Find and Verify an Indiana Business Record
Search the correct Indiana LLC, corporation, nonprofit, LP or LLP, then verify its Business ID, status, registered agent, office address, governing people and filing history before you rely on the record.
This guide also explains why a business may be missing, how Indiana DBAs are filed, when the biennial Business Entity Report is due, how reinstatement works and which document to order.
What Are You Trying to Find or Fix?
Choose a task. The helper gives you a practical path without pretending to search the Indiana database from this page.
Find an LLC or corporation
- Search the distinctive words in the legal name.
- Compare entity type, Business ID, status and city.
- Open the correct Business ID.
- Review filing, name and assumed-name histories.
Choose the Correct Indiana Search Method
The official search supports more than a company-name lookup. Use the field that matches the strongest evidence you already have.
Business name
Best for normal LLC, corporation, nonprofit or partnership research.
Business ID
Best for reaching one exact entity record without sorting similar names.
Filing number
Useful when a document, receipt or state notice gives a specific filing reference.
Registered agent
Useful when the company name is unknown but its agent is known.
Incorporator or principal
Useful for locating records that report a particular person or governing role.
Complete the Indiana SOS Business Search Step by Step
Use this order to avoid opening the wrong entity or stopping at a result row without checking the full record.
Open the public Business Entity search
Confirm the page is on an official inbiz.in.gov, bsd.sos.in.gov or in.gov domain. A public search does not require you to buy formation or registered-agent services.
Select the search field
Choose business name, Business ID, filing number, registered agent or incorporator/principal. Start with a name search unless a precise identifier is available.
Choose broad or precise name matching
Use a broad Contains or partial-name search when the legal name is uncertain. Use a full or exact search only after confirming spelling, punctuation and the entity suffix.
Enter the distinctive wording
For “Crossroads Logistics Management Group LLC,” begin with “Crossroads Logistics.” Remove LLC, Inc., Corp., punctuation and generic words if the full wording returns nothing.
Compare similar result rows
Check the complete business name, name type, entity type, principal-office city, registered agent and status. Similar names may belong to unrelated entities.
Open the Business ID
The result list is only a starting point. Open the Business ID to reach the fuller record and its available filing, name and assumed-name histories.
Review the newest filing before relying on the record
Open the latest Business Entity Report, amendment, agent change, dissolution, merger, conversion or reinstatement that could explain the current profile.
After choosing the correct method and search wording above, use the official public search. For large data projects, use the official bulk-data service instead of automating the interactive search.
What INBiz Includes—and What It Does Not
A no-result screen does not automatically prove that a business is fake. Some business structures do not form by filing with the Indiana Secretary of State.
Usually found in the entity search
- Indiana corporations and benefit corporations
- Indiana limited liability companies
- Indiana nonprofit corporations
- Limited partnerships
- Registered limited liability partnerships
- Foreign entities authorised to conduct business in Indiana
- Registered and assumed names tied to filing entities
- Registered-agent and public filing information
Not fully answered by this database
- Sole proprietorships with no SOS filing
- General partnerships with no SOS filing
- Federal EINs
- Indiana tax-account numbers
- Professional or occupational licences
- Insurance coverage
- Complete current beneficial ownership
- Every lien, lawsuit, judgment or complaint
Read an Indiana Entity Record in the Right Order
Use a five-part check to decide whether the record matches the business you are researching.
| Record field | What it means | Common mistake | Useful next check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business name | The current legal or registered name associated with the entity record. | Assuming a website brand or invoice name is the legal contracting party. | Review name history and assumed-name history. |
| Business ID | The unique identifier assigned to the Indiana entity record. | Confusing it with a filing number, EIN or tax account. | Save it for precise searches, reports, certificates and support. |
| Filing number | An identifier tied to a particular filed document or submission. | Using it as the permanent entity identifier. | Open the corresponding filing type and date. |
| Entity type | Corporation, LLC, nonprofit, LP, LLP or another formal structure. | Applying LLC rules to every business. | Use the correct report, amendment and dissolution rules. |
| Status | The entity’s current condition in the Indiana business registry. | Treating Active as proof of licensing, insurance or tax clearance. | Read the status section and recent filings. |
| Creation or registration date | When an Indiana entity formed or an out-of-state entity received authority. | Assuming uninterrupted operation since that date. | Look for dissolution, revocation, merger, conversion or reinstatement. |
| Jurisdiction | Indiana for a domestic entity or another state/country for a foreign entity. | Thinking “foreign” necessarily means outside the United States. | Check the home-jurisdiction record when needed. |
| Principal office | The principal business office reported in the public record. | Assuming it is a storefront or service-of-process address. | Compare the website, contract, report and registered office. |
| Registered agent | The person or eligible entity designated to receive legal and official documents. | Calling the agent the owner. | Review governing-person and filing information. |
| Registered office | The Indiana street address maintained for the registered agent. | Assuming it is the business headquarters. | Check whether an agent or address change was filed. |
| Incorporators or principals | People or roles reported in formation or later filings. | Treating the list as complete current ownership proof. | Open the newest report and transaction documents. |
| Filing history | A chronological list of submitted business documents. | Relying only on the profile summary. | Read the newest relevant filing image. |
| Name history | Previous legal or registered names connected to the entity. | Treating an older contract as belonging to an unrelated company. | Match the name-change date to the contract date. |
| Assumed-name history | DBAs reported by entities that file with the Secretary of State. | Searching only the advertised name in the main entity list. | Open the DBA record and verify the legal entity behind it. |
Useful actions after opening the correct record
Review filing history
Inspect formation, reports, amendments, agent changes, mergers, dissolutions and reinstatements.
