Before launching a business in Louisiana or conducting due diligence on a potential business partner, you’ll need to check if your desired business name is available or verify a company’s legal status. The Louisiana Secretary of State makes this process straightforward through their online business entity search portal. If you’re researching several states for your business formation, you might also want to check our guides for Texas business entity search or Florida business entity search.
Quick Summary
Louisiana’s Secretary of State register is free to search, with filings handled through geauxBIZ. Businesses in 14 named parishes, including Orleans and East Baton Rouge, must file everything online there. A $25 name reservation holds 120 days and cannot be renewed.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the exact steps of conducting a Louisiana business entity search, explain what the results mean, and cover everything you need to know about securing your business name in the Pelican State.
What is the Louisiana Secretary of State Business Entity Search Tool?
The Louisiana Secretary of State’s “Search for Louisiana Business Filings” tool (also known as “Commercial Search”) is the official database for all registered business entities in the state. This searchable online database contains information about:
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- Corporations
- Limited Partnerships
- General Partnerships
- Limited Liability Partnerships
- Trade Names
- Trademarks
- Service Marks
- Name Reservations
This powerful tool allows you to access public information about any business registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State, including crucial details like business status, filing dates, registered agent information, and officer/member data. The process is similar to other states’ business search tools, including those for Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia.
How to Use the Louisiana Business Entity Search Tool: Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Access the Official Search Portal
- Visit the official Louisiana Secretary of State’s Commercial Search page at: Louisiana Secretary of State business filings search
- You’ll see three search options at the top of the page:
- Search by Entity Name
- Search by Charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number
- Search by Officer Name or Agent Name
“Louisiana Secretary of State CORA commercial search page showing the search by entity name, charter number and officer name options
Step 2: Choose Your Search Method and Enter Search Terms
For most users, the “Search by Entity Name” option is the most useful:
- Select “Search by Entity Name” (it should be selected by default)
- Enter the business name or keywords in the “Entity Name” field
- Search Tip: The search is not case-sensitive, so you can use lowercase
- Search Tip: For broader results, use fewer words (e.g., just “Pelican” instead of “Pelican Partners LLC”)
- Search Tip: For more specific results, use the full business name if you know it
The Three CORA Search Options Compared
| Search option | What you enter | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| Search by Entity Name | All or part of the business name | Checking whether a name is taken, or pulling up a company you know by name |
| Charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number | The number printed on a filing, certificate or reservation | You already have the paperwork and want one exact record rather than a list |
| Officer Name or Agent Name | A person’s name | Checking what an officer, director or registered agent is attached to |
Step 3: Review the Search Results
After clicking the “Search” button, you’ll see a list of entities matching your search criteria. Each result typically displays:
- Business Name
- Type of Entity (LLC, Corporation, etc.)
- City
- Status (Active, Revoked, etc.)
- A “Details” button on the right side
Step 4: View Detailed Business Information
Click the “Details” button next to any business to view comprehensive information:
- Basic Details Section:
- Entity Name
- Charter/Registration Number
- Type of Entity
- Status (Active, Inactive, Revoked, etc.)
- Date of Incorporation/Organization
- State of Origin (for foreign entities)
- Registered Agent Information:
- Name of Registered Agent
- Registered Office Address
- Principal Office Address (if available)
- Officer/Member Information:
- Names of Officers, Directors, Members, or Managers
- Their titles and addresses
- Filing History:
- A chronological list of all documents filed with the Secretary of State
- Annual report filing status
Understanding Louisiana Business Entity Statuses
When conducting your search, you’ll notice different status labels for business entities. Here’s what they mean:
Active
The business is in good standing with the state, has filed all necessary reports, and paid all required fees. This entity is authorized to conduct business in Louisiana.
Inactive
The business has voluntarily dissolved, withdrawn its registration, or otherwise ceased operations in Louisiana. It’s no longer authorized to conduct business in the state.
Revoked
The Secretary of State has administratively revoked the entity’s authority to do business due to non-compliance with state requirements. Common reasons include:
- Failure to file annual reports for three consecutive years
- Failure to maintain a registered agent
- Failure to pay fees or taxes when due
Expired
The entity’s registration or authority to operate has lapsed due to failure to renew in time. This often applies to name reservations or certain registrations with renewal requirements.
In Liquidation
The business is in the process of formal dissolution, selling assets, and settling debts before terminating its existence.
