To look up an LLC in Arizona, use the Arizona Corporation Commission’s free online portal, now called ABC (Arizona Business Connection) and formerly known as eCorp. A search by company name or entity number returns the LLC’s status, principal address, managers or members, and statutory agent, which is enough to vet a company, confirm where to serve legal papers, or check whether a name is taken.1Arizona Corporation Commission. Arizona Corporation Commission
Where the Records Live
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is the state agency that holds all business entity filings, and its online portal is the only official source for Arizona LLC records. The system was renamed from eCorp to ABC, but it works the same way and costs nothing to use. Every record in the database is public.2Arizona Ombudsman Citizens’ Aide. Arizona Public Records Law
Running the Search
Go to the ACC website and open the business entity search page. You can search by the LLC’s legal name or by the entity identification number the state assigned when the Articles of Organization were filed.3Arizona Corporation Commission. eCorp Search File FAQ
If you know the exact legal name, use the “Exact Match” filter so you don’t wade through dozens of similar results. If you’re working from memory or only have part of the name, “Starts With” or “Contains” will cast a wider net. When several entities come back, you can sort by formation date or status to narrow things down. Click the entity name to open the detail page with the full filing history and current records.
What the Entity Record Shows
The detail page lists the company’s principal business address, its managers or members, and the date of formation. For anyone trying to verify who actually runs a company, that’s where the information lives.4Arizona Corporation Commission. Business Services FAQs – Section: LLCs
Statutory Agent
Every Arizona LLC must designate a statutory agent with a physical address in the state. Under ARS 29-3115, the agent accepts legal documents on behalf of the company and forwards them to the LLC. The agent has to be either an Arizona resident or a business entity authorized to operate in the state.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 29-3115 – Statutory Agent
If you need to serve a lawsuit or formal notice on an LLC, the statutory agent’s name and address on the ACC record tell you exactly where to send it. For anyone with a pending dispute against an Arizona company, this is usually the single most useful field on the page.
Reading the Status Field
The “Status” field tells you whether the LLC is in good standing.
- Active: The company is current with state requirements and authorized to do business.
- Inactive: The owners voluntarily dissolved or terminated the company.
- Pending Inactive: The company missed a filing deadline and received a delinquency notice. For LLCs, this usually means a failure to maintain a statutory agent or pay fees.
- Administrative Dissolution: The state forcibly closed the LLC, most commonly for failing to maintain a statutory agent or pay required fees.
Anything other than Active is worth investigating before you sign a contract or extend credit. An administratively dissolved LLC has lost its authority to conduct new business in Arizona and is limited to winding down. People who act on behalf of a dissolved company can face personal liability for debts incurred after dissolution, and the entity may lack standing to file a lawsuit. A status check takes under a minute and can prevent serious problems.4Arizona Corporation Commission. Business Services FAQs – Section: LLCs
No Annual Reports? That’s Normal
Arizona LLCs are not required to file annual reports. Only corporations have that obligation. If your search turns up an LLC with no annual filings after its Articles of Organization, that isn’t a sign of trouble. An Arizona LLC can stay in good standing for years without filing anything else, as long as it keeps a statutory agent on file and pays any required fees.4Arizona Corporation Commission. Business Services FAQs – Section: LLCs
If the Company Doesn’t Show Up
An empty result doesn’t always mean the business is phantom. Two common explanations:
It’s an out-of-state LLC that hasn’t registered here. An LLC formed in another state but doing business in Arizona is called a “foreign” LLC. It must register with the ACC and appoint an Arizona statutory agent, and once it does, it appears in the same search tool with its state of formation noted alongside its Arizona registration. If the company is operating in Arizona and still doesn’t appear, that’s a compliance failure on its part.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 29-3115 – Statutory Agent
It’s a trade name or DBA, not an LLC. Sole proprietorships and partnerships often operate under a “doing business as” name registered with the county recorder’s office, not the Corporation Commission, so those filings never show up on the ACC portal. To find a DBA, check the recorder’s records in the county where the business operates. Keep in mind that a DBA doesn’t create a separate legal entity, so a DBA registration alone doesn’t give you the liability protection an LLC provides.6Arizona Commerce Authority. Registering a Trade/DBA (Doing Business As) Name
When You Need Official Documentation
A screen pull from the portal is fine for your own research. For a court case, bank account, or loan application, you’ll usually need formal documentation from the ACC. The Commission offers three options through the same online system:
- Uncertified copies: $0.50 per page standard, or $35.00 plus $0.50 per page expedited.
- Certified copies: $5.00 plus $0.50 per page standard, or $40.00 plus $0.50 per page expedited. Certified copies carry the state seal and hold more weight in legal proceedings than a regular printout.
- Certificate of Good Standing: $10.00 standard or $45.00 expedited. The certificate confirms the LLC is registered and current on all filing obligations. Banks and lenders frequently require one before approving a business loan or opening a commercial account.
Requests can be submitted online and delivered as digital downloads or by mail.7Arizona Corporation Commission. Fee Schedule – Corporations
A Certificate of Good Standing is not the same as a copy of the Articles of Organization. The articles prove the LLC was formed. The certificate proves it is still in good standing right now. When someone asks for proof that a company exists and is compliant, the certificate is almost always what they want.