Pennsylvania Business Entity Search

A Pennsylvania business entity search is done in Business Filing Services, the online system of the Pennsylvania Department of State's Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. Pennsylvania has no Secretary of State business division by that name. The Department of State plays that role, so a search for the "PA secretary of state business search" leads to the same tool. It is free and covers corporations, LLCs, partnerships, nonprofits and fictitious names.

How to search in Business Filing Services

1. Open the Business Search in Business Filing Services.
2. Type the business name, or the entity number if you have it.
3. Pick the right entity from the results and open its record.
4. Review the status, entity type, registered office address, filing date and filed documents.

Pennsylvania's search is narrower than in many states. The Department's record searches page says records can be searched only by entity name or entity number. You cannot search by officer or owner, address, tax ID, business purpose or business type. The records also do not include officer addresses, shareholders, phone numbers or tax details.

Registered office instead of registered agent

One local quirk: Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent in the usual sense. Each company lists a registered office address in the state, and legal papers can be sent there. Many companies use a commercial registered office provider instead of their own address. Either way, the address in the record is where formal notices go.

Reading status

An active status means the entity exists on the Department's records. Pennsylvania has moved to a yearly annual report, and companies that miss it will face administrative dissolution once enforcement starts. After the Department files a statement of dissolution, the company loses the exclusive right to its name. Fictitious names are different. They have no good standing status and stay in effect until they are canceled.

Subsistence certificates and copies

Pennsylvania calls its good standing certificate a subsistence certificate. You can buy one online: sign in to the Business Hub, find the business under Business Documents, choose Request Certificate and pick the subsistence option. The state help guide explains each step, and the file is ready to download from your work queue once approved. The official fee page lists:

Checking and reserving a name

Search the Business Search for the name you want. The state's LLC guide suggests searching without the ending, so search "Maple Street Bakery", not "Maple Street Bakery LLC". It also suggests checking the federal trademark database. A name reservation costs $70. Need ideas? Try our business name generator.

Fictitious names

Any person or company doing business in Pennsylvania under a name other than its real name registers a fictitious name with the Department of State. These filings stopped going to county offices decades ago. If the registration lists an individual, the business must also publish a notice in two newspapers of general circulation in its county, one of them a legal newspaper. The fictitious names page explains the rule. A business that skips registration cannot use Pennsylvania courts to enforce contracts made under that name until it registers.

Forming an LLC in Pennsylvania

1. Search the name and reserve it if needed.
2. Choose a registered office address in Pennsylvania.
3. Get an EIN from the IRS.
4. File a Certificate of Organization in Business Filing Services. The fee is $125.
5. Register for state tax accounts in myPATH only if your business needs them, such as a sales tax license.
6. File the annual report between January 1 and September 30 every year. The fee is $7, and LLCs with a nonprofit purpose pay nothing.

The annual report page says domestic LLCs that miss the report will be dissolved six months after the due date once enforcement begins. A dissolved domestic LLC can reinstate with no time limit for $35 online plus $15 for each missing report. Online annual reports are approved automatically. Plan these steps in your business plan template, and see our guide on how to start a business.

Common problems

• Name not found: Use the exact name or the entity number. Try it with and without punctuation.
• Need the owners: The Department does not keep shareholder lists, and officer details are limited.
• DBA missing: Fictitious names are in the same state system, not at the county.
• Old company dissolved: Check whether it missed annual reports and whether it has reinstated.

Checking nearby states? See the New Jersey business entity search and the Ohio business entity search, or open the all-states business entity search hub.