A Utah business entity search will enable you to easily see whether a given business name is registered and in use in Utah, so you can determine if your desired business name is available.

The Utah Secretary of State’s (SOS) division of business service maintains a registry of business corporations.  The registry includes information on those entities registered with the Utah SOS, including specifics on filing, authorization, type of entity and status.

The Utah SOS division usually receives registration from the following entities that are on record in the registry as:

  • Limited Liability Company (LLC)
  • Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
  • Limited Company (LC)
  • Limited Partnership (LP)
  • Corporation

The Lieutenant Governor of Utah has made available a tool for online business searches, which provides individuals the ability to research registered entity business details before registrations to determine if an operating name remains available for use. In addition, representatives of the prospective business may use this tool to purchase annual reports, Certificates of Existence, or to perform certain administrative activities for the business. The tool also allows those searching to check the following information:

  • Recorded Business Entity Name
  • Utah Business Number
  • Address of Contact
  • Utah Agent of Service
  • Registered Agent Address
  • Contact Phone Number
  • Was the entity formed legally?
  • Is the business in good standing?
  • Official Standing

The results of the search allow for filtering by executive name, business name or number.

A method that is commonly used to research the specific details of a business entity is conducting a search by name of business. The following 11 steps should be followed when conducting a search by business name:

1. You must choose the appropriate name: certain guidelines are to be followed when an LLC is deciding its name;

2. Conduct the name search: to determine whether the name you desire for your business is available for use you must use the name availability tool;

3. URL check (optional): conduct a search of the name to see if it is available to be used as a URL. URL names can be purchased even though you may not want to use a website, as a means of preventing other businesses from using it;

4. To begin your search, go to the following website (https://secure.utah.gov/bes/index.html) to enter the business name you desire into the field of entry;

5. To proceed you must click the search button;

6. Once you have clicked search, the results of your search will be displayed;

7.  You may scroll through those entity names displayed to locate the desired business name;

8.  The entity’s business location, type and status will be displayed;

9.  For a more detailed business description, you may click on the entity name or the Details link located on the right side of the page;

10.  The page that follows will detail the information that is presently available to the state; and

11.  At this stage of the search, you can amend the detailed business information, review the business details or purchase a Certificate of Existence.

Searching by Entity Number

The Utah Secretary of State will only assign one number to each business entity. As such, the most direct way to search for a business is by an entity number.  

These seven steps should be followed when conducting a search by entity number:

1.  To begin your search, go to the following website (https://secure.utah.gov/bes/index.html) to locate the online search capability;

2.  In the search bar, you should enter the entity number assigned to the business and click the Search by Number button to continue;

3.  The results related to the entity tied to the number supplied are shown;

4.  Details related to the business entity location, type and status are displayed;

5. For a more detailed business description, you may click on the entity name or the Details link located on the right side of the page;

6.  The final page will provide you with a description including the business entity’s filing history, status and location; and

7. At this stage of the search, you can amend the detailed business information or purchase a Certificate of Existence by using the link on the right.

Search by Executive Name

The following four steps should be used when conducting a search by executive name:

1. To begin your search, go to the following website (https://secure.utah.gov/bes/index.html) to locate the online search capability;

2. In the search bar, you should enter the executive name and click the Search button to continue;

3. A search conducted by executive name will be assessed a $3.00 fee to complete the order; and

4.  To pay the $3.00 fee, you must select an available method of payment.

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