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Pennsylvania Business Entity Search

Type a company name below and the Pennsylvania Department of State open data answers.

Type a business name, or its first words, and choose Search. Results show each match's status, type and formation date.

Pennsylvania at a glance

  • LLC filing fee $125 Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Corporation filing fee $125 Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Annual Report (DSCB:15-146) $7, every year Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Name reservation $70, held 120 days Source, checked 2026-10-26
  • Subsistence Certificate (domestic) or Certificate of Registration (foreign) $40 Source, checked 2026-10-26

Pennsylvania business records

Annual reports only began in 2025 (they replaced the old decennial report), and from reports due in 2027 an association that fails to file is administratively dissolved six months after its due date. A new business corporation must also advertise its incorporation in two newspapers, one a legal journal if possible; an LLC need not.

The Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations keeps these records; many people call its search BFS. The search on this page asks the Pennsylvania Department of State open data each time you run it.

Coverage: Active Pennsylvania business entities, updated monthly by the state.

What Pennsylvania calls the registered agent, the person or company that accepts legal papers for the business: Registered Office (or Commercial Registered Office Provider). (source, checked 2026-10-26)

Statuses you may see in Pennsylvania

StatusWhat it means
ActiveThe association is registered and still in existence on the Department of State's records.

Source, checked 2026-10-26. Words other states use are in the business entity status guide.

Questions

Is this the official Pennsylvania business search?
No. This is an independent website, not run by or affiliated with any government agency. Results come from the Pennsylvania Department of State open data, and the official search (Business Filing Services) is linked beside them.
What is BFS?
BFS is what many people call the Pennsylvania Department of State's online business records. This page searches the Pennsylvania Department of State open data instead, and links to its free official search.
How current are the results?
As current as the Pennsylvania Department of State open data: 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 Pennsylvania?
Search the name in the Business Filing Services business search or call the Bureau; the Department says these are only preliminary checks, not a guarantee. A written availability search of up to three names costs $15.
Does Pennsylvania charge a franchise tax or a similar yearly tax?
Pennsylvania's Capital Stock/Foreign Franchise Tax was eliminated for tax years beginning January 1, 2016 and after; corporations doing business in the state pay the Corporate Net Income Tax instead.

More about a Pennsylvania business

Every fee and rule above links to the official page it came from. How we check our facts · Report an error