Last Updated on March 8, 2023
Delaware Business Entity Search
The Corporations Division of the Delaware Department of State maintains the record of business entities filed in the state. The database contains the history of every company or entity that is registered under the Delaware Secretary of State, and you can also search to see if the name you want to use for your business is available.
The Delaware Division of Corporations holds information regarding the following entities:
- Corporations
- Limited Liability Company
- Limited Company
- Limited Partnerships
- Limited liability partnership
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are not registered with the Delaware Division of Corporations as they are not individual business entities. To find the owner information for sole proprietorships and partnerships, go to the Prothonotary’s Office in the county where the business is located to find the Doing Business As registration records.
Also see: How to start an LLC in Delaware
Delaware Business Name Search
If you intend to find information about any business entity registered under the Delaware Department of State, you have come to the right place. Here, we’ve broken down the steps to help make your search easier.
To start your search, you need to have the entity name or file number handy (this is a unique identification number given to a company during registration).
Below is our simple step-by-step guide on how to find a registered entity in Delaware:
Step 1 – Click to go to the Delaware Department of State’s website to go to the Business Entity Search Page (see the screenshot below for reference).
Step 2 – Type in the Entity Name in the required field. You can also fill in the File Number (this is not mandatory, however). For our example, let’s type in the name “DuPont” in the “Entity Name” field.
Step 3 – Click on the “Search” button. The Results Page will give you information regarding the entity name and file number, as shown in the screenshot below (in this case, for DuPont).
Step 4 – Click on the name for more detailed information like file number, type of entity, domestic vs. foreign entity, and registered agent information. Refer to the screenshot below:
Registered Agent
Delaware law requires a Registered Agent to be named for a registered entity. This is a single point of contact in case the business needs to be served with legal papers or contacted by the state. One of the business owners often files as the entity’s registered agent. When they file, their home address is often used (PO Boxes aren’t allowed), and their name and address are now a public record that can be looked up by anyone. If that is a concern, consider looking into a Registered Agent service.
Step 5 – You can also download the annual report of an entity from the website (also, you can download important documents such as the status and tax history information for an additional fee).
Delaware Business License
The business name registration is different from business licensing in Delaware. The Delaware One Stop website has more information regarding business licenses.
Also see: How to do a UCC search in Delaware
Information on SOS Delaware (DE)
Office:
The Secretary of State of Delaware heads the Department of State of Delaware which oversees several public and government services. The current Secretary of State is Jeffrey W. Bullock.
Contact information:
Dover Office
401 Federal St., Suite 3
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 739-4111
Wilmington Office
820 N. French St., 10th Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: (302) 577-8767
Functions:
The Delaware Secretary of State has a variety of responsibilities in the state, including economic development, transportation, education, culture, and lifestyle issues of residents. He provides directions and frames policies for the various departments of the state.
The Delaware Secretary of State is also the head of Board of Pardons and is a member of the Delaware Economic and Finance Advisory Council (DEFAC).