Louisiana Business Entity Search (2026)

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026

Louisiana business entities are searched free on the Commercial Database maintained by the Louisiana Secretary of State at coraweb.sos.la.gov. The search returns an entity's name, status, type, registration date, registered agent, and current officers, members, or managers.

Quick Answer

Where: Commercial Database, Louisiana Secretary of State (coraweb.sos.la.gov)
Cost: $0 to search and view results online
Returns: Name, status, entity type, registration date, registered office, agent, officers
Search by: Entity name, charter number, or officer/agent name
Certified copies: Ordered separately from the Secretary of State for a fee
Bulk data: Commercial API subscription; bulk queries start at $25 for the first 40 records

Where the Louisiana Entity Search Lives

The authoritative record of Louisiana business filings is the Commercial Database, published by the Louisiana Secretary of State through its CORA web application at coraweb.sos.la.gov. Every corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, and registered trade name that has filed with the state appears there. The search itself is free, and no account or login is needed to run it or to read the results.

Because it is the state's own register, the Commercial Database is the only source that reflects a filing the moment the Secretary of State accepts it. Third-party lookup sites republish stale snapshots of this data, sometimes months out of date, and they often mix in advertising for formation services. When status or agent information matters - a contract, a loan, a lawsuit - use the Secretary of State's own record.

The database covers entities that are registered with the state. A Louisiana sole proprietorship that has never registered a trade name will not appear, and neither will a general partnership that never filed. Absence from the database is therefore not proof that a business does not exist; it means the business has no state filing on record.

How to Run the Search

Open the Commercial Database and choose your search method. The Secretary of State lets you search by entity name, by charter number (the unique identifier Louisiana assigns each filing), or by the name of an officer, member, manager, or registered agent.

Search the distinctive word rather than the full legal name. Entering Bayou Freight will surface Bayou Freight LLC, Bayou Freight Services L.L.C., and Bayou Freight Holdings, Inc.; entering the entire name with its suffix and punctuation often returns nothing because the state's record uses slightly different spacing or abbreviation. Designators such as LLC, L.L.C., Inc., and Company are ignored when the state judges whether two names are distinguishable, so they are also poor search terms.

Click into a result to open the entity's detail page. That record shows the legal name, the charter number, the entity type, the status, the date of registration, the registered office address, the registered agent, and the officers, members, or managers currently on file. Many records also list previous names and a filing history.

Reading the Results

The most important field on the detail page is status. An Active entity is in good standing with the Secretary of State. A status of Inactive, Revoked, or Terminated means the entity has stopped filing, has been administratively revoked for failure to file annual reports, or has been formally dissolved. Doing business with a revoked entity is risky: its authority to act may be suspended, and contracts signed in its name can be challenged.

The registered agent line is the second field worth reading closely. It shows who is authorized to receive service of process for the entity. If you need to sue or formally notice a Louisiana business, this is the address you serve. See Louisiana registered agent requirements and the national registered agent guide for what the role involves.

Finally, check the entity type. Louisiana distinguishes domestic entities formed under Louisiana law from foreign entities formed elsewhere and qualified to do business in Louisiana. A "foreign LLC" in the database is simply an out-of-state LLC registered here - see foreign LLC registration in Louisiana.

Using the Search to Clear a Business Name

The most common reason to run the search is to check whether a proposed name is available before filing Louisiana Articles of Organization. Louisiana requires each entity name to be distinguishable on the record from every other name already filed. Small differences - adding "LLC", changing punctuation, or pluralizing a word - are generally not enough to make two names distinguishable.

Run several variations of your name and look at the near misses, not just exact hits. If an existing Active entity uses a nearly identical name, expect the Secretary of State to reject the filing and to keep the filing fee's processing time. Searching first is free; a rejected filing costs time and, in some cases, a re-filing fee.

A clear entity search is not a trademark clearance. Louisiana will register two similar names in different industries without objection, while trademark law can still bar you from using a name that infringes another company's mark. Before you build a brand around the name, search the USPTO database as well, and see how to trademark a business name in Louisiana and the trademark hub.

Certified Copies, Good Standing, and Bulk Data

Reading a record online is free, but an official document is not. To prove an entity's status to a bank, a lender, or another state, order a certificate of good standing or a certified copy of a filed document through the Secretary of State's Order Documents and Certificates service. Those carry per-document fees set by the state; confirm the current amounts on the Secretary of State's site.

