Last Updated on March 28, 2023
Nevada SOS Business Search Guide
The Commercial Recordings Division of the Nevada Secretary of State deals with the filing and authorization of business entities in the state. Every incorporation in Nevada is recorded by the Division. The entities that can be incorporated in Nevada are as follows:
- Limited Liability Companies
- Limited Companies
- Limited Partnerships
- Limited Liability Partnerships
- Corporations
How to do a Nevada Business Entity Search
The Secretary of State of Nevada facilitates an online search tool for finding registered business entities in the state.
You can use the online search tool, provided you have one of the following credentials handy with you:
- Business Name
- Business Number
- NV Business ID
- Office Name
- Registered Agent Name
Here, we present a simple guideline for how to conduct the search. Read on to understand the process better:
Also see: How to form a Nevada LLC
Quick Links
How to Search by Entity Name
Step 1. Visit the Nevada Secretary of State’s website to go to the Search Page. The page looks similar to the screenshot below.
Step 2. Select the method of search from the drop-down menu. Assuming you have selected an entity name, type in the business entity name in the appropriate field. Let us key in “Janet” for a sample search (See the screenshot below for reference).
Step 3. Now choose the sorting options from the drop down menu. Choose from “Relevance”, “Business Entity Name”, “Business ID”, “Type” or “Status”.
Step 4. Click on the “Search” button and the Results Page will soon appear (as shown in the screenshot below). The results are based on relevance.
Step 5. Click on an entity name to get further details on the entity. Some of the available information includes:
- Business Name
- Type (Corporation, Limited Liability Company)
- Business ID (This is a NV SOS number and not the IRS Employer Identification Number)
- File Date
- Registered Agent Information
- Officer / Board of Director Information
- Status of good standing
This search isn’t able to look up the status of an entity’s business license.
Search by Entity Number
Not as commonly used, if you know the entity number provided by the Secretary of State for the business, you can use that to search.
Search by Officer Name
If the name of an officer is known, a search can be done as well. This can be helpful in finding all the businesses an officer belongs to.
Search by Registered Agent
A search can be performed by the Registered Agent. This can produce several results for the more popular agents.
Search for Name Availability
If you are looking to name your new business, you can search to see if anybody else is using that same name. Every entity has to have a unique name when registering its corporation and LLC.
Business Licenses
Business name registration is different from business licensing in Nevada. The Nevada Secretary of State has more information regarding the state of Nevada business licenses.
Also see: How to do a Nevada UCC search
Information on Nevada (NV) SOS
Secretary of State Contact Information
Nevada State Capitol Building
101 North Carson Street, Suite 3
Carson City, NV 89701
Phone: 775-684-5708
FAX: 775-684-5725
Email: sosmail@sos.nv.gov
Office:
The Secretary of State of Nevada is one of the highest constitutional offices in the state of Nevada. It is a statewide-elected office created by the Constitution of Nevada.
The present Secretary of State of Nevada is Francisco V. Aguilar
Functions:
The Secretary of State of Nevada holds custody of the Seal of the State and is authorized to use it to authenticate and attest public documents. She is also the keeper of the public archives and public records. The Nevada Secretary of State heads the following divisions in the state:
- The Election Division
- Nevada Commercial Recording Division
- The Securities Division
- The Notary Division
- The Operations Division