Search LLC names in pennsylvania [Glossary]

Last updated : Aug 28, 2022

How do I look up an LLC in PA?

You may request a written search by submitting a letter to the bureau at: Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, PO Box 8722, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8722. Your letter must contain the name and address of the entity to be searched.

How do I find out if a business name is available in PA?

To find out if a name is available visit the Department of State website. The state's online wizard will help guide you through the registration process. Or, you can download Fictitious Name registration form from the state website. For more information call the Pennsylvania Department of State at (717) 787-1057.

Is LLC name available in PA?

Yes. Pennsylvania requires that its LLCs use “Limited Liability Company” or one of its abbreviations (e.g., LLC or L.L.C.) in their legal name. Learn more about LLC naming requirements in the Pennsylvania Naming Requirements section.

How do I look up a LLC?

To confirm a company's LLC status, call the secretary of state's office or visit the website. In states like Arizona, out-of-state companies must register with the state before they can do business there. If your state doesn't have a mandatory registration, contact the company's home state for more information.

Is the owner of an LLC public record?

If you cannot find the owner's name online, you can file an information request with the state. Each Secretary of State office maintains public records that include the ownership of every LLC register in the state.

How do I verify a business license in Pennsylvania?

Official confirmation of the current status of a licensee can be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs: 2601 North 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

What does PA mean after a business name?

“P.A.” is the abbreviation for “Professional Association”, a business corporation engaged in a primary business that provides a professional service.

How do I find the owner of a business for free?

Check with the Chamber of Commerce. Usually, you can find this information in the public part of their website. The business profile includes the name of Chamber members and for small businesses, the member is usually the business owner.

Is an LLC a corporation?

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is an entity created by state statute. Depending on elections made by the LLC and the number of members, the IRS will treat an LLC either as a corporation, partnership, or as part of the owner's tax return (a disregarded entity).

Do I have to register my business in PA?

In addition to federal tax registration, Pennsylvania requires most businesses to register for state and county/local taxes. Once you have your EIN, you will need to register for employer taxes.

What is an entity number in PA?

When you register for a Pennsylvania sales tax license, the state allows you to register your entity using one of the following types of ID numbers: Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) Social Security Number (SSN)

How do you check if the business name is taken?

So, if you want to know the availability of your business name, check the LLC registration of companies that are registered under them and ensure that your name is not similar to theirs. This way, you can know the authenticity of the business name and build your business with a positive start.

How do I search business names?

In most states, the website of the state business filing agency includes an online entity name check tool. You can use the online tool to search business names and find out whether another business is already using the name you have chosen.

Where to check if a company is registered?

1. Step 1: Go to the MCA website.
2. Step 2: Go to the 'MCA Services' tab. In the drop-down click on 'View Company/LLP Master Data'.
3. Step 3: Enter the company CIN. Enter the captcha code.
4. You can also search for CIN by clicking on the search icon beside the 'Company/LLP Name' field.

How do I check who owns a business?

1. IRS form K-1.
2. Business emails.
3. Business meeting minutes.
4. Business resolutions.
5. Other business records.

Can you hide who owns an LLC?

An anonymous limited liability company is one that hides all ownership information. This is accomplished by creating an anonymous LLC in a state that allows it and then using a different person to register it. The secrecy jurisdiction keeps company information anonymous.

Which state is best for anonymous LLC?

Delaware and New Mexico are the most popular states for registering anonymous LLCs. Delaware has a streamlined court dedicated to business matters and offers personal liability protections that other states do not. Also, there is no corporate income tax requirement in Delaware.

How do you know if a company has a business license?

You can visit the Companies Registry's Cyber Search Centre to conduct company searches on the current data of registered companies and image records of documents registered and kept by the Registrar of Companies.

How do I dissolve an LLC in PA?

To dissolve your domestic LLC in Pennsylvania, you must provide the completed Certificate of Dissolution, Domestic Limited Liability Company (DCSB: 15-8975/8978) form to the Department of State by mail, in person, or online.

What is the difference between an LLC and PA?

For example, a PA may be composed of attorneys or accountants. A limited liability company (LLC) is a type of company in which taxes “flow through,” so the members, rather than the company, pay taxes on the profit.