For research at volume, Louisiana also sells access to the underlying data. The Secretary of State offers a Commercial API subscription and custom bulk queries - for example, a list of every entity in a parish or every entity containing a keyword. The state's published minimum for a bulk query is $25 for the first 40 entity records, plus one cent for each additional record.

Custom searches are also available on request, including searches by an individual's name across all filings. That is useful for due diligence: it reveals every Louisiana entity in which a person is listed as an officer, member, manager, or agent.

Records the Entity Search Does Not Cover

The Commercial Database is a registry of state filings only. It does not show tax standing. Louisiana tax accounts, sales tax registration, and withholding are handled by the Louisiana Department of Revenue, and an entity that is Active with the Secretary of State can still be delinquent on state tax.

It also does not show local licensing. Parish and municipal occupational licenses are issued locally, so a business can be properly registered with the state and still lack the local permit it needs. See Louisiana business license requirements.

Finally, the database does not contain an LLC's internal governance documents. A Louisiana LLC's operating agreement is a private contract among the members and is never filed with the state, so ownership percentages and voting rules will not appear in any search result.

After the Search

If the name is clear and you are forming a new company, the next step is to file the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, appoint a registered agent, and obtain a federal EIN from the IRS at no cost. Louisiana's business portal, geauxBIZ, walks new filers through registration with the Secretary of State and the Department of Revenue in one flow. See how to form an LLC in Louisiana and how to start a business in Louisiana.

If you found an existing entity and you are checking on it for a transaction, note the charter number and the date you searched, and save a copy of the detail page. Status can change the day an annual report is filed or a revocation is entered, so a dated screenshot is the practical record of what the state showed at the time.

If the entity you found is your own and it shows as revoked, reinstatement is usually possible by bringing the delinquent annual reports current and paying the associated fees. If you no longer want the entity, close it properly rather than letting it lapse - see how to dissolve an LLC in Louisiana.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I search Louisiana business entities?

Use the Louisiana Secretary of State's Commercial Database at coraweb.sos.la.gov. You can search by entity name, by charter number, or by the name of an officer, member, manager, or registered agent. The search is free, requires no account, and returns the entity's status, type, registration date, registered agent, and current officers.

Is the Louisiana business entity search free?

Yes. Searching the Commercial Database and viewing an entity's detail record cost nothing. Fees apply only when you order official documents such as a certified copy or a certificate of good standing, or when you subscribe to the Commercial API or request a bulk data query.

How do I check if a business name is available in Louisiana?

Search the distinctive word of your proposed name in the Commercial Database, without the LLC or Inc. suffix, and review near matches as well as exact ones. Louisiana requires a new name to be distinguishable on the record from existing filings, and designators and punctuation do not make two names distinguishable.

What does an Inactive or Revoked status mean?

Active means the entity is in good standing with the Secretary of State. Revoked usually means the entity failed to file required annual reports and the state withdrew its authority. Terminated means it was formally dissolved. A revoked entity can often be reinstated by filing the delinquent reports and paying the associated fees.

Does the Louisiana entity search show who owns an LLC?

It shows the members, managers, or officers listed on the entity's state filings, which is not always the same as beneficial ownership. Ownership percentages live in the LLC's operating agreement, a private document that Louisiana never requires to be filed, so the search will not reveal them.

Does a clear entity search mean I can trademark the name?

No. The Secretary of State only checks whether the name is distinguishable from other Louisiana filings. Trademark rights are separate and can be held nationally by a company that has never registered in Louisiana. Search the USPTO database before committing to a brand name.

Sources

Louisiana Secretary of State - Search for Louisiana Business Filings (Commercial Database).
Louisiana Secretary of State - Search for Louisiana Business Filings overview (fields returned; Commercial API; bulk query minimum of $25 for the first 40 records).
Louisiana Secretary of State - Order Documents & Certificates.
Louisiana Secretary of State - Business Services (filing business documents; geauxBIZ).
Louisiana Secretary of State - Search instructions.
Justia - Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 12 (corporations and associations).
Louisiana Department of Revenue - Businesses (state tax registration and accounts).
USPTO - Search trademark database.
USPTO - Trademark basics (federal registration; scope of rights).
IRS - Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN is free; one EIN per responsible party per day).
IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC) (federal default classification).

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not legal advice, is not a law firm, and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and thresholds change; verify current amounts with the Louisiana Secretary of State before acting.