Virginia Business Entity Search
Check whether a Virginia company exists, and whether it is in good standing, in the state's own records.
Virginia at a glance
About Virginia business records
Business entities in Virginia register with the State Corporation Commission, not the Secretary of the Commonwealth. LLCs pay a flat $50 annual registration fee with no annual report, while stock corporations file a free annual report and pay an annual registration fee based on authorized shares, starting at $100.
Filings in Virginia go to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk, which keeps the official record (often searched as CIS).
Statuses you may see in Virginia
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The entity exists and is current with the SCC. |
| Pending Active | The entity's record is not yet active; the Reason for Status on the record explains why. |
| Pending Inactive | The entity is at risk of termination or cancellation; the Reason for Status on the record lists what can be done to avoid it. |
| Inactive | The entity has been terminated, cancelled or otherwise ended; an eligible entity can reinstate within five years. |
Source, checked 2026-10-26. Words other states use are in the business entity status guide.
Questions
Is this the official Virginia business search?
No. Open State Index is independent of every state and federal agency. It explains Virginia records and sends you to the official search (Clerk's Information System), where the state answers it.
What is CIS?
CIS is what many people call the Virginia State Corporation Commission's online business records. The official search linked on this page, Clerk's Information System, is part of the same system.
How do I check if a business name is available in Virginia?
Use the Name Availability search in the SCC's Clerk's Information System (CIS). A new name must be distinguishable from the core name of every active entity and every reserved or registered name, ignoring words such as LLC, Inc. and the.
More about a Virginia 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