Withdrawal Pending
For foreign entities (those formed outside Louisiana), this status indicates they’ve filed to withdraw from doing business in Louisiana, but the withdrawal is not yet finalized.
Louisiana Entity Statuses at a Glance
| Status on the filing | What it means | Is the name free to use? |
|---|---|---|
| Active | In good standing with the state, required filings up to date | No |
| Inactive | Voluntarily dissolved, withdrawn, or otherwise no longer operating | Not automatically. The record still occupies the name |
| Revoked | The Secretary of State has administratively revoked the entity’s authority | Not automatically. Revoked entities can be reinstated |
| Expired | Registration or authority to operate has lapsed | Not automatically. Treat it as taken until the state tells you otherwise |
| In Liquidation | Formal dissolution is underway and assets are being settled | No. The entity still legally exists |
| Withdrawal Pending | A foreign entity is in the process of withdrawing from Louisiana | No, not until the withdrawal completes |
How to Reserve a Business Name in Louisiana
If you find your desired business name is available but you’re not ready to form your business yet, Louisiana allows you to reserve the name for a limited time:
Louisiana Name Reservation Process:
- Name reservations can be filed through the geauxBIZ portal (preferred) or by mail
- The reservation fee is $25
- Your name will be reserved for 120 days (4 months) from the filing date
- Name reservations cannot be renewed after expiration
- To transfer a reservation to someone else, file a “Reservation Transfer” form with a $25 fee
Expedited Processing Options:
If you need your name reservation processed quickly, Louisiana offers these expedited options:
- 24-hour processing: Additional $30 fee
- 2-4 hour processing: Additional $50 fee
Important Note:
Since January 1, 2018, business owners in 14 specific parishes are required to file all available business documents online through geauxBIZ, including name reservations. These parishes include Ascension, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Livingston, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Terrebonne.
Running a Louisiana LLC Search or a Louisiana Corporation Search
A Louisiana LLC search and a Louisiana corporation search are not separate tools. Both run through the same CORA commercial search, which is why searching for either phrase lands you in the same place. What changes is how you read the results, because the entity type sits on the record rather than on the search form.
The practical approach is to search the name without the suffix, then use the entity type shown on each result to filter by eye.
| What you are looking for | What to type | What to look for in the results |
|---|---|---|
| A Louisiana LLC | The distinctive words only, no LLC or L.L.C. | Limited Liability Company on the record. Searching with the suffix attached is the most common reason an LLC search comes back empty |
| A Louisiana corporation | The distinctive words only, no Inc. or Corp. | Corporation on the record, and whether it is domestic or foreign |
| A nonprofit | The distinctive words only | Non-profit corporation. Louisiana registers nonprofits in the same database as everything else |
| A partnership | The distinctive words only | Partnership types appear alongside corporations and LLCs in the same result set |
| A trade name or DBA | The trading phrase itself | Trade registrations, which is why the search offers a Trade Registration Number field |
Checking Business Name Availability in Louisiana
Louisiana splits this across the two systems, and doing it in the wrong order wastes time.
| Step | Where | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Search what already exists | CORA commercial search | Free, no account. Shows you the near misses so you can judge how close is too close |
| 2. Search the phrase as a trade name too | CORA commercial search | A name can be clear as an entity and taken as a trade registration |
| 3. Reserve the name | geauxBIZ | The Secretary of State lists reserving a business name as one of the things geauxBIZ is for. Needs an account |
| 4. Trademark check | USPTO | Neither Louisiana system checks federal marks for you |
What geauxBIZ Does Beyond the Search, Including Annual Reports
The Secretary of State describes geauxBIZ as your one-stop site for launching a new business in Louisiana, and the list of what it covers is longer than most people realise. You create an account, sign in, and it handles the whole lifecycle.
- Creates a business checklist, which helps you plan, make key financial decisions and complete the legal steps before you launch.
- Reserves a business name, holding the name you cleared on CORA while you get your documents together.
- Registers the business with the Secretary of State, which is the formation filing itself.
- Registers with the Louisiana Department of Revenue, so state tax registration is handled in the same flow rather than as a separate errand.
- Registers with the Louisiana Workforce Commission, so employer registration happens in that same flow too.
- Files amendments, including annual reports. This is the one people come back for every year.
Three agencies in one registration flow is genuinely unusual. Most states make you visit each one separately.
