Search Iowa business entities through the Secretary of State’s online portal to check name availability or review company details. Searching by a specific name will enable users to see if the name has already been taken by a company operating in Iowa, which would make it ineligible for registration.
Business Entity Search
1. Navigate to the “Business Entities Search”
2. Enter Entity Name
For name availability searches, carry out the following
- Choose the search type by selecting a radio button called Search by Business Name.
- Enter the desired name in the available field.
- Click Search.
If searching for a particular entity whose business number is known, choose this option instead to narrow the results to one.
3. Review Matching Records
In cases where there are no entities that match the name entered, the following page will say “Sorry, no results“, which indicates that the name may be available.
However, the results may instead display a list of entities with similar names with the following info for each:
- Business Number
- Name
- Status
- Type
- Legal Name
Clicking the Business No. link on any listed company will present that entity’s business details.
4. Review Entity Information
The Summary tab on the following page (opens automatically) provides the following information:
- Business #
- Legal name
- Status
- Type
- State of incorporation
- Modified (yes or no)
- Registration expiration date
- Effective date
- Filing date
- Chapter
- Entity names (including type, status, and whether modified)
- Registered agent/reserving party info
- Principal office address
