Quick Answer
Use the Delaware Division of Corporations Business Entity Search to run a Delaware entity search by entity name or file number. The search can return active and inactive entities and free basic details, but it is not a final name approval or a complete certified record.
How to Search Delaware Business Entity Records
Delaware’s Division of Corporations provides a public name search for retrieving basic entity information. The state notes that the free entity information includes the entity name, file number, incorporation or formation date, registered agent name, registered agent address, phone number, and residency.
Access the Search Tool
Go directly to the Division of Corporations Business Entity Search tool at https://icis.corp.delaware.gov/eCorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx.
Enter Your Search Criteria
You must provide information in at least one required field to run the query. You can search using:
- Name of the business entity
- File number
After entering your information into one of these fields, click “Search.” You may need to complete a CAPTCHA process to view the search results. For exact searches, Delaware notes that quotation marks can be used.
Review the Search Results
The system displays a table containing up to fifty rows of query results. Locate the queried business entity in the list and click its file number to review specific details.
Review close variations, abbreviations, punctuation differences, and entity endings before treating a name as clear. Delaware search results can include both active and inactive entities, and the results list alone is not enough to decide whether a proposed name is usable.
Examine Entity Details
The Entity Details page displays:
- File number
- Classification
- Full name
- Incorporation or formation details
This page also lists the name and contact information of the registered agent. You can purchase additional entity information for a processing fee by selecting the appropriate radio button and submitting your request.
If the search results return no close matches for Delaware, treat that as a helpful research signal, not state approval. The Division of Corporations makes the final determination when documents are submitted or a name is reserved.
If the search results return no matches for Delaware, your desired business name is likely available. If it is available, you can proceed with the formation of your company under this name.
How to Interpret Delaware Results
Delaware’s search page says results can return both active and inactive entities and that this is not an indication of current status by itself. Open the entity details page to verify the file number, classification, formation details, and registered agent information before relying on a result.
For business name planning, compare the core wording of each result before entity designators such as LLC, Inc., Corp., LP, or statutory trust wording. Delaware has a separate name availability check and name reservation process, so a public entity search should be treated as research rather than approval.
Delaware Business Name and Filing Notes
The Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule lists filing fees by entity type; the local sidebar dataset currently tracks $110 as the domestic LLC filing fee. Delaware LLCs, LPs, and GPs do not file annual franchise tax reports with the Division of Corporations, but they must pay a $300 annual tax on or before June 1.
Delaware name reservation guidance says all entity name reservations require an application, the fee is $75, and the reservation is effective for 120 days. If timing matters, reserve the name rather than relying only on a search result.
Common Mistakes
- Treating the Delaware search result list as a formal name availability approval.
- Forgetting that active and inactive entities can appear in search results.
- Searching only exact wording and missing punctuation, abbreviation, or entity-ending variations.
- Opening the result table but not reviewing the entity details page.
- Assuming free search data includes all certified filings or full document history.
- Missing Delaware’s separate $300 annual tax for LLCs, LPs, and GPs.