Find and Verify a Louisiana Business Record
Search a Louisiana company by entity name, charter number, trade registration number, name-reservation number, officer or registered agent—then confirm the exact record before you sign, pay, file or order a certificate.
This guide explains what every important field means, how Louisiana trade names differ from parish-level DBAs, when annual reports are due and how the October 2026 fee increase affects common filings.
Choose the Right Louisiana Lookup Path
Select the task that matches your goal. The helper gives you the shortest route and the exact fields to verify before you leave this guide.
Find an existing company
- Search the full or distinctive entity name.
- Compare every plausible result.
- Match the charter number, type, domicile and status.
- Open the record and review the newest available filing.
What Can You Search in the Louisiana Commercial Database?
Louisiana’s official search offers three different routes. Use the field that matches the information in your hand instead of forcing every lookup through the entity-name box.
Entity name
Use the legal name, a previous name or the most distinctive words shown on a contract, invoice or website footer.
Official hint: more complete wording limits results. When nothing appears, remove LLC, Inc. or another ending and try again.
Charter or registration number
The number search accepts a charter number, trade registration number or name-reservation number.
Use this when similar names make a name search uncertain.
Officer or agent name
Enter first and last name to narrow results. If needed, use the last name with at least a first initial.
A matching name does not prove ownership or that two entities are related.
Complete the LA SOS Business Search Step by Step
Use this sequence to avoid selecting a similar company or relying only on an abbreviated result row.
Open the official Commercial Database
Confirm that the page is hosted on coraweb.sos.la.gov. A public lookup does not require a private formation package, registered-agent subscription or certificate service.
Select the search type
Choose entity name, number or officer/agent. Do not enter an EIN, state tax number or professional-licence number in the charter-number field.
Enter enough information to be useful
Louisiana’s search hints recommend using the full name or as many name words as possible to limit results. When the exact legal wording is uncertain, begin with the distinctive words and then compare the result list.
Remove the entity ending when no result appears
The Commercial Division’s FAQ specifically advises searching the business name without the corporate ending, such as L.L.C. or Inc., when locating an annual-report record.
Compare plausible matches
Check entity name, charter number, type, domicile or formation information, status and date information. Do not assume a similar brand name identifies the legal party on your document.
Open the complete detail record
Review the current registered office, registered agent, officers, directors, members or managers shown for that entity.
Decide which final action is actually needed
A public profile may be enough for preliminary identification. A lender, court, licensing authority or foreign-qualification filing may instead require a certificate or certified copy.
After completing the search plan above, open the official lookup. Louisiana also offers a Commercial API for organisations that need business data inside proprietary systems rather than repeated manual searches.
Read a Louisiana Entity Record in the Right Order
A record combines identity, standing, service-of-process and management information. Read the fields together instead of using one address or one person’s name as complete verification.
| Record field | What it tells you | What it does not prove | Best follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity name | The legal or registered name associated with the state record. | That every storefront, invoice or website uses this wording. | Search state trade names and parish DBA records when the public name differs. |
| Charter number | The Louisiana Commercial Division identifier for the entity record. | It is not an EIN, sales-tax account or licence number. | Save it for exact future lookups, reports and support questions. |
| Entity type | Corporation, nonprofit, LLC, L3C, partnership or another filed structure. | That the business has every local or professional licence required. | Use geauxBIZ’s licence checklist or the responsible agency. |
| Status or standing | Whether the state record reflects current standing or a compliance/history problem. | Tax clearance, insurance, solvency, reputation or contract authority. | Check annual reports, notices and the latest record before relying on it. |
| Domicile or jurisdiction | Whether the entity is Louisiana domestic or formed elsewhere and qualified in Louisiana. | A foreign entity is not necessarily formed outside the United States. | Check the home-state registry when cross-state verification matters. |
| Formation or registration date | When the entity was created or entered the Louisiana record. | Continuous operation or uninterrupted good standing since that date. | Check revocation, reinstatement, dissolution, merger or withdrawal history. |
| Registered office | The Louisiana physical address connected to the registered agent. | That it is a retail location, headquarters or project site. | Compare the company’s business address and newest report. |
| Registered agent | The person or service designated to receive legal documents. | Ownership, day-to-day control or state endorsement. | Review officers, directors, members or managers. |
| Officers and directors | Reported corporation leadership roles. | Current share ownership or authority for a specific transaction. | Compare current company documents and the latest annual report. |
| Members and managers | Reported LLC ownership or management roles, depending on the record. | A complete current beneficial-ownership list. | Use operating, banking or transaction documents when formal proof is needed. |
Verify a Louisiana Business Before You Pay or Sign
Use the registry to identify the legal party behind a proposal, lease, donation request, invoice or service agreement. Then complete any licence or payment checks outside the entity record.