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Write a comment

there I'm going to show you how to perform a business entity search of the Pennsylvania Department of State's database there are a couple of reasons why you might want to perform the search one of them being to check the availability of a desired operating in and that's possible by clicking the link here in which you will be taken to the Department of State's website shown an image like the one below here and you're going to type in the name in the search bar and click search and if it doesn't show up then it's available but if you get results like the image shown here then unfortunately the name you've entered is currently on file with the state and not available for use if you're searching for the information of an entity already on file then these image shown here is what you will see something like what you'll see and you can click on either the link on the left or on the right or squeeze me in the middle and this will take you to the same page in which you will be able to view the entity details of that specific entity and you will see an image like the one shown here in which you can purchase additional documents down here or you can just view the general details of the business at the top so that's it for performing a business entity search it's really simple and encourage you to read all the information here to find out more alright bye

Thanks for your comment Dexter Stjohn, have a nice day.
- Galen Branstad, Staff Member

welcome to the business name research video there are a few things to keep in mind when selecting your business name your desired business name must be distinguishable besides the state's online database which we will show you later you will need to do further research in order to verify name availability there are certain restrictions and requirements to keep in mind regarding the use of certain words and abbreviations in your business name a name is available for use if it is distinguishable from the names of existing organized entities organized entity means any corporation limited liability company partnership or any other organizational types of business example you would like to go with the name speedy delivery services LLC but during your research you find a company by the name of speedy delivery services Incorporated although this is a corporation its name is identical years and therefore is not distinguishable another example would be speed delivery service LLC although the spelling is not exactly correct this name is too similar to your desired business name and for both of these examples you would have to select an alternative in simpler terms if there's an existing business that already has your desired name or one that is similar you will need to choose an alternative while doing your online research there is however one exception that exception is fictitious names these are not organized entities the filing of a fictitious name does not create any exclusive or any other write in such name later on in this video during the online database research we will show you how to determine whether or not a business name is a fictitious name or not after researching the state's online database it is best to conduct a thorough offline search in order to verify your findings recommendations include telephone directories and trade magazines and/or catalogs keep in mind though that once you file for your LLC the state will double check its availability if your desired name is not available or it is not distinguishable the state will simply mail back your articles of organization stating that you muscle the new name for small businesses that need a quick turnaround we recommend doing the extra research upfront if your business is not a corporation which in this case it is not it's a limited liability company you cannot use the words incorporated or corporation or an abbreviation of either such as Inc or a Corp your LLC must contain the word some limited liability company or the abbreviation LLC dot or LLC example speedy delivery services limited liability company or speedy delivery services LLC with periods and without the name of your business cannot imply that you are a governmental unit example a city a village or a barrel by using such names and vulgar names are not allowed take some time to think about your business name you can make it easy to remember easy to spell and something remarkable at this point you should have your desired business name we recommend thinking of an alternative name now in case you find yours is unavailable example you'd like to go with speedy delivery services LLC but as an alternative you could choose speed services LLC or at your door quick LLC now that you have your desired business name and an alternative in mind let's move forward to the online research the link that will be provided will take you to the state's online database where you will search your desired business name against all of the registered businesses and corporations in the state let's head on over to the state's website here we are at the Pennsylvania Department of State corporations database I'm going to show you three examples today that will help you while doing your online research we're going to start with our first desired business name let's say you have a consulting company and you'd like to go with the name ages consultants a few things to keep in mind the button that says starting with which is selected is fine you do not need to enter the letters LLC or the words limited liability company while doing your searches and capitalization is not important I'm going to enter ages consultants and hit Search I'm going to enter the CAPTCHA on the next page and hit continue search you'll notice here that the results brought up one business underneath business type you can see that it is a business corporation and you'll see that the name ages Consultants Inc is a registered business with the state of Pennsylvania therefore your desired business name is not distinguishable and you will need to go with an alternative let's say you have a desserts company and you like to go with the name desserts first enter those terms into the search box hit search again enter the CAPTCHA on the next page and you'll notice here that we have four results given to us by the State desserts first desserts first and two desserts first cafe you'll notice under the business type however that these are fictitious names as mentioned earlier fictitious names do not have any right in securing that business name and therefore if you'd like to move forward and use this name that will be okay let's go with our third example which will be at your door quick LLC going to go back to the search box enter it hit search again enter the CAPTCHA and you'll notice on the next page it says no results were found for the search criteria at your door quick what this means is that according to the database there are no existing businesses fictitious names limited liability companies or corporations with the business name at your door quick therefore you can then use this name for your business you can now move forward on to the next step which is your articles of organization

Thanks CiammettiC your participation is very much appreciated
- Galen Branstad

About the author

Galen Branstad

I've studied processualism at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing and I am an expert in arithmetic combinatorics. I usually feel ashamed. My previous job was nuclear equipment operation technician I held this position for 19 years, I love talking about tether car and bonsai. Huge fan of James Garner I practice taekwondo and collect brands.