Last Updated on April 10, 2023
How to do an Oklahoma Secretary of State Business Search
How to do an Oklahoma Secretary of State Business SearchThe Secretary of State of Oklahoma is the sole in charge of the filing and authorization of any business entity in the state. The office administers policies and rules regarding setting up a business or corporate entity in the state and maintains a record of the same in its registry. In short, the business registry has well-maintained records of every Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, Limited Partnership, and Limited Liability Partnership.
This search won’t be able to find a small business that is organized as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Those can be found at the county level, where the business is located.
Also see: How to start an LLC in Oklahoma
Quick Links
Search by Business Name
The Oklahoma business entity search tool lets you search the database and gather information about any entity registered with the Oklahoma SOS. You need to have the entity name handy to search the database using the online search tool.
We have outlined the detailed procedure for searching for an Oklahoma corporation in the Oklahoma SOS database. Read on for a better understanding:
Step 1. Visit the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website to go to the search page for finding an entity registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. The search page looks like the screenshot below.
Step 2. Type in the business entity name in the field provided. Let us type in “LSB industries” in the field. The screenshot illustrates the step better.
Step 3. Click on the Search button, and the result page containing a list of entities with the name given will appear along with the filing number, type, and status, as shown below.
Step 4. On clicking a filing number, you can get access to detailed information about the entity belonging to it. The screenshot below shows the same.
Available information includes;
- Entity Name
- Filing Number (this is a number assigned by the state and not to be confused with the IRS Employer Identification Number)
- Name Type
- Status (In Existence (Good Standing)
- Entity Type (Corporation, Limited Liability Company, etc.)
- Formation Date
- Registered Agent Information
- Annual Report Filing Date
Additionally, on this Oklahoma business search page, you are able to order documents like the Certificate of Good Standing, Annual Reports, and more for a small fee.
Step 5. You can also go for advanced search by clicking on the advanced search button on the search page. The page that follows has numerous search narrowing options, as shown in the screenshot below.
Search by Filing Number
If you have the filing number provided by the Secretary of State, you can enter that number to search for the business entity.
Search by Registered Agent
The SOS business entity database also allows the search by Registered Agent. Some Registered Agents file for many businesses, so this list may be quite long. 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 Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce has more information regarding Oklahoma business licenses.
Also see: How to do an Oklahoma UCC search
Information on SOS Oklahoma (OK)
The Office :
The Secretary of State of Oklahoma is the member of the Cabinet of the Oklahoma Government and is also the chief clerical officer of the state. The Secretary of the State of Oklahoma is the only appointed constitutional office in the state and is the executive branch of the Oklahoma State Government.
The current Secretary of State of Oklahoma is Brian Bingman.
Functionalities :
Apart from the general duties that the Oklahoma Secretary of State serves, like guarding the Seal of the State and administering public rules, and taking care of public affairs, his duties are broadly divided into the following divisions:
- Executive Division
- Legislative Division
- Certification Division
- Judicial Division
Secretary of State Contact Information
Colcord Center
421 NW 13th St,
Suite 210/220
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
(405) 522-2520