How to Conduct an Illinois Business Entity Search

The Illinois business entity search, sometimes called the Illinois business search or business name search, is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn about the business entities on file with the state. Whether you’re an established business owner who wants to request a Certificate of Good Standing or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wants to learn more about business name availability, this search is your go-to tool.

But using the search can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve assembled a step-by-step guide to using the business entity search effectively. We’ll also discuss some important Illinois business name guidelines and what to do after searching business names.

Let’s get started.

Illinois Secretary of State Contact Information

Springfield Address: 213 State Capitol Springfield, IL 62756	Chicago Address: 115 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 300 Chicago, IL 60603
Telephone: 800-252-8980 (toll free in Illinois) 217-785-3000 (outside Illinois)	Website: https://www.ilsos.gov/

Illinois Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Illinois has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Illinois, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Illinois business name should follow: 

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations are required to include a word like “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” or “limited.” The state also allows abbreviations of these words. Meanwhile, LLCs need to use the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “LLC” with or without periods.
• You can’t use the designator of another business type. 
• If another state statute restricts the usage of a particular word, you cannot use that word in your business name without clearance from the appropriate office or agency. For example, a corporation using words like “trust” or “fiduciary” would need to take extra steps to comply with the Corporate Fiduciary Act.
• Your name needs to be written in standard English letters, Roman or Arabic numerals, or symbols that the Secretary of State’s office could easily replicate.
• Corporations that exist for executing trusts must include “trust” in their name. Cooperative corporations must use the word “cooperative,” and pawners’ societies must include “pawners” in their name.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one. 

How to Run an Illinois Name Search

The most common Illinois business search method is a business name search, but you actually have several other options: by registered agent, president, secretary, file number, keyword, or partial word. We’ll walk you through these different options later in the guide, but in this section, we’ll focus on a name search.

Step 1: Set up your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the business entity search homepage. You’ll see all of the different search options listed here; click on the “Business Name” bubble (pictured below).

Next, type in the name you’re searching for into the search bar (a partial business name works, too). You can also check the “Partial Word” box to search just a portion of a word, if desired (which is helpful if you don’t remember a complete word or the exact spelling of a word in the name). After you’ve typed your search, hit “Enter” or click the “Submit” button.

Step 2: Review your search results

The search tool will pull up all the business names that match your search terms; potential results could include corporations, not-for-profit corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and LLCs. For example, here’s what our results list looked like when we searched “Smith.”

On this first page, you’ll see the full business name of each matching business entity. You’ll also see a filing number, entity type, current status, formation date, and the name of the registered agent for each company. If you’d like to see more detailed information about a company, click on its business name.

This second page shows you more information, including the company’s duration, annual report filing date, the name and address of its registered agent, and other basic information.

Further down on the page, you’ll see the “Services and More Information” section, which has six tabs at the top. The first tab is “Available Services,” which gives users the ability to purchase a Certificate of Good Standing, file an annual report, file an amendment, register a doing business as (Illinois DBA) name, or change the entity’s registered agent or registered office.

The second tab, “Managers,” lists the name and address of each managing owner. The third tab, “Old Name,” lists any previous names the business has used. Next up is the “Assumed Name” tab, where you’ll find info about any past and present DBA names the company has.

Then, there’s a tab that’s exclusive to LLCs: “Series Name.” This tab only applies to Illinois series LLCs; it displays the name of the company’s parent LLC. Finally, the “File History” tab shows you the documents filed by the business throughout its existence (note that these are limited to online filings).

How to Search Name Availability

If you’re starting a new Illinois LLC or corporation, it’s your responsibility to check that your desired business name is available in the state. Unfortunately, Illinois doesn’t have a dedicated name availability search tool, but you can use the entity search to get a pretty good idea if your name is claimed or not.

To get started, simply open the search homepage and ensure the tool is set to the “Business Name” search method. Next, type in your desired LLC name (but leave off entity designators like “Inc.” or “LLC”). Then, click “Submit.”

Ideally, you’ll get a message that says, “No results found.” If that happens, there’s a good chance that your name is available. But if the search finds any matches, it’ll list the information for the company with a claim to that name. In that case, you’d need to edit your name to make it distinct (or pick a new one altogether).

While you’re at it, it can be helpful to run a keyword search against the main words in your desired name. This extra step can help you double-check that your name truly stands out.

Remember, this search isn’t a guarantee that a given name is available. The Secretary of State will have the final say about name availability when you register your new business or submit a name reservation request.

How to Search by President, Secretary, or Registered Agent Name

You can also search the Illinois business entity database using the name of the company’s registered agent, president, or secretary. Simply select the bubble that matches the individual’s role in the business. Then, type their name (either the full or partial name) into the search bar and click “Submit.”

The search results page for this search type actually looks very similar to the one we shared earlier. As before, you can click on an entity name to see more information about it, request a Certificate of Good Standing, and more.

How to Search the Illinois Business Entity Database by File Number or Keyword

There are two more ways you can search the Illinois Secretary of State’s database for business entities: by file number or keyword. Searching by file number is the most refined method for searching the state website; as long as you type the number correctly, you’ll be able to locate the intended business entity quickly.

You can also search by keywords, which is especially helpful if you don’t remember a full company name. Simply check the “Keyword” box on the Illinois Secretary of State website, enter your search terms, and click “Submit” to start your search.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Illinois

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Illinois business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Illinois business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Illinois allows you to reserve a business name.

You can get a name reservation by filing the reservation form that matches your business structure. For LLCs, that’s the Application to Reserve a Name. Corporations file the Application for Reservation of Name instead. Please make sure you get the correct version of the form. While LLCs and corporations file different forms, they pay the same filing fee: $25 for standard filing and $50 for expedited filing.

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 90 days. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in the state will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering an Illinois business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting an Illinois LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Prairie State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.