Official records how-to · tested October 2026

How to Look Up an LLC in Official State Records

To find an LLC, you search the registry of the state where it was formed. The portals do the same job in different ways: one hides the record when you type "LLC", one lists 500 results even for a made-up name, one shows the manager's name, one only says "member-managed". We tried the same six things in 12 states. The findings are below.

What we did

In October 2026 we tried the same six things on each state portal:

1. We counted the clicks from the portal's landing page to the search box, and noted any captcha or login, the default match type and the default status filter.
2. We searched an active domestic LLC with "LLC" and without it.
3. We checked whether inactive LLCs appear in the default list, and with which words.
4. We opened the record and noted the number format, status, entity-type label, jurisdiction, agent, and whether the document list is free.
5. We looked for the people fields: which label shows members, managers or organizers, how many names, or none at all.
6. We searched a made-up name ("Zyxquv Holdings") and recorded what the portal says.

States: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, Texas, Maine, Delaware, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky. In Oklahoma and Utah the record page sat behind a gate (Oklahoma asks for a name and email, Utah shows a captcha), so we measured the list level only. Arizona put an image captcha before the search, and eight more states did not open from a connection outside the U.S.

Evidence table

The cells are measurements from October 8, 2026. They will be updated when a portal changes.

State by state: what we saw

Florida

• A Sunbiz search is not a list of matches but an alphabetical browse. "Publix Associate Services LLC" and the name without the suffix open the same list.
• The record: Document Number L22000189256 ("L" plus 11 digits), "Florida Limited Liability Company", ACTIVE, "State: FL". Documents open through "View image in PDF format" without a login.
• The people field is "Authorized Person(s) Detail": one row, "Title MGR", and the name is a company. An LLC's manager can be another company, so this is the wrong place to look for a member's name.
• The top bar has a "No Protected Series" button. That is where series LLC information lives.
• Trap: a made-up name does not produce an error. The nearest names are listed (ZYX TRANSPORTATION INC, Z Y X W, LLC), and a reader can take that for a taken name.

Michigan

• Cloudflare's "Verifying you are a human" takes about 6 seconds. One box, "Starts With" by default, no status filter. The record opens in a right-hand panel.
• "Meijer Arena LLC" returned 1. "Meijer Arena" returned 1.
• The record: Identification # 802018828 (9 digits), "Domestic Limited Liability Company", Jurisdiction Michigan, the Resident Agent is a person. 10 filings, each with a Download button.
• No people field. Only "Management Type: Member".
• Trap: "Entity Status: Active" sits in the same panel as "AR Standing: Not Good" and "Inactive Date: 03/01/2026".
• "No results were found for Zyxquv Holdings".

North Carolina

• The Cloudflare check passes on its own. "Company By Name" and "Starting With" by default, no status filter. The page clears the search box once on load.
• "The Charlotte Company LLC" and the name without the suffix both returned "More than 1898 Records; Enter a longer search term".
• Inactive words in the list: "Admin. Dissolved", "Revoked", "Dissolved", "Withdrawn", "Doc Tracking Canceled", "Multiple".
• The record: SOSID 1370813 (7 digits), "Current-Active", "Citizenship: Domestic", 14 filings as free PDFs.
• "Company officials" → "Managing Member", one name, with the note "All LLCs are managed by their managers pursuant to N.C.G.S. 57D-3-20."
• "BRD Search: Records Found: 0".

Washington

• The official search URL opens an empty results table. The box is in "Corporation Search" on the home page, one click back. Turnstile passes on its own. Matching behaves like contains.
• "Starbucks Construction Services LLC" returned 1, and so did the name without the suffix. "LLC" without the comma found the ", LLC" record.
• The record: UBI 604 817 264, "WA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY", ACTIVE, Jurisdiction "UNITED STATES, WASHINGTON", 12 filings with "View Documents" and no login.
• The "GOVERNORS" table has one row, type ENTITY (Starbucks Corporation). No person's name.
• "No Value Found." / "records 0 to 0 of 0".

Texas (Comptroller)

• The search box is right on the page: Taxpayer Number, Entity Name or SOS File Number. Starts with. No status filter.
• "Lone Star Parking Events LLC" → "No data available in table". "Lone Star Parking Events" → 1. The registered name is "LONE STAR PARKING EVENTS, LLC", and the comma breaks the match. "Lone Star Transmission LLC" also returned 0, and 3 without the suffix.
• The record: Texas Taxpayer Number, 11 digits (32049854949), and Texas SOS File Number, 10 digits (0801711197). "Right to Transact Business in Texas: ACTIVE". "SOS Registration Status: ACTIVE". "State of Formation: TX". No LLC type label. No document list; a PIR copy is ordered by email.
• The Comptroller page shows people. The "Public Information Report for Year 2026" table lists one person with the title "MANAGER", "Source: CPA". The Delaware-formed Lone Star Transmission, LLC record lists 13 names in that table.
• Inactive words: "FRANCHISE TAX INVOLUNTARILY ENDED", SOS "INACTIVE".
• Trap: what you type first can be wiped while the page is still loading.
• Texas SOSDirect, the Secretary of State's own search, charges per search; see the official service and fee information.

