Last Updated on January 30, 2024
The business corporation registry of the New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporations Division has records of all business and corporate incorporations in the state. The registry acts as the record center for all those entities that are or were headquartered in New Hampshire. The registry stores information on the following:
- Corporation
- Limited Liability Company
- Limited Company
- Limited Partnership
- Limited Liability Partnership
If you are looking to find a registered business entity in New Hampshire, you have arrived at the right place. The online search tool helps you to find any entity that is registered with the Secretary of State of New Hampshire. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships have to be searched at the county level if you have the business owner’s name or registered Trade Name.
When searching for an entity, you need to know the corporate or the business entity name.
The below-mentioned guidelines will assist you in your search. Read on to understand the process better.
Also see: How to start a New Hampshire LLC
Quick Links
Search by Business Name
Step 1. Start your New Hampshire business search by visiting the New Hampshire Department of State.
Step 2. Type in the entity name in the blank field. For a sample search, let us key in “Rooster” in the blank field. Refer to the screenshot below.
Step 3. Click on the result for the business you want more information on. In this example, we will look up Rooster Cleaning, Inc. Available information includes:
- Business Name
- Business Type (Corporation, Limited Liability Company)
- Business Creation Date
- Registered Office Address
- Duration
- Business ID (This is a number provided by the New Hampshire SOS, not the Employer Identification Number from the IRS)
- Business Status (Good Standing, Inactive, etc.)
- Purpose of Business
- Principal / Board of Director Information
- Registered Agent Information
- Annual Report Information
Additionally, filings such as the Acceptance of Business Formation, Annual Reports, and more can be looked up, but you are not able to search for the validity of a business license from this database.
Search by File Number
If you know the file number assigned by the Secretary of State, you can search by that number.
Search by New Hampshire Registered Agent
You are also able to search by Registered Agent. Since Registered Agents file for many corporations and LLCs, this is often a long list. This agent 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 the owner's name and address are now a public record that can be looked up by anyone. This can be a big concern, especially for home-based businesses. Using a commercial Registered Agent service like Northwest Registered Agent will keep their personal address from being public record.
Business Licenses
The business name registration is different from business licensing in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Revenue has more information regarding New Hampshire business licenses.
Also see: How to do a New Hampshire UCC search
Information on SOS New Hampshire (NH)
Office :
The Secretary of State of New Hampshire is a constitutional office in the US state of New Hampshire. The office serves as the exclusive head of the New Hampshire Department of State.
The present Secretary of State of New Hampshire is David M. Scanlan. The New Hampshire Secretary of State is elected biannually by the ballot of all members of the New Hampshire General Court.
Functionalities :
The Secretary of State of New Hampshire serves the duty of both the legislative and executive branches of the state. The New Hampshire Secretary of State is the custodian of the Great Seal of the State of New Hampshire and is the keeper of the state archives and public documents.
The New Hampshire Secretary of State is also in charge of distributing all election-related items following the election code of the state.
New Hampshire Secretary of State Addresses and Contact Information
State House Annex, Room 317
25 Capitol Street 3rd Floor
Concord, NH. 03301
Phone: 603-271-3246
Fax: 603-271-3247
Email: corporate@sos.nh.gov
State Business Name Search Instructions
How much does it cost to do a business search in New Hampshire?
There is no cost to search for businesses using the New Hampshire business search database.