Search
Close this search box.

How to Carry Out a Georgia Business Entity Search

Georgia Business Entity Search

Share This Post

From 2012 to 2022, Georgia has achieved top 10 rankings for both GDP and job growth, making its economy one of the strongest around. In addition, CNBC named it fourth for their 2023 Top States for Business list. The Peach State is definitely where you want to be if you’re starting out as an entrepreneur.

To ensure you’re off to a strong start, you should learn how to carry out a Georgia business entity search. This will tell you which company names are already taken and it’ll help you create something that’s truly unique. Read on to discover how to do this and succeed.

In most states, the Secretary of State is in charge of business registrations and other related services. So it makes sense to start with this department.

To do a Georgia SOS business search, you’ll have to navigate to the Georgia Corporations Division page. There are three types of searches you can do here: business, service of process, and trademark.

On the business search tab, you can select “starts with,” “contains,” or “exact match.” Then you can choose to search by business name, control number, registered agent name, or officer name.

On the service of process tab, you can also search with “starts with,” “contains,” or “exact match.” The parameters you can pick here are defendant name, plaintiff name, civil action number, or control number.

As for the trademark search tab, again, you can pick “starts with,” “contains,” or “exact match.” But instead of choosing a parameter to search by, you have to fill out several boxes, such as:

  • Registration number
  • Mark name
  • Registrant name
  • Class of goods (dropdown)
  • Class of services (dropdown)
  • Identification of goods
  • Identification of services
  • Mark description

Search Results

For this section, we’ll assume you used the “Business Search” tab. Click on “Search” after you’ve entered all relevant information.

The results page will show you any hits, along with their business name, control number, business type, principal office address, registered/designated agent name, and status. Click on any business name to find out more about it.

For the individual company page, you’ll see its NAICS code, state of formation, date of formation/registration date, and last annual registration year. Plus, you’ll find the registered agent’s name and physical address.

If you want to do a trademark search, the results page will give you the mark name, registration number, mark type, class, registrant name, and status. Again, you can click on the name to view more details, such as:

  • Date of first use anywhere
  • Date of first use in Georgia
  • Registration date
  • Expiration date
  • Mark description
  • Disclaimer (if applicable)
  • Mode or manner of use
  • Drawing of the mark
  • Registrant information
  • Goods information

Check With a Search Engine

You can also do a Georgia business search by using any search engine. Just type in the desired business name with “Georgia state” at the end (to avoid confusion with the country by the same name). If you’re targeting a local area, it wouldn’t hurt to type in the city name(s) too.

On the results pages, you can look carefully to see if another entrepreneur has taken the company name you want. This is a good time to also check social media and domains. If everything’s available, you should register handles and buy domains to prevent others from pulling the rug out from underneath you.

Do Lookups on Our Business Name Search Tool

You might already know that we have a business registration service. If you don’t, then feel free to browse what this service entails and what add-ons are available, as well as how much they cost. We list everything so there’s no ambiguity.

In addition, you can do a GA business search on our site. Type in the business name where the search bar is, pick “LLC” or “corporation,” and then “Check availability.” 

This is a simple, straightforward, and fast way to run a check. And if the name’s free, you can fill out your contact information and we’ll reach out. We can then discuss what the perfect plan is for you.

If you want to start a company, then an essential step is doing a Georgia business entity search. 

Many entrepreneurs have run into copyright and trademark issues, so don’t follow in their footsteps. This search is so easy to do, and it’s free too. By taking the extra time to do research, you’ll have peace of mind for the rest of the process.

Sign up with Business Anywhere to get started on your new business. We serve all 50 states, not just Georgia!

About Author

Picture of Rick Mak

Rick Mak

Rick Mak is a 30-year veteran businessman, having started, bought, and/or sold more than a dozen companies. He has bachelor's degrees in International Business, Finance, and Economics, with masters in both Entrepreneurship and International Law. He has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the world during his career on entrepreneurship, international tax law, asset protection, and company structure. Business Anywhere Editorial Guidelines

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore

Do You Want To Boost Your Business?