Review name history
Connect previous legal names to older contracts, invoices and licences.
Review assumed names
Identify the legal entity behind an advertised or storefront name.
Download certified filings
INBiz states that certified copies of business entity filings can be downloaded free.
Order a Certificate of Existence
Use when a bank, state or transaction partner requires status evidence.
Validate a certificate
Confirm the authenticity of a state-issued certificate through the official validation option.
Verify an Indiana Business Before You Pay or Sign
Use the registry to identify the real legal entity behind a proposal, lease, invoice, donation request or service agreement. Then complete the checks the SOS record cannot answer.
Match these details
- Contract or invoice name
- Legal entity or documented DBA
- Business ID
- Entity type and formation jurisdiction
- Exact status
- Principal-office city
- Newest filing or Business Entity Report
- Required professional licence in a separate system
Do not assume this from INBiz
- The business is insured
- The caller is authorised
- The payment account belongs to the entity
- The company has paid every tax
- The business has no liens or lawsuits
- The registered agent is an owner
- The company is financially stable
- The entity owns every name or trademark it uses
Worked example: the invoice name does not appear
“Indy Facility Care”
No exact legal-entity result appears.
The name is tied to “IFC Maintenance Solutions LLC.”
Search the LLC, review status and verify the requested payee and any required licence.
Understand Indiana Business Status Labels
Status wording can vary by record and filing history. Use the exact label shown in INBiz and then inspect the latest document explaining it.
| Status or condition | Practical meaning | If checking the company | If this is your company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active | The entity is current on its Business Entity Reports and maintains a valid registered agent. | Continue with licensing, filing and identity checks. | Keep the report, agent and office current. |
| Report past due | A required Business Entity Report has not been filed by the due period. | Review the due cycle and current filing history. | File the overdue report before dissolution or revocation occurs. |
| Administrative dissolution | A domestic entity lost Active status after unresolved report or registered-agent problems. | Look for a later reinstatement before relying on authority. | Complete the DOR clearance and SOS reinstatement process. |
| Revocation | An out-of-state entity’s Indiana registration was administratively revoked. | Check whether it later requalified. | Prepare the foreign-entity reinstatement requirements, including recent home-state good standing. |
| Dissolved or cancelled | The entity voluntarily ended or completed a dissolution/cancellation filing. | Read the effective date and later documents. | Determine whether reinstatement, revocation of dissolution or a new filing is available. |
| Merged or converted | The original record may no longer be the surviving or current entity type. | Open the merger or conversion document and follow the resulting entity. | Use the surviving or converted entity’s record for future filings. |
| Withdrawn | A foreign entity ended its Indiana authority. | Check the home-state record and any later Indiana registration. | A new qualification may be needed before resuming Indiana business. |
No Result? Use This Search-Recovery Order
Work through this sequence before deciding that a business has no Indiana record.
Find or File an Indiana DBA the Correct Way
Indiana routes assumed business names differently depending on whether the business itself files with the Secretary of State.
File through INBiz
An entity that files with the Secretary of State files its assumed name with the Secretary of State, not with the county.
Use county recorders
An individual using a name other than the person’s real name files with the recorder in each county where the business is situated.
Use county recorders
A general partnership using another name follows the county-recorder path in each county where it is situated.
How to connect a DBA to the real business
- Search the advertised name.
- Open the assumed-name history or county record.
- Identify the individual or legal entity using the name.
- Search that legal entity by name or Business ID.
- Match status, principal office and newest filing.
- Use the legal entity or properly documented DBA on contracts and payments.
After deciding which filing route applies, use INBiz for filing entities or the appropriate county recorder for a sole proprietorship or general partnership.
Check Whether an Indiana Business Name Is Available
The name-availability search is a preliminary screen. Final availability is determined when the filing is processed.
Search these variations
- Full proposed legal name
- Distinctive words without LLC or Inc.
- Singular and plural forms
- Abbreviations and spacing variations
- Similar wording in a different order
- Assumed names and Indiana trademarks
- Federal trademark database and marketplace use
Do not assume this
- No exact result guarantees acceptance
- Registering an entity creates federal trademark rights
- A DBA gives automatic exclusive use
- A domain registration proves state availability
- An Indiana trademark proves federal rights
Use the official search menu after completing the broader conflict checks above. It contains separate options for business entities, name availability and trademarks.
Understand the Indiana Business Entity Report
Indiana’s maintenance filing is commonly searched as an “LLC annual report,” but the official filing is the Business Entity Report, and current detailed guidance says both for-profit and nonprofit entities file every two years.
| Entity category | Due schedule | INBiz fee | Paper fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| For-profit business | Every two years during the anniversary month of formation or Indiana authority. | $32 | $50 |
| Nonprofit business | Every two years during the anniversary month under current detailed filing guidance. | $22 | $20 |
INBiz adds a processing fee at checkout: at least $1 and no more than 2.15% of the transaction amount. Verify the current total before submitting.
The first report is generally due during March 2027.
The report is generally due during July 2026.
Indiana says ordinary late filing does not add a separate late fee, but continued nonfiling can cause dissolution or revocation.
What the report maintains
- Public business and principal-office information
- Registered-agent and registered-office information
- Governing-person information requested by the report
- A current reporting record that helps preserve Active status
Use the official report page after confirming the Business ID, due month, status and correct reporting cycle.
Restore an Administratively Dissolved or Revoked Business
Reinstatement involves both the Indiana Department of Revenue and the Secretary of State. Filing one overdue report is not always enough after dissolution or revocation.
Affidavit for Reinstatement
Submitted to the Department of Revenue as part of obtaining a Certificate of Clearance.
Responsible Officer Information
Used with the Department of Revenue reinstatement step when applicable.
Application for Reinstatement
Used for domestic or foreign reinstatement through the Secretary of State process.
Business Entity Report
Prepare every overdue report required for restoration.
Reinstatement sequence
- Search the entity and confirm the exact status.
- Review every missing Business Entity Report and agent problem.
- Submit the DOR affidavit and responsible-officer information.
- Wait for the Indiana Department of Revenue Certificate of Clearance.
- Prepare the SOS Application for Reinstatement.
- Attach the Certificate of Clearance.
- For a foreign entity, attach a home-state Certificate of Existence or Good Standing issued within the previous 60 days.
- Pay the $30 reinstatement application fee plus every required overdue report fee.
- Verify the public status after processing.
After collecting the tax clearance and overdue-report information, use the official reinstatement service and forms.
Choose the Right Indiana Certificate or Filing Copy
A search printout, certified filing and Certificate of Existence answer different questions. Ask the receiving organisation what it needs before paying.
| You need to | Best starting document | What it contains or proves |
|---|---|---|
| Read current public details | Online entity record | Business ID, status, agent, office, names and histories. |
| Read a filed document | Free certified filing copy | Certified copy of an available entity filing downloaded through INBiz. |
| Show existence and report status | Certificate of Existence | Name, formation or qualification date, most recent report information, no recorded withdrawal/dissolution/expiration notice and the SOS seal. |
| Show filing list as well | Certificate of Existence Long Form | Standard certificate facts plus a list of filed documents. |
| Prove a particular official fact | Certificate of Fact | Certification of a specific fact found in the Secretary of State’s records. |
| Find an old missing record | Due and Diligent Search | A search of microfilm, historical records and, when needed, State Archives; official guidance says allow 10–15 business days. |
Current price and free-copy distinction
The Indiana Business Roadmap currently lists the direct INBiz price for a Certificate of Existence at $27. It also warns that private companies may charge $72.50 or more. Certified copies of business entity filings can be downloaded free through INBiz.
Use the official information-request page after identifying the exact document required.
Indiana Business Filing Changes Effective in 2026
Indiana implemented filing-process changes affecting public addresses, report submitters, commercial mail addresses, long-term reinstatement and certain health-care ownership information.
Principal-office definition
The legislation clarifies how “principal office” is treated in business filings.
Remote-business address privacy
A qualifying fully remote business that would otherwise list a residential address can opt to exclude that residential address from the public record.
Report-submitter identity steps
A person submitting a Business Entity Report for someone else must take reasonable steps to identify that person.
Commercial mail receiving agencies
New filing rules address CMRA use and related address disclosures.
Long-term reinstatement
Entities dissolved for more than five years can face added paper, explanation and affidavit requirements.
Certain health-care entities
Specified entities can have additional ownership-reporting requirements under the 2026 changes.
Protect Your Indiana Business Record From Misuse
Business registration is not a one-time task. Regular record checks can reveal an unauthorised address, agent, officer, assumed name or filing.
Routine protection checklist
- Search your entity at least several times a year.
- Save the Business ID and current filing history.
- Keep the registered agent and office current.
- File the Business Entity Report during the anniversary month.
- Review unexpected name, address or governing-person changes.
- Use strong INBiz account credentials and secure email access.
- Keep formation, report and payment confirmations.
Suspicious warning signs
- An unfamiliar filing or assumed name
- A new agent or office you did not approve
- A certificate or report solicitation charging far above INBiz fees
- A demand for annual meeting minutes to be filed with the SOS
- A report reminder asking for payment on a non-government domain
- A business identity notice using urgency but no filing number
Registered Agent, Principal, Incorporator or Owner?
A person named in the record can have a legal, administrative or historical role without being the current owner.
Registered agent
Receives service of process and official documents at the registered office.
Not automatic ownership proofPrincipal or governing person
May be an officer, director, manager, member or another reported role.
Can provide ownership cluesIncorporator or organiser
Executes or submits the original formation filing.
May be an attorney or filing serviceLLC member
May hold an ownership interest in the company.
Can indicate ownershipLLC manager
Manages a manager-managed LLC.
May not be a memberDBA filer
Files or reports the assumed name for a person or legal entity.
Read the complete filingSwitch to the Correct Indiana Government Tool
The INBiz entity search answers registration and filing questions. Use another system for licences, tax accounts, UCC financing records or federal EINs.
Contact Indiana Business Services With a Useful Question
Prepare the exact entity and filing details before contacting support. This makes it easier for staff to direct you to the correct search, report, reinstatement or certificate process.
Prepare before calling or emailing
- Exact legal or advertised business name
- Business ID, if available
- Filing number, if relevant
- Current status displayed
- Name variations and search types already tried
- Report year or anniversary month
- Order or payment confirmation number
- Error message or screenshot with payment data removed
- The exact action you need to complete
Final Indiana Record-Verification Checklist
Complete this check before paying, contracting, filing or representing that a business has been properly identified.
Indiana SOS Business Search FAQs
Is the Indiana SOS business search free?
Yes. The public Indiana Business Entity search is free. Fees apply when filing reports or amendments, ordering certain certificates, requesting special information or using other paid INBiz services.
Can I search an Indiana LLC by partial name?
Yes. A partial or Contains search is useful when the exact legal name, punctuation or entity suffix is uncertain. Begin with the distinctive words and verify the Business ID before relying on the result.
What is an Indiana Business ID?
The Business ID is the unique identifier assigned to an Indiana entity record. It is different from a filing number, federal EIN, tax-account number or professional licence number.
What does Active mean in INBiz?
Indiana’s official FAQ describes Active as current on required Business Entity Reports with a valid registered agent. It does not independently prove licensing, tax clearance, insurance, ownership or financial health.
Why can’t I find an Indiana business?
The search may be too exact, the business may use a DBA, it may have changed names, or it may be a sole proprietorship or general partnership without a separate SOS entity record. Try fewer words, Business ID, agent, principal and county-recorder searches.
Is an Indiana registered agent the owner?
Not necessarily. The registered agent receives legal and official documents. An owner may serve as agent, but attorneys, commercial agents and other eligible people or entities can also fill the role.
How do I find an Indiana DBA?
An LLC, corporation, nonprofit, LP or LLP files an assumed name through INBiz. A sole proprietor or general partnership files with the recorder in each county where the business is situated.
When is the Indiana Business Entity Report due?
Current detailed guidance says it is due every two years during the anniversary month of formation or the anniversary month when an out-of-state entity received authority to do business in Indiana.
How do I reinstate an administratively dissolved Indiana entity?
Obtain a Certificate of Clearance from the Indiana Department of Revenue, prepare the SOS reinstatement application and all overdue reports, include the required foreign-entity good-standing document when applicable, and pay the reinstatement and report fees.
How do I get an Indiana Certificate of Existence?
Confirm the entity and Business ID, then order through the official INBiz information-request or certificate service. Ask whether the requester needs a standard certificate, long-form certificate, certified filing copy or only a public search printout.
Freshness note: official screens, processing times, fees and filing rules can change. The page explains the current Indiana workflow and includes official action links so visitors can verify the final amount, due month, status and required form before submitting payment.