Pennsylvania business entity search and name check

What the Pennsylvania search covers

Corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, LLPs, nonprofits and out-of-state businesses registered in Pennsylvania are all on file with the Department of State. Fictitious names (DBAs) are registered there too; counties stopped filing them in the early 1980s.

When you search Pennsylvania here, keep in mind:

• Only active Pennsylvania registrations are in this dataset; inactive names are not included.
• The Department of State updates it about once a month, so businesses registered in the last few weeks may be missing.
• The search matches names that begin with your words.

Each record has a Entity Number. Choose “Look up an existing business”, then “Registry number”, to search by it.

How to read Pennsylvania results

Pennsylvania does not publish definitions for its status labels in one place. We show the official wording exactly as the registry gives it.

A status describes the registry filing only. It isn’t evidence of a license, tax compliance or reputation, and a record with the same name as a company you know may be a different business. More on statuses.

Pennsylvania business name rules

An LLC name must include one of: company, limited, limited liability company, or an accepted abbreviation / words of like import. A corporation uses one of: corporation, incorporated, company, limited, and abbreviations.

A new name must be distinguishable on the Department's records from the name of every other registered business (15 Pa.C.S. § 202(b)). Adding, removing or changing a designator such as Inc. or LLC doesn't make a name distinguishable. (15 Pa.C.S. § 202(b)) Source: pa.gov

When comparing names, Pennsylvania disregards: designators such as Inc., Incorporated, LLC, Limited or Company. Our name check applies these same rules.

Using a similar name with consent

Yes. The business that already holds the name can give consent by filing a Consent to Appropriation of Name (form DSCB:19-17.2). Alternatively, you can use a Name Availability Certificate from the Department, or proof that the out-of-state business holding the name has abandoned it.

Reserving a name in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania lets you reserve a name before you form the business for $70.

File a name reservation with the Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations; the fee is $70. If you only want to know whether names are available, the Department will check up to three names for $15.

Pennsylvania name reservation

Searching on this site doesn’t reserve anything. Only PA Department of State can.

Forming an LLC in Pennsylvania

Document

Certificate of Organization

State filing fee

$125
Restricted professional companies also pay an annual registration fee of at least $500.

File online

PA Department of State filing

Processing

Expedited review costs extra: same day $100 (if received by 10 a.m.), 3 hours $300 (by 2 p.m.) or 1 hour $1,000 (by 4 p.m.). Fees aren't refunded, even if a filing is rejected.

Out-of-state LLC registering here

$250 (Foreign Registration Statement)

Fees change. Confirm them on the official Pennsylvania fee schedule before you file.

Keeping a Pennsylvania LLC in good standing

Annual Report (DSCB:15-146): $7. LLCs file between January 1 and September 30 each year (corporations by June 30; LPs, LLPs, business trusts and professional associations by December 31). Source: pa.gov

Annual reports started in 2025 under Act 122 of 2022 and replaced the old once-a-decade report. Nonprofits and not-for-profit LLCs and LPs pay nothing. Starting with reports due in 2027, a business that doesn't file is administratively dissolved, terminated or cancelled six months after its due date. Reinstating costs $35 online ($40 on paper) plus $15 for each missed annual report. An out-of-state business can't reinstate; it has to register again.

Proof of status: Subsistence Certificate (domestic) / Certificate of Registration (foreign) ($40). Source: pa.gov

Assumed names (DBAs)

Any business using a name other than its own legal name must file a Registration of Fictitious Name (form DSCB:54-311, $70) with the Department of State. If an individual is one of the owners, the name must also be advertised in two newspapers of general circulation in the county, one of them a legal newspaper. Source: pa.gov

Good to know about Pennsylvania

• The annual report is new (first due in 2025) and the state fee is only $7. The Department warns that some third parties charge $100 to $200 to file it. Source: pa.gov
• Annual report deadlines depend on the type of business: corporations by June 30, LLCs by September 30, and most others by December 31. Source: pa.gov
• Businesses are dissolved for missed annual reports only from the reports due in 2027, so older businesses that stopped operating may still be listed as active and block a name until then. Source: pa.gov
• A name that's already taken can still be used if its holder files a Consent to Appropriation of Name, or with a Name Availability Certificate from the Department. Source: pa.gov
• Fictitious names (DBAs) are registered with the Department of State, not counties, and must be advertised in newspapers when an individual is an owner. Source: pa.gov
• Registering an out-of-state LLC costs $250, twice the $125 fee to form one in Pennsylvania. Source: pa.gov

Sources and accuracy

We checked this page against official Pennsylvania sources on October 30, 2026. Our monitor rechecks the official search, filing portal and fee pages daily and flags changes for review.

See something wrong? Tell us. We can fix how we present information, but only PA Department of State can change an official record.