Secretary of State Business Search

The Secretary of State is a state-level government position responsible for many state duties. In 35 states, the position is elected, and in the 12 others, the governor appoints the Secretary of State, usually for a four-year term. Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah do not have a Secretary of State. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia call this office the Secretary of the Commonwealth; it's the same thing with a different name.

The Secretary of State primarily focuses on elections, corporations, and state records. However, the duties and responsibilities in each state vary widely. In many states, these officials administer state elections and maintain election results. Some also maintain birth, adoption, death, and divorce records. Many maintain records for land transactions and ownership.

The secretary of state has many duties, including maintaining the integrity of state elections (overseeing voter registration, managing the ballot process, and certifying election results). One crucial responsibility is managing the registration and filings of business entities within the state. The point of this is to ensure compliance with corporate laws and regulations.

The Secretary of State’s office also preserves official records, business filings, vital documents, and state government records. Depending on the state, this office may also have other duties, including notary public administration. In some states, the Secretary of State issues professional licenses for doctors, plumbers, contractors, etc.

Before opening up shop and running your business, you must determine the type of business entity you will be. Then you must register that entity with the Secretary of State in the state where you will operate. Each state has specific registration requirements and fees. You may register your business online through the Secretary of State or the corporate website. It’s a good idea to start with a secretary of state business search to verify your desired business name and review existing entity details. You can also register by mail. In any case, you will find some specific details, such as:

After you register your business with the Secretary of State, you will receive a confirmation (email or in the mail) that will confirm receipt of your documents. Depending on the state you register in, it may be immediate, or you may have to wait a few weeks. Once your business documents are approved, the state will send you a letter stating your business is officially registered.

They may also instruct you to register for an EIN with the IRS or obtain additional IDs with state or local tax officials before doing business. For example, some types of companies must pay sales or meals tax. Before doing this, you must register with the state tax agency and obtain an ID.

Each Secretary of State’s office operates slightly differently. However, most require businesses to file an annual report updating any information that has changed or confirming what is already on file. For most companies, this means verifying the business name, registered agent, and principal address.

Corporations also need to report the names and addresses of their corporate officers and directors. LLCs must submit a list of their members or managers on their annual report. Nonprofits can file every five years, but profit companies must file annually. When filing the annual report, you must pay a fee, usually $50 or $100.

When searching for business entities, you have a few different methods available to you. You can always try the Secretary of State website. Some of them have a search portal, but many don’t, or the search feature is hit-or-miss. You can also try Google to see what comes up. You can find specialty websites that offer searches or take a more direct route using EntityCheck business reports. You can find mountains of data on a specific company with a quick search.

EntityCheck collects information from various government, public, and private sources to provide the most comprehensive business data. Our reports contain multiple sections with dozens of data fields within each section. For example, the Secretary of State information includes Articles of Incorporation, annual reports, registered agent, Secretary of State number, changes in ownership, and business entity type designations. If your interest lies with UCC filings, rest assured, you will see plenty of information on equipment, vehicles, inventory, accounts receivable, and real estate.

Similarly, if the business is required to carry specific professional licenses (real estate, attorney, dentistry, nursing, teaching, hairdressers, appraisers, electricians, plumbers, etc.), those, too, will show up. Easily check to ensure the business has the proper licenses and they haven’t expired. If you are looking for court records, look no further; you can easily access business lawsuits, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, and federal cases.

Our reports also include valuable information about trademarks and the owner(s). You can also find information about company employees, officers, and agents, as well as their education and personal details. Another key piece of information is patents, and you can find out who holds the patent and all related data.