Match these details
- Legal entity name on the contract
- Charter number when supplied
- Entity type and domicile
- Current standing or status wording
- Registered agent and Louisiana office
- Current officers, members or managers
- Trade-name or parish-DBA connection
- Required licence in the correct agency
Do not conclude this from the SOS record
- The company is insured
- The caller is authorised to bind the entity
- The payment account belongs to the entity
- The business has paid every tax
- The contractor or professional is licensed
- The company has no lawsuits or UCC filings
- The registered agent owns the business
- The business is financially stable
No Louisiana Business Found? Use This Recovery Order
A zero-result page can mean the name is slightly different, the public name is a trade name or parish DBA, the company is filed elsewhere, or the operation does not have a separate SOS entity record.
Louisiana Trade Name or Parish DBA: Which Record Do You Need?
Louisiana’s terminology is unusually important. The Secretary of State registers trade names, while the state’s business-filings FAQ says DBA filings are handled by the local parish Clerk of Court.
Louisiana trade name
A trade name identifies and distinguishes a person’s or entity’s business, vocation or occupation. The applicant can be an individual, corporation, LLC or partnership.
- Searchable through the Commercial Database
- Can be found by trade registration number
- Conflicts can arise with LLC and corporation names
- Registration fee is $75 through September 30, 2026
- Registration fee becomes $95 on October 1, 2026
DBA filing
The Commercial Division’s FAQ says DBA filings are made with the local parish Clerk of Court rather than filed as an SOS DBA.
- Identify the parish connected to the business
- Ask the Clerk of Court about search and filing procedures
- Use the local record to connect the public name to the owner or entity
- Then search the legal entity in the Commercial Database
Use the official Commercial Database to search registered trade names. Use the applicable parish Clerk of Court for the separate local DBA path.
Check Whether a Louisiana Business Name Is Available
The public database gives a preliminary name screen. The Commercial Division performs a more complete review when formation or registration documents are submitted.
Run these searches
- Full proposed legal name
- Distinctive words without LLC or Inc.
- Singular and plural variations
- Spacing and punctuation variations
- Similar corporation and LLC names
- Louisiana trade-name registrations
- Relevant parish DBA records
Do not assume
- No exact result guarantees approval
- State registration grants federal trademark rights
- A domain purchase reserves the state name
- A trade-name filing creates a new legal entity
- A revoked company name is immediately available
Louisiana’s three-year revoked-name rule
The official FAQ states that when a domestic or foreign corporation or company has been revoked, its name remains unavailable until three years after the revocation date. A search result showing revocation therefore does not mean the name can be claimed immediately.
Optional 120-day name reservation
Louisiana’s name-reservation filing holds a corporation, LLC, L3C or partnership name for 120 days. The listed fee is $25 both before and after the October 1, 2026 fee change.
Check and File a Louisiana Annual Report
Corporations and LLCs generally file by the anniversary of formation or Louisiana qualification. The report is required even when no information changed.
The annual report is generally due on or before August 12 each year.
The annual report is generally due on or before February 5 each year.
The Louisiana annual report is generally tied to the qualification anniversary.
How to locate the annual-report action
- Search the business name without LLC, Inc. or another corporate ending when necessary.
- Open the correct result using the charter number and entity details.
- Review the status and report history.
- When the report is due—or up to four weeks before the due date—the profile can display “Print Annual Report Form for Filing.”
- File online through geauxBIZ or use the authorised paper/fax process.
- Have the report signed by the appropriate person.
