New york department of state division of corporations entity search

The table below is up to date as of 2022.

New york department of state division of corporations entity search

Name of State Department (1st column)

This is the main governing body of a state, usually called the Secretary of State, but may have a different name (ex: Department of State, Commonwealth, or simply, The State of…”).

Corporation/Business Division (2nd column)

This is usually a sub-department under the Secretary of State, Department of State, Commonwealth, etc. These business services divisions are responsible for the formations, amendments, dissolutions, and record keeping of all business entities registered and authorized to do business in the state.

Tip: It’s best to form an LLC in the state where you doing business. For most people this is your home state. Please see best state to form an LLC for more information.

Business Entity and Corporate Record Search (3rd column)

If you’re looking to search business entities, such as LLCs, Corporations, LPs, LLPs, etc., then all the links you need are in the 3rd column below. These links go directly to the official business entity search page within each state department.

Below are all 50 states’ business entity search & corporate record search pages, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

New york department of state division of corporations entity search

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New York Entity Search: Everything You Need to Know

To see if your desired LLC name is available, perform a New York entity search using the state of New York's online database.4 min read

1. New York Entity Search
2. New York Secretary of State Website and Business/Corporate Services Division
3. How to Use the LLC Formation Section of the State's Division of Corporation Website
4. State Contact Information
5. Requirements and Restrictions in Forming an LLC Name
6. Tips in Forming an LLC Name
7. What is a DBA?
8. When Do You Need a DBA?

To see if your desired LLC name is available, perform a New York entity search using the state of New York's online database. Simply navigate to the Department of State entity search page and input your name. You can choose to search for all businesses or only those currently on file.

After entering your LLC name into the search bar, click on “Search Database.” This will bring up a page of results. You can then search through them and click on any name for more information. Clicking on a business listed will bring up a separate page with its details. You can then view whether the business is active, where it's located, and whether it has stock information.

New York Secretary of State Website and Business/Corporate Services Division

The State Department is New York's main governing body. It's more commonly referred to as the Secretary of State. As of August 2017, the contact information on the New York Secretary of State website is up to date.

The Business/Corporation Division is a Secretary of State sub-department, which is responsible for forming, dissolving, amending, and recording information related to all businesses in New York.

How to Use the LLC Formation Section of the State's Division of Corporation Website

You can perform an LLC search on the State's Division of Corporation website Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Using the LLC formation link helps ensure your business name's distinguishability. To use the LLC Formation feature:

  • Click “LLC Formation” under “Online Filings.”
  • Click “Domestic Business Corporation and Domestic Limited Liability Company.”
  • Click the link titled “Articles of Organization for a Domestic Limited Liability Company.”
  • Enter your LLC business name exactly as you want it, including proper punctuation and capitalization.
  • If the name is distinguishable from all other businesses, the website will allow you to proceed.

To contact the State, call 518-473-2492 during regular business hours or email .

Requirements and Restrictions in Forming an LLC Name

There are certain requirements and restrictions for choosing your LLC name. For instance, it must end with the words “Limited Liability Company” or the abbreviation “LLC” or “L.L.C.” An LLC name can in no way imply that it's a corporation. As such, you cannot have the words “corporation,” “incorporated,” “inc.,” or “corp.” anywhere in the name. Your LLC name must also be distinguishable from all others; it cannot be too similar to an existing business name.

There are certain things that do not add to an LLC name's distinguishability, including:

  • Designation differences (LLC vs L.L.C.)
  • Differences in singular, plural, or possessive word forms
  • Adding “and,” “or,” “&,” or other conjunctions
  • Changing punctuation, including periods, hyphens, commas, etc.
  • Changing numerical values to written numbers

Tips in Forming an LLC Name

To form the best LLC name, you must ensure yours is unique. If it's too similar to another entity, the name won't be available for you to use. Try to use some creativity when deciding on your business name.

Make sure your LLC name is easy to spell so people can remember it. Shorter names are also easier to remember. Always create a name with a positive connotation that gives people a good feeling when they hear it.

What is a DBA?

If you're a business owner who wishes to do business under a different name, you can file for a DBA, which is short for “doing business as.” For example, if “Joe's Hamburgers LLC” would like to do business as “Best Hamburgers in Town,” a DBA will allow it. There are, however, different requirements for DBA names in New York.

Limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and corporations must file a certificate in order to comply with the General Business Law's Section 130. Other entities, including sole proprietorships, limited liability partnerships, and general partnerships must file an Assumed Name Certificate with the county clerk.

When Do You Need a DBA?

New York requires businesses to use their legal names to conduct business. In some cases, a company may not want to use its real name to conduct business, so they must file for a DBA. DBAs are good for several reasons. They allow a business owner to open a bank account under a different name and help the business build up its brand in the community. To set up a DBA in New York, you should first check the database to ensure the name you want isn't in use.

For additional help with a New York entity search, post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

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How do I find out who owns a corporation in New York?

You may search the New York Department of State's Corporation and Business Entity Database to obtain information on corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships.

How do I look up a business license in NY?

The information contained in this database is current through October 19, 2022..
Enter all or part of a business name..
Select a license type or "ALL LICENSE TYPES" from the drop-down list..
To narrow down this search, you may enter all or part of a county name or a city name or a Zip Code..
Click "Search"..

How do I find my NYS DOS number?

The exact name of the entity and its DOS ID number may be found by searching the name of the entity on the Department of State's Corporation & Business Entity Database.

How do I find out if an LLC is active in NY?

You can query the availability of a New York limited liability company (LLC) name on the online database run by the Division of Corporations of the New York Department of State. The same searchable database has a list of active companies in the state.