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (ULLCA) for state LLC-filing baseline.
- State-specific disclosure rules per each state's business-entity statute.
This post is informational, not legal or due-diligence advice. State SOS records are the canonical source for state-registered entities; they do not reflect federal-level registrations (EIN, trademark, federal licensing) or contractual disputes. "Good Standing" does not imply legal standing for contracts or litigation contexts. Consult an attorney for M&A, vendor-compliance, or litigation-risk research. Mentions of LexisNexis, Westlaw, Dun & Bradstreet, OpenCorporates, CT Corporation, CSC are nominative fair use.
