New York Business Entity Search
Each search goes straight to the New York Department of State, and no answer is kept for more than a day.
New York at a glance
New York business records
Most new New York LLCs must publish a notice of formation in two newspapers for six consecutive weeks and file a Certificate of Publication ($50) within 120 days, or their authority to do business is suspended. Certificates of Status cannot be ordered online or by phone, only by written or emailed request.
Filings in New York go to the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code, which keeps the official record (often searched as NY DOS). The search on this page asks the New York Department of State each time you run it.
Coverage: Corporations, LLCs and partnerships of every status.
What New York calls the registered agent, the person or company that accepts legal papers for the business: Agent for service of process (the Secretary of State); a registered agent is optional. (source, checked 2026-10-26)
Statuses you may see in New York
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The entity exists on the Department of State's records. |
| Inactive | The entity is no longer active, for example after dissolution, merger or surrender of authority. |
Source, checked 2026-10-26. Words other states use are in the business entity status guide.
Starting an LLC in New York?
Filing the Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State costs $200, then $9 every two years to keep it. The guide has each step and form.
How to start an LLC in New YorkQuestions
Is this the official New York business search?
No. This is an independent website, not run by or affiliated with any government agency. Results come from the New York Department of State, and the official search (NY DOS Public Inquiry) is linked beside them.
What is NY DOS?
NY DOS is what many people call the New York Department of State's online business records. The official search linked on this page is part of the same system.
How current are the results?
As current as the New York Department of State: each search is sent when you run it, and an answer is kept for at most 24 hours before it is asked again.
How do I check if a business name is available in New York?
Submit a name availability inquiry to the Department of State. The public entity database is meant for status checks and should not be read as proof that a name is or is not available; the final decision comes when the formation document is filed.
More about a New York business
- How to find a business's EIN
- Check if an LLC name is available
- What each entity status means
- What a registered agent is
- Business lookup in other states
Every fee and rule above links to the official page it came from. How we check our facts · Report an error