Maine

• "Keyword from name to be searched". A reCAPTCHA badge is present, but no challenge appeared. Responses take 10 to 20 seconds. "Harbor" → 1,847 results, the first 300 listed.
• "Bar Harbor Oyster Company LLC" returned 1, and so did the name without the suffix.
• The list shows no status, only Name Type: LEGAL, ASSUMED, FORMER, MARK.
• The record: Charter Number "20150321DC" (a date plus letters), "GOOD STANDING", "LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY", Jurisdiction MAINE. The "Clerk/Registered Agent" is a person. Documents cost money: "Each record $ 3.00", a certificate $30.00.
• No member or manager field.
• "Nothing found matching your search".

Delaware

• 0 clicks, no captcha. Contains. "[For exact searches use quotation marks.]". "Pfizer" hits the 50-result cap.
• "Pfizer Payroll Services LLC" returned 1, and so did the name without the suffix.
• The list shows no status. The page says "both active and inactive entities".
• The record: File Number 7689690 (7 digits), the red "THIS IS NOT A STATEMENT OF GOOD STANDING", "Entity Kind: Limited Liability Company", "Entity Type: General", "Residency: Domestic". The agent is The Corporation Trust Company. Status is paid: $10, or $20 for Status plus Tax & History.
• No people field.
• "No Records Found."

Colorado

• 0 clicks, no captcha. Word-based matching ("Summit Materials" → "Summit Building Materials Corporation"). "Summit" → "The search results exceeded the record count".
• "Steele Summit Ridge MM LLC" returned 1, and so did the name without the suffix. With a single hit, the list is skipped and an "Organization Record Confirmation" page opens.
• Inactive status is appended to the name: "…, Delinquent May 1, 2013", "…, Dissolved December 10, 2010".
• The record: ID Number 20161385009 (11 digits, year prefix), "Good Standing", "Limited Liability Company", Jurisdiction CO, the Registered Agent is an LLC. No document list on this screen.
• No people field.
• "The entered organization name could not be found."

Tennessee

• 0 clicks, no captcha. "Starts With". "Active Entities Only" is unchecked. Starts-with also scans "Other Names Used" (assumed and previous names). "Volunteer" → 2,000.
• "Volunteer Energy Solar LLC" returned 1, and so did the name without the suffix.
• Inactive words: "Inactive - Dissolved (Administrative)", "Inactive - Terminated", "Inactive - Merged", "Inactive - Revoked (Revenue)", "Inactive - Revoked (Labor & Workforce Dept)". The label names the agency that closed the company.
• The record: Control Number 001236981 (9 digits), "Limited Liability Company (LLC)", "Formed in: TENNESSEE", the agent is a person. History (11) is open as text.
• No person's name. "Managed By: Manager Managed", "Number of Members: 1", "Obligated Member Entity: No", "Series LLC: No". The only state that gives the member count.
• "No Records Available".

Kentucky

• 0 clicks, no captcha. "Show active entities only" is unchecked by default. "Bluegrass" → 8,888 results.
• "Bluegrass Cellular Health LLC" returned 1, and so did the name without the suffix.
• Inactive: "I - Inactive" / "A - Active".
• The record: Organization Number 1020838 (7 digits), "A - Active", "Standing: G - Good", "KLC - Kentucky Limited Liability Company", the agent is a person. "Images Available Online" lists 9 documents.
• "Managed By: Members". Under "Current Officers", Title "Member", one person. "Initial Officers" is a separate section. Kentucky, like North Carolina, shows a member's name on the record itself.
• "No matching organizations were found".

Oklahoma (list level)

• Turnstile on every search, and Search has to be pressed a second time. "Search All" by default. There is a "Search by Name of Person" option.
• "Sooner Pro Painting LLC" returned 500, and so did the name without the suffix. The target was first in both. Matching is fuzzy: "Sooner" → SOMMER, SOLMER.
• Inactive: "In use", "Active", "Inactive", "Expired", "Former", "Withdrawn". Filing number 10 digits (3513936292), "Domestic Limited Liability Company".
• The record is gated: clicking the filing number brings up a "Your Personal Name" and "Email" form. We did not enter personal data.
• Trap: even a made-up name returns 500 results. The count cannot be read as "name is free".

Utah (list level)

• The given URL redirects to the home page, 1 click. Turnstile. "Starts With". There is a "Principal Name" search field.
• "Nu Skin Taiwan LLC" → "No records found with your search criteria." "Nu Skin Taiwan" → 2. The registered name is "NU SKIN TAIWAN, LLC".
• Inactive: "Inactive/Voluntarily Dissolved", "Inactive/Administratively Dissolved", "Expired/N/A".
• Two rows with the same name and the same root number: the LLC 1107067-0160 Active, the old corporation -0142 Expired. The number suffix shows the type.
• The record is gated: a "Verify Before Accessing" captcha.

Should you type "LLC"?

• In 10 of 12 states the suffix made no difference. In two it hid the record: in Texas and Utah the registered name has a comma ("…, LLC") and a search for "… LLC" returned zero.
• Washington and Michigan matched "LLC" without the comma to the ", LLC" record.
• With a generic name the suffix does not narrow anything: North Carolina 1,898+, Oklahoma 500. The fix is a longer name or an exact match (quotation marks in Delaware).
• The rule: search without "LLC". If there are too many results, use a longer name, exact match or the entity-type filter.

Which states show member and manager names

In the ten states where we opened a record, we got four different answers. Three give a person's name (NC, KY, TX). Two show that the manager is another company (FL, WA). Two state only the management type or the member count (MI, TN). Three give nothing (CO, ME, DE). In Oklahoma and Utah the record stayed behind a gate. For the question of who owns the company, see the business owner lookup guide.

What "no records found" means

"No records" proves only that spelling in that match mode. Another spelling of the name, a comma, a DBA or another state all fall outside it. For a new LLC, see what to check when an LLC is not showing up.

Status glossary

• Active: "Active" (FL, MI, TN), "Current-Active" (NC), "ACTIVE" (WA, TX), "GOOD STANDING" (ME), "Good Standing" (CO), "A - Active" plus "Standing: G - Good" (KY), "Active/Current" (UT). In Michigan, "Active" and "AR Standing: Not Good" appear at the same time.
• Inactive: FL "INACT", "INACT/UA", "INACT/MG", "NAME HS"; NC "Admin. Dissolved", "Revoked", "Dissolved", "Withdrawn", "Doc Tracking Canceled"; MI "Cancelled", "Dissolved - Certificate of Dissolution / Court Order / Operation of Law / Term Expired", "Revoked - Failure to Comply"; WA "ADMINISTRATIVELY DISSOLVED", "TERMINATED"; TX "FRANCHISE TAX INVOLUNTARILY ENDED"; CO "Delinquent <date>", "Dissolved <date>"; TN "Inactive - Dissolved (Administrative)", "Inactive - Revoked (Revenue)", "Inactive - Revoked (Labor & Workforce Dept)"; KY "I - Inactive"; OK "Inactive", "Expired", "Former", "Withdrawn"; UT "Inactive/Voluntarily Dissolved", "Inactive/Administratively Dissolved", "Expired/N/A".
• No status shown: Delaware and Maine show no status in the list, and Delaware does not give status for free. See the good standing and dissolved entries for what the labels mean.

Number formats

Series LLC

Florida: a "No Protected Series" button at the top of the record. Tennessee: a "Series LLC: No" field. No such field was seen in the other states.

Fees and gates

• Documents are free in FL, NC, WA, MI (Download), KY (9 images) and TN (history as text). Paid: Maine $3 per record; Delaware $10 for status, or $20 for status plus tax and history. The Texas Comptroller has no documents.
• Gates: Oklahoma asks for a name and email before the record; Utah puts a captcha before the record; Arizona puts an image captcha before the search; Michigan, NC, WA, OK and UT use Cloudflare or Turnstile.

Official LLC lookup by state

Every link goes to the official state search. The Name on the record column is filled only for the 12 states we tested on October 8, 2026.

Jump to a state guide

Already know the state? Open its guide for the official link plus a walkthrough of that registry's search flow.

LLC lookup FAQ

Is there a way to look up who owns an LLC?

The state record shows the people on file, not the owner. In the ten records we opened, the answer took four forms (see the table above): a person's name (NC, KY, TX), a company as manager (FL, WA), the management type only (MI, TN), or nothing (CO, ME, DE). None of the ten records shows an ownership percentage. See the business owner lookup guide.

Is an LLC public record?

Yes. In the ten states where we opened a record, the name, number and agent were free to see, and status was free everywhere except Delaware, where it costs $10. The document list is free in six states and costs $3 per record in Maine. Member names depend on the state (see the table above).

How can I see if an LLC exists?

Search the state where it was formed, without "LLC". In Texas and Utah the suffix returned zero results. Florida and Oklahoma never display a "no records found" message. If the exact spelling is not in the list, it is not in that portal's list. If the LLC is new, see what to check when an LLC is not showing up.

How do I look up if an LLC name is available?

It is the same search, but an empty result is not approval. The state applies its "distinguishable" rule when you file. See our guide on how to claim a business name.

Can I look up an LLC in every state at once?

There is no single official national LLC registry. If the state is unknown, follow the steps for finding a company's formation state.

Sources reviewed

• Official LLC search portals of Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, Texas (Comptroller), Maine, Delaware, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Utah, visited October 8, 2026. Portal links come from the synced EntitySearch.us state dataset; per-state verification dates appear on each state guide.
• N.C.G.S. 57D-3-20, as cited on the North Carolina Secretary of State record page.
• Texas Secretary of State: SOSDirect service and search fees, reviewed September 24, 2026.

EntitySearch.us is an independent reference site. It is not a government agency, is not affiliated with any Secretary of State office, and does not operate an official business registry.