How to Use the NY Secretary of State Business Search

The New York Secretary of State business search is a free public database run by the New York Department of State at apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry. It lets you confirm that a company is legally registered in New York, check its current status, and find the official address where legal papers can be served. Use it before signing a contract, when vetting a potential partner, or to check on your own entity’s standing.

What the Database Covers

The search returns business corporations, not-for-profit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. It also returns assumed name (DBA) filings, but only when the DBA is attached to one of those entity types.¹

Sole proprietorships and general partnerships will not appear. They don’t file formation documents with the Department of State; in New York they file business certificates at the county clerk’s office, so you’d contact the relevant county directly to look one up.

One point of confusion worth clearing up before you start: the DOS ID number in search results is not a federal Employer Identification Number. The DOS ID is the state’s internal tracking number for the entity’s filings. The EIN, issued by the IRS, is a federal tax identification number.² EINs are not in this database.

How to Run a Search

Open the Department of State’s public inquiry portal and pick one of four search methods: Entity Name, DOS ID number, Assumed Name (DBA), or Assumed Name ID.¹

If you have the DOS ID, use it. That unique number returns exactly one entity with no guesswork. Without it, a name search is the next best option, and the portal offers three matching modes:

Base Word returns exact matches on the name you entered.
Begins With finds entities whose names start with your search term.
Contains finds your search term anywhere in the entity name, which casts the widest net.

You can further narrow by entity type (Corporation, LLC, Limited Partnership) and by status (Active, Inactive, Suspended).¹

A practical tip: drop punctuation and legal suffixes like “Inc.” or “LLC” from your first attempt. The database can be particular about exact formatting, so starting broad saves time. If the result list is too long, add filters to cut the noise.

Results appear in a table showing Entity Name, DOS ID, Status, Entity Type, and Date of Initial Filing.¹ Clicking any row opens the entity’s detailed record.

Reading the Detailed Record

Each detailed record contains the fields that matter for due diligence: the current entity name, date of organization, jurisdiction (New York or a foreign state), county location, service of process address, registered agent if any, and the current status.³

Pay particular attention to the service of process address. This is where the Secretary of State forwards copies of legal papers served against the entity by certified mail.⁴ It’s typically a registered agent’s office or the company’s principal business location, and it’s not necessarily the company’s day-to-day mailing address. If you need to serve legal documents on a business, this is the address that counts.

The Department of State builds this record from information the entities themselves file, and it warns that “the information’s completeness or accuracy cannot be guaranteed.”¹ Treat a search result as a useful snapshot, not a sworn statement.

What Each Status Means

Status is usually the first thing to check. It tells you whether the entity is currently authorized to do business in New York.

Active means the entity is in compliance with its filing requirements and authorized to transact business in the state. This is what you want to see when vetting a potential business partner.
Inactive or Dissolved means the entity is no longer authorized to operate. Dissolution can be voluntary (the owners filed paperwork to wind down) or involuntary (the state dissolved it, often for unpaid taxes). A domestic corporation or LLC stays active in the state’s records until it formally dissolves; there’s no automatic expiration.³
Suspended means the entity failed to meet a specific legal requirement and lost its authority to conduct business. Unlike dissolution, suspension is designed to be temporary and reversible once the underlying problem is fixed.³

These distinctions carry real consequences. Someone who signs a contract on behalf of a dissolved entity risks personal liability for that obligation. A suspended entity may lose its ability to bring lawsuits in state courts; courts can refuse to hear the case until standing is restored, even when the underlying claim is perfectly valid.

Two common reasons a New York LLC shows up as Suspended are worth knowing. The first is the LLC publication requirement: within 120 days of formation, every LLC must publish a notice of its existence in two newspapers in the county where it is located, once a week for six consecutive weeks, then file proof with the Department of State. Miss the window and the LLC’s authority to do business is suspended automatically until proof of publication is filed.⁵ The second is a missed biennial statement. Every corporation and LLC registered in New York must file a biennial statement, once every two years, for a $9 fee. Failing to file doesn’t dissolve the entity, but the delinquency appears on any Certificate of Status and can block bank account openings and commercial leases.⁶

When the Free Search Isn’t Enough

The online search gives you a quick read, but it’s not an official document. For transactions where proof of good standing is required, such as bank loans, real estate closings, government contracts, or foreign qualification in another state, you’ll need a Certificate of Status, sometimes called a Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Existence.³

The Department of State issues these for $25 by written request. Including the entity’s DOS ID or exact date of formation smooths the process. Expedited handling is available for an additional fee:⁷

24-hour processing: additional $25
Same-day processing: additional $75
2-hour processing: additional $150

The certificate will flag delinquencies, including past-due biennial statements.³ Banks and business partners rely on this document, not a screenshot of search results.

What the Search Won’t Tell You

Knowing the database’s limits keeps you from drawing conclusions the data can’t support.

Name availability. The Department of State explicitly warns that the search “should not be used to determine the acceptability of an Entity Name.” A name absent from the database is not guaranteed approval for a new entity.¹
Trademark protection. Registering a business name with the Department of State creates rights only within New York. It does not provide federal trademark protection or prevent another business from using a similar name elsewhere.⁸
Tax compliance. The database does not show whether a business is current on state or federal taxes. A business can appear Active and still owe significant back taxes.
Litigation and financial health. The search confirms legal existence, not business quality. It will not reveal pending lawsuits, liens, judgments, or insolvency.
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships. These file at the county clerk level and won’t appear here regardless of how you search.

For anything that carries real money or real risk, pair the search with a Certificate of Status, a USPTO trademark search, and whatever financial vetting the deal warrants.

1
Department of State. Corporation and Business Entity Search Database
2
U.S. Small Business Administration. Get Federal and State Tax ID Numbers
3
Department of State. FAQs: Corporations and Business Entities
4
New York State Senate. New York Business Corporation Law BSC 306 – Service of Process
5
New York State Senate. New York Limited Liability Company Law 206 – Affidavits of Publication
6
Department of State. Biennial Statements for Business Corporations and Limited Liability Companies
7
Department of State. Fee Schedules
8
United States Patent and Trademark Office. Why Register Your Trademark