Is the Alabama business entity search free?

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

Yes, the primary business entity search tool provided by the Alabama Secretary of State through Alabama Interactive is free to use. You can view basic entity information, including status and registered agent details, without any charge.

Quick facts

Tool: Alabama Secretary of State Business Entity Records Search
Cost: Free for basic searches
Purpose: Name availability, registration verification, good standing checks
Data returned: Entity name, type, status, registered agent, formation date
Agency: Alabama Secretary of State (via Alabama Interactive)
Annual report?: No - repealed by Act 2024-213, effective 2024

The same question in every other state

This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 46 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.

State	Answer
Arizona	Yes. Searching the ACC eCorp database and viewing entity records is free.
Arkansas	Yes, the Arkansas Secretary of State provides its online business entity search tool to the public free of charge. You do not need an account or subscription to perform searches.
California	Yes. Searching and viewing basic entity records on bizfile Online is free.
Colorado	Yes. The Colorado Secretary of State's online entity search is free to use for basic lookups.
Connecticut	Yes. The Secretary of the State's business records search at business.ct.gov is free and needs no account.
Delaware	Yes, the basic online search for business entities through the Delaware Division of Corporations website is free of charge. There are fees for certified copies of documents or certificates of good standing.
Florida	Yes. The Sunbiz search operated by the Florida Division of Corporations is completely free.
Georgia	Yes. The Georgia Corporations Division Business Search at ecorp.sos.ga.gov is free to use with no account.
Hawaii	Yes. The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA)'s Hawaii Business Express search lets anyone search registered businesses at no cost.
Idaho	Yes. The Idaho Secretary of State's business search inside SOSBiz is free and requires no account.
Illinois	Yes. The Illinois Secretary of State business entity search is free to use.
Indiana	Yes. The Indiana Secretary of State Business Search at bsd.sos.in.gov is free and shows an entity's legal name, business ID, entity type, status, registered agent, and principal office.
Iowa	Yes. The Iowa Secretary of State provides the Business Entities Search at no charge and without registration.
Kansas	Yes. The Kansas Secretary of State's business entity search lets anyone search registered businesses at no cost.
Kentucky	Yes. Searching the Kentucky Secretary of State registry is free and requires no account.
Louisiana	Yes. Searching the Commercial Database and viewing an entity's detail record cost nothing.
Maine	Yes. Searching the Maine Secretary of State's Corporate Name Search is free, and viewing an entity's status and basic filing details costs nothing.
Maryland	Yes. The SDAT Business Entity Search on Maryland Business Express is free and shows an entity's legal name, SDAT Department ID, entity type, good-standing status, resident agent, and filing history.
Massachusetts	Yes. Searching and viewing entity records on the Corporations Division database is free.
Michigan	Yes. Searching business entity records through the LARA Corporations Division is free and requires no account.
Minnesota	Yes. Searching the Minnesota Secretary of State database is free and open to the public, with no account required for basic lookups.
Mississippi	Yes. Searching the Mississippi Secretary of State's business registry is free and does not require an account.
Missouri	Yes. The Missouri Secretary of State's business entity search lets anyone search registered businesses at no cost.
Montana	Yes. The Montana Secretary of State Business Search at biz.sosmt.gov is free and shows an entity's legal name, entity ID, entity type, status, registered agent, and filing dates.
Nebraska	Yes. Searching the Nebraska Secretary of State database is free, with no account required for basic lookups.
Nevada	Yes. Searching the Nevada Secretary of State's database and viewing entity records costs nothing.
New Hampshire	Yes. The New Hampshire Secretary of State's online entity search is free to use for basic lookups.
New Jersey	The Business Name Search operated by the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services is free to check whether a name is already in use. Detailed records, such as a Business Entity Status Report or a Standing Certificate, carry a fee set by the Registry Fee Schedule.
New Mexico	Yes. The Secretary of State's Corporations and Business Services search at enterprise.sos.nm.gov is free and requires no account.
New York	Yes. Searching the Corporation and Business Entity Database is free.
North Carolina	Yes. Searching and viewing entity records is free.
North Dakota	Yes. The North Dakota Secretary of State's online entity search is free to use for basic lookups.
Ohio	Yes. The Ohio Secretary of State Business Search at businesssearch.ohiosos.gov is free to use with no account.
Oklahoma	Yes. The Oklahoma Secretary of State's Business Entities Search is free to use online, and records may also be searched at the Secretary of State's office during normal business hours, 8 a.m.
Oregon	Yes. Searching the Oregon Secretary of State's Business Registry Search is free, and viewing an entity's status and basic filing details costs nothing.
Pennsylvania	Yes. Searching the database and viewing basic entity information is free.
Rhode Island	Yes. Searching the Secretary of State's Corporate Database is free and open to the public.
South Carolina	Yes. Searching the Secretary of State database is free, with no account required for basic lookups.
South Dakota	Yes. The South Dakota Secretary of State provides the online business entity search at no charge.
Tennessee	Yes. Searching and viewing entity records is free.
Texas	The Texas Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search is free and shows an entity's legal name, taxpayer number, and right-to-transact-business status. The Secretary of State's SOSDirect search is the official corporate record but charges $1 per search.
Vermont	Yes. Searching the register and viewing entity records costs nothing and requires no account.
Virginia	Yes. The Clerk's Information System (CIS) operated by the Virginia State Corporation Commission is free to search.
Washington	Yes. The Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) operated by the Washington Secretary of State is free to search.
West Virginia	Yes. The West Virginia Secretary of State's Online Data Services business and corporations search is free to use and requires no account.
Wyoming	Yes. The Wyoming Secretary of State provides a free public business entity search on its website.

Full context for Alabama

This page answers one question. The complete Alabama guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Alabama Business Entity Search (2026).

Sources

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws and fees change; verify current requirements with the relevant government agency before acting.