Alabama Business Entity Search
Find a registered business through Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services, Business Entities Division. Use the official link below, then check the search options and name rules for Alabama.
Official website: arc-sos.state.al.us · Opens in a new tab
Alabama search options and record coverage
The public portal supports searches by entity name, entity number, officer, registered agent or incorporator, and reservation or registration ID. Name searches are used both for lookup and preliminary availability screening, but the reservation certificate is what formally protects a name. The SOS warns that historical corporation records from 1949 through 2010 may instead be held by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Search results are public index data; a certified copy must be ordered when an official evidentiary copy is required.
Checking a business name in Alabama
Alabama requires a name to be distinguishable from names already reserved or registered, and the entity designator is not a reliable way to make an otherwise conflicting core name distinguishable. LLC names must include Limited Liability Company or an allowed abbreviation; corporations must include Corporation, Incorporated, Corp., or Inc., subject to statutory exceptions for nonprofit forms. Punctuation, spacing, capitalization, and common descriptive additions should not be assumed to create a legally distinguishable name. Words suggesting regulated activities such as banking, insurance, engineering, architecture, or trust activity can require agency approval. A name search is only preliminary; the reservation certificate and examiner's acceptance control.
Alabama name reservations
A domestic or foreign entity name reservation costs $25.00 on paper or $28.00 online. Alabama requires a reservation before formation or foreign registration, and the reservation certificate is the formal evidence that the name has been held. The state materials describe a one-year reservation period; the reservation cannot be renewed after formation or registration has occurred. Names must be distinguishable from existing entity names, and entity endings are not treated as a meaningful distinction for availability purposes.
DBA, trade names, and fictitious names
Alabama trade names are generally handled through the Secretary of State's trademark/trade-name service rather than a county DBA filing. The current SOS materials should be used for the applicable trade-name application and fee; the verified corporate fee schedule lists $30.00 for the state trade-name registration service. Direct business-services landing page: https://www.sos.alabama.gov/business-services. A trade name does not replace the entity's legal name or its registered-agent obligations.
What do you need after the search?
- Official proof of standing — find certificate fees and ordering instructions.
- A missed report or inactive registration — check deadlines and reinstatement rules.
- A new business registration — compare Alabama formation and filing fees.