Filing a Louisiana Annual Report
Annual reports are filed through geauxBIZ as an amendment to your existing filing, which means the same account you used to form the business. If you formed the entity through an agent or an attorney and never created your own geauxBIZ account, that is the thing to sort out before the report is due rather than the week it is due.
Missing the report is what moves an entity out of active status on the register. If you have been reading statuses in your search results and wondering how a real business ends up Inactive or Revoked, this is usually the answer.
Do You Need a geauxBIZ Login to Search?
No. This is worth stating plainly because the two systems get conflated constantly. CORA searching is public and needs no login. geauxBIZ needs an account, and the account is for filing, reserving, registering and reporting. If all you want is to look a company up, you never need to sign in to anything.
Articles of Organization, Certificates and Business Licences in Louisiana
Articles of Organization
Articles of Organization are the formation document for a Louisiana LLC. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation instead. Both are filed through geauxBIZ, and once accepted they become part of the public record you were searching, which is also how you get a copy later: pull the entity on CORA and work from its filings.
Certificates and Document Authentication
If a bank, a landlord or a counterparty asks you for a certificate on a Louisiana entity, the Secretary of State’s Commercial Division handles business filing certificates, and the office runs a separate Business Document Authentication service through its Notary and Certifications division for documents that need to be authenticated for use elsewhere. Check the current fee schedule before you order, and see the note below about the October 2026 change.
Louisiana Business Licence Searches
A common wrong turn. The Secretary of State’s register covers entity filings, trade names and trademarks. It is not a licence register. What the state does give you is a business licence checklist inside geauxBIZ, which asks a few questions about your business and produces a list of the possible federal, state and local licences and permits you may need. Run that before you file rather than after, because some licences depend on how the entity is structured.
Fees Are Changing on 1 October 2026
Worth acting on if you are close to filing. The Secretary of State has posted that effective 1 October 2026, fees for the Commercial Division will increase in accordance with Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, and has published the new fee schedule. Any figure quoted in an article written before that date, including in guides that look current, is about to be wrong. Check the schedule on the Secretary of State’s site before you pay for anything.
For anything the systems cannot answer, the Commercial Division is reachable on 225.922.2880, and the office is at 8585 Archives Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, with mail going to P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125. Commercial appointments can be scheduled, though the office notes it does not handle FinCEN filings.
What to Do After Your Louisiana Business Entity Search
If Your Desired Name is Available:
- Reserve the Name: File a name reservation through geauxBIZ if you’re not ready to form your business immediately.
- Form Your Business: If you’re ready to proceed, form your LLC or corporation through geauxBIZ. The filing fee for Articles of Organization for an LLC is $100 ($105 when filing online with the convenience fee).
- Check Domain Availability: Secure a matching domain name for your business website.
- Check Trademark Database: Consider searching the USPTO trademark database to ensure your name doesn’t infringe on federally registered trademarks.
If Your Desired Name is Already Taken:
- Modify Your Name: Add additional words or change terms to create a unique name.
- Consider a DBA: If you’re set on operating under a specific name, you can register a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name at the parish level with the local Clerk of Court.
- Create a Different Entity Type: Sometimes the same name might be available for a different entity type (e.g., if “Bayou Services LLC” exists, “Bayou Services Inc.” might still be available).
geauxBIZ and CORA: Which Louisiana Portal Do You Actually Need?
Louisiana runs two separate systems, and people land on the wrong one constantly. The search tool covered above sits on CORA, the Commercial Division’s public records site. geauxBIZ is something else. The state describes it as the official website for creating, maintaining, and closing your business in Louisiana. One is a free lookup that needs no sign-in. The other is where the filing actually happens, and it does require an account.
One timing note worth acting on. A banner on geauxBIZ states that effective 1 October 2026, fees for the Commercial Division of the Secretary of State increase in accordance with Act 921 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session. If you are close to filing or reserving a name, check the current schedule on geauxBIZ before you pay, because any figure quoted in an older article will be out of date.
| CORA commercial search | geauxBIZ | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Public lookup of filings held by the Commercial Division | The state portal for creating, maintaining and closing a business |
| Account needed | No | Yes, you create one and sign in |
| Use it to | Check name availability, confirm entity status, find a charter number or a registered agent | File a corporation, LLC, partnership or non-profit, register a tradename or trademark, and register with LDR and Louisiana Works |
| Ongoing filings | Not handled here | Annual reports, renewals, amendments and reinstatements |
| Closing a business | Not handled here | Dissolutions, terminations, withdrawals and