Guides
Plain-language explanations of state business records and the decisions around naming and forming a business. General information, not legal or tax advice.
- How to check if a business name is available
What a state name search can and can’t tell you, and the other checks to run before you file.
- Business name rules by state
Required LLC designators, how each state compares names, and whether consent can clear a conflict.
- Which state should you form your LLC in?
Why your home state is usually simplest, and what Delaware, Wyoming or Nevada really cost if you operate elsewhere.
- Filing an LLC yourself vs. using a formation service
What services add, what they cost on top of state fees, and what to watch for.
- LLC filing fees by state
State fees to form an LLC in all 50 states and DC, with links to each fee schedule.
- LLC annual report requirements by state
What each state requires after formation, how much it costs and when it’s due.
- Business name reservation by state
Which states let you hold a name before forming, for how long and at what cost.
- Business entity statuses explained
Active, good standing, delinquent, dissolved, revoked, forfeited and withdrawn: what they mean and what they don’t.
- Business names, trademarks, DBAs and domains
Why a state accepting your name doesn’t mean you can use it everywhere.
- How to search for a business in every state
There is no single national business registry. Here’s how to search across states and what a multistate check covers.
- Why a business doesn’t show up in a state search
Different legal names, other states, DBAs, sole proprietors and search quirks.
- What a registered agent is and who can be one
The agent’s job, the address rules, and why the agent is often not an owner.
- Domestic vs. foreign entities
Why one company can have registrations in several states, and why dates and statuses differ between them.
- State entity numbers, EINs and other business IDs
Where to find a business’s state registry number, and why EINs aren’t public.
- Can you look up who owns a business?
What state records show about owners and managers, what they don’t, and better sources.
- Certificates of good standing
What a certificate of good standing (or status, or existence) proves and how to get one.