- Save the receipt, confirmation and updated record.
| Report type | Through September 30, 2026 | From October 1, 2026 | Payment note |
|---|---|---|---|
| For-profit corporation, LLC or partnership annual report | $30 | $35 | Credit-card payments carry a separate $5 statutory convenience fee. |
| Nonprofit annual report | $10 | $10 | The published October schedule keeps this amount unchanged. |
Notice of Intent to Revoke deadlines
After receiving a Notice of Intent to Revoke, the official FAQ says a completed annual report must be submitted within 30 days of the notice date, or within 60 days for a foreign corporation or LLC. Missing that response window can lead to revocation and a more expensive reinstatement process.
Use geauxBIZ only after confirming the correct entity, anniversary date and fee period.
What to Do When the Louisiana Record Has a Status Problem
The exact wording can vary by entity and history. Use the record, notices and filing dates together rather than reducing every problem to “inactive.”
In good standing or active/current
The entity record is current enough for the state to issue the applicable standing certificate.
Annual report due or past due
The entity may need the current report even when no information changed.
Notice of Intent to Revoke
The official FAQ gives a 30-day response period, or 60 days for a foreign corporation or LLC.
Revoked
The charter or authority has reached the revocation stage. An ordinary current report alone may no longer be enough.
Dissolved or terminated
The entity completed a dissolution or termination path rather than simply falling behind on a report.
Withdrawn foreign entity
The entity ended its Louisiana qualification.
Reinstatement cost is more than one line item
A revoked entity can owe the reinstatement filing, the most current annual report and each annual report not filed between the last report and reinstatement. Because Louisiana fees change on October 1, 2026 and the required reports depend on the entity’s history, calculate the total from the current official form and record rather than using a generic estimate.
Order the Right Louisiana Certificate or Copy
A database printout, document copy, certified copy and certificate answer different questions. Ask the receiving bank, court, agency or other state which one it requires.
| You need to | Likely document | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Review public entity details | Commercial Database printout | Name, status, dates, office, agent and reported officials. It is not certified. |
| Read one filed document | Individual document copy | The content of the selected filing. Current listed fee is $15 through September 30, with some certified-copy fees rising October 1. |
| Obtain multiple documents or the complete entity file | Multi-document or complete-file order | More than one filing for the same entity. The current ordering page lists $25. |
| Prove corporation or LLC standing | Certificate of Good Standing | Official standing information held by the Secretary of State. |
| Prove recorded existence | Certificate of Existence | Recorded existence for corporations, partnerships, trade names or LLCs as applicable. |
| Prove a partnership registration | Certificate of Registry | Official partnership-registry information. |
| Show that no applicable record was found | Certificate of No Record | Official no-record certification for supported entity categories. |
Online certificate reuse code
The Commercial Division’s FAQ says an online certificate or certified copy includes a code allowing the customer to print multiple copies with the same date for 120 days. Save the code with the order confirmation.
Ordering methods and walk-in service
- Online: order through the Commercial Database.
- Mail: send a written request and check or money order to P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125.
- Fax: the ordering page describes fax and account/card requirements.
- Walk-in: Commercial Division hours are 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday; the office asks visitors to arrive by 4:00 p.m. when requesting while-you-wait work.
Louisiana Commercial Fees Before and After October 1, 2026
The table focuses on common follow-up actions after an entity lookup. It is not a complete formation-fee schedule.
| Common action | Through September 30, 2026 | From October 1, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| For-profit annual report | $30 | $35 | +$5 |
| Nonprofit annual report | $10 | $10 | No change |
| Name reservation | $25 | $25 | No change |
| Corporation or LLC registered-office/agent change | $25 | $30 | +$5 |
| LLC member/manager change | $25 | $30 | +$5 |
| Trade name registration | $75 | $95 | +$20 |
| Standard corporation or LLC certified copy | $15 | $20 | +$5 |
| Additional certificate | $20 | $25 | +$5 |
| 24-hour expedite | $30 | $35 | +$5 |
| While-you-wait priority expedite | $50 | $60 | +$10 |
| Credit-card convenience fee | $5 | $5 | No change |
Registered Agent, Officer, Member or Owner?
Louisiana requires an agent with a physical Louisiana address for business registrations handled by the Secretary of State. The public agent field serves a legal-notice function and is not automatic ownership proof.
Registered agent
Receives legal documents and must forward them to the business. The agent’s name and address are public.
Officer or director
Holds a reported corporation role. An officer or director does not necessarily own shares.
LLC member
May hold an ownership interest, but the public list may not be a complete current ownership ledger.
LLC manager
Manages a manager-managed LLC and may or may not be a member.
Organizer or incorporator
Forms or submits the entity filing and can be an attorney, accountant or filing service.
Trade-name applicant
Can be an individual, corporation, LLC or partnership using the registered trade name.
Use the Correct Louisiana Business Tool
The Commercial Database is for entity and trade-registration records. It is not the correct source for every licence, tax, UCC or parish-level DBA question.
Fourteen parishes with mandatory online filing
The official forms page states that business owners in the following parishes must file all available business documents online through geauxBIZ:
Avoid Unofficial Annual-Report and Certificate Mailers
Louisiana has warned business owners about fraudulent or misleading mailers. Public business information makes it easy for a sender to create a notice that looks specific and official.
Before paying
- Search the entity and confirm what is actually due
- Sign in through the official geauxBIZ domain
- Compare the government fee with the requested total
- Identify any private service fee separately
- Save the official receipt and confirmation
- Subscribe to official commercial email notifications when useful
Pause when a notice
- Uses urgent language but no official charter action
- Directs payment to a non-government domain
- Charges much more than the published fee
- Offers a certificate you did not request
- Claims a private service is mandatory
- Requests sensitive payment data through an unfamiliar link
Contact the Commercial Division With a Useful Question
Prepare the exact record and problem before calling. “I cannot find my company” is much harder to answer than a question containing the name variations, charter number and action attempted.
Prepare before calling
- Exact entity or trade name
- Charter, trade-registration or reservation number
- Status or standing shown
- Name and number searches already attempted
- Annual-report anniversary date
- Order, filing or receipt number
- Date and method of submission
- Error message with payment information removed
Final Louisiana Entity Verification Checklist
Complete this pass before signing, paying, filing or stating that a business is properly identified.
LA SOS Business Search FAQs
Is the Louisiana business entity search free?
Yes. The public Commercial Database search is free. Filing annual reports, registering trade names, ordering certified copies and requesting certificates can require fees.
Can I search a Louisiana business by charter number?
Yes. The number search accepts a charter number, trade registration number or name-reservation number. A charter number is not the same as a federal EIN or Louisiana tax-account number.
Can I search by a registered agent or officer?
Yes. The official search allows an officer-name or agent-name search. Use the full first and last name to limit results, or use the last name and at least a first initial. Match the resulting entity details before assuming the person is connected to the company you need.
Why can’t I find a Louisiana LLC or corporation?
Remove punctuation and the LLC or Inc. ending, search fewer distinctive words, try a charter number, search an officer or agent, and check state trade-name and parish DBA records. A sole proprietor may not have a separate LLC or corporation record.
Is a Louisiana trade name the same as a DBA?
Not as a filing location. The Louisiana Secretary of State registers trade names, while its FAQ says DBA filings are made at parish level with the local Clerk of Court. Search both paths when the public name differs from the legal entity name.
How long does a Louisiana name reservation last?
A corporation, LLC, L3C or partnership name reservation lasts 120 days. The listed fee is $25, and the October 1, 2026 fee schedule keeps that amount unchanged.
When is a Louisiana annual report due?
A domestic corporation or LLC generally files on or before the anniversary of incorporation or organisation. A foreign corporation or LLC generally uses the anniversary of Louisiana qualification. Confirm the exact date on the entity record.
What happens if I receive a Notice of Intent to Revoke?
The Commercial Division’s FAQ says the annual report must be submitted within 30 days of the notice date, or within 60 days for a foreign corporation or LLC. Failure to respond can lead to revocation and a more expensive reinstatement process.
How much is a Louisiana annual report in 2026?
The for-profit annual-report fee is $30 through September 30, 2026 and $35 beginning October 1, 2026. The nonprofit annual-report fee is $10 in both periods. Credit-card payments have a separate $5 statutory convenience fee.
How do I get a Louisiana Certificate of Good Standing?
Search and confirm the correct entity, then order through the Commercial Database or follow the state’s mail or fax instructions. First ask whether the requester needs Good Standing, Existence, Registry, No Record or a certified copy of a specific filing.
Source and date note: the search fields, FAQ rules, ordering details, contact information and current fees were checked against Louisiana Secretary of State pages. The future fee amounts come from the official Commercial Division schedule effective October 1, 2026. Always verify the final screen or form before paying.