Illinois Business Entity Search

Official agency: Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services

Open Official Government SearchOpens apps.ilsos.gov in a new tab. This is the official government site, not EntityLocator.

Direct links on the official site

Search methods offered

Business NameSearch by an entity’s name.
Registered AgentSearch by registered agent.
PresidentSearch by president.
SecretarySearch by secretary.
ManagerSearch by manager.
File NumberSearch by the entity’s file number.
KeywordA search-method choice. We did not verify how it matches.
Partial WordA search-method choice. We did not verify how it matches.
Start a New SearchThe single required text field, used with whichever method you select, followed by Submit.
Filter by Entity (on results)All, CORP, LLC, LP or NFP.
Show entries (on results)100, 150 or 200 per page. 100 was the default.
Table Search field (on results)A separate search box for the results table. We did not verify whether it works only on the returned entries.

How to search

Open the official Illinois Business Entity Search using the button above.
Under Choose a Search Method, select Business Name, or another method such as File Number or Registered Agent.
Enter your search in Start a New Search and select Submit.
If a human-verification test appears, complete it yourself to continue.
On the results, compare file number, entity type, name, status, effective date and registered agent. Sort columns or use Filter by Entity to narrow a long list.
Select an entity name to open its record, then use the tabs under Services and More Information.

What you can expect to find

Results columns are File Number, Entity Type, Entity Name, Entity Status, Registered Effective Date and Registered Agent. Each is sortable, and entity names link to records.
Controls include Filter by Entity, Show entries, a table Search field, Previous, Next and numbered pages, and a count such as “Showing 1 to 100 of 500 entries.”
For a broad search for “Lincoln,” a warning said the first 500 records had been returned and the search should be refined. That 500 is a cap on returned entries, not the total number of matches, and entries are not necessarily unique businesses. Some rows shared a file number but showed different names or type suffixes.
Results mixed active-looking and historical-looking entries. Statuses we saw included ACTIVE, INVOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION, WITHDRAWN, VOLUNTARY DISSOLVED, TERMINATED and REVOKED.
The corporation we opened showed Entity Name, File Number, Status, Entity Type, Type of Corp, Qualification Date (Foreign), State, Duration Date, Annual Report Filing Date, Annual Report Year, and agent name, address and change date. Its qualification date differed from the effective date in the results table, so treat the labeled dates as different fields.
Under Services and More Information the record has five tabs: Available Services, Officers, Assumed Name, Old Corp Name and File History.
Available Services showed a Purchase Master Entity Certificate of Good Standing button, and links to change a registered agent or office and to adopt an assumed name. Officers listed the president and secretary with name and address. Assumed Name, Old Corp Name and File History had no rows for this entity.
The File History tab carries a notice that it covers documents filed online. It was empty for the entity we opened. An empty tab does not mean the entity has never filed anything.

Limitations, fees and notices

This is a public record search, not formal name approval. The Secretary of State says a name may be available when a search finds no records, but that does not approve, reserve or register a name. Reservation is a separate filing: the official page points to forms BCA 4.10 for business corporations, NFP 104.10 for not-for-profit corporations and LLC 1.15 for LLCs.
Coverage is corporations, not-for-profit corporations, limited partnerships, LLCs and LLPs. It is not every Illinois business. Sole proprietors and general partnerships using an assumed name register with the county clerk, so this search is not a complete county-level assumed-name database.
Basic searching and all five record tabs worked without a login or payment in our research, but human verification appeared in one earlier attempt and not in a later one. It may appear when you search.
The database is intended for individual public searches. The site’s stated terms prohibit bulk searching, copying or downloading.
Certificates are separate from the free record view. The official business search page lists online Certificates of Good Standing at $25 for corporations and LLCs and $5 for nonprofits. Copies and other certificate products have separate fees that vary by entity type, so check the official forms and fee pages. Viewing a record is not the same as getting a Certificate of Good Standing.
We did not see document images, copy-order links or prices inside the record we opened, so we can’t say whether filing documents can be viewed or copied online.
We opened one corporation record. LLC, LP and LLP records may show different fields, tabs and services.
Entity types appear with suffixes such as the ones in the results. The interface we inspected did not explain them, so this guide doesn’t either.
Opening a record did not change the browser address to a record-specific URL, so we could not confirm a durable link to a particular entity.

Sources and research notes

Sources reviewed: November 7, 2026. Official sites change; always confirm current details on the government site.

This guide is based on browser research reports on the official Illinois sites, including a completed Business Name search and one inspected corporation record. Search, results and all five record tabs opened without login or payment. Human verification appeared in one attempt and not in a later one. No orders, filings or payments were made.