An Illinois Corp Search allows you to search for and find specific details about a particular business.

The Illinois Secretary of State's website offers an area to search for a business and view details about the company, including information such as:

  • File Detail Report
  • Certificate of Good Standing
  • Certificate of Existence

You may run a preliminary search on a company name to make sure the name you intend to use for your business is not already in use. This information is always up to date. When forming a new business, the name you intend to use for that business must be unique from any other name in the Secretary of State's database.

However, running a name search is only a preliminary step; final availability of a business name must be determined by the office of the Secretary of State. Alternatives to running an online check include:

  • Emailing the Secretary of State's office directly for a Corporate Name Availability Request
  • Calling 217-782-6961 to make a Corporate Name Availability Request over the phone
  • Calling 217-524-8008 to check name availability for an LLC

This tool can be used to search for a company either by name or company file number.

Searching for an Illinois Corporation or LLC by Name

To search for a business by name, visit this page on the Secretary of State's website and follow these steps:

  1. Select 'Corporate and LLC.' You will then have the option to search by 'name' if you know the exact name of the business you are searching for, 'key word' if you want to search by specific words in the company name, or 'partial word' to search the beginning of any word in the company's name.
  2. You will then be provided with a list of possible matches, with basic information for each match. Click on a business name in this list for more detailed information.
  3. Clicking on a business name in the search results will display the File Detail Report, which includes information that will be helpful in determining if this is the business you are looking for. Click the 'Return to the Search Screen' link to keep looking through your search results.

Searching for an Illinois Corporation or LLC by File Number

To search by file number, you'll need to know if the business you're looking for is a corporation or LLC. Using 'Corporate and LLC' will not give you the option to search by file number. If you know the company's file number, using this search option eliminates the need to scroll through multiple results. Instead, you will be directed to specific information regarding the business you are looking for.

Searching for an Illinois Partnership by Name

To search for a partnership by name, visit this page on the Secretary of State's website and follow these steps:

  1. Choose the partnership type, if known (i.e. LP, LLP, or RLLP.) If you're not sure, select 'LP/LLP and LLP/RLLP.'
  2. Select your search type. Similar to searching for a corporation or LLC by name, you may select 'name' if you know the exact name of the business you are searching for, 'key word' if you want to search for specific words in the company name, or 'partial word' to search the beginning  of any word in the company's name.
  3. You will then be provided with a list of possible matches, with basic information for each match. Clicking on a business name in the search results will display the File Date Report, which includes information that will be helpful in determining if this is the business you are looking for.

Searching for an Illinois Partnership by File Number

You may also search for a partnership by file number, allowing you to jump directly to information relevant to the business you are searching for without scrolling through a list of search results. If you know the company's file number, this is the easiest way to get the information you are looking for. This will take you directly to all available information associated with the business in question.

The File Detail Report

The File Detail Report provides information on a corporation or LLC which includes, but is not limited to:

  • The exact name of the company
  • Date the Company was formed and registered with the state of Illinois
  • Name of the registered agent
  • Address for the registered office

Name and address for other important company roles, such as the secretary or president may also be included. If the company is an LLC, this report will indicate whether the company is manager or member managed.

Contact an Attorney

If you need help with an Illinois Corp Search, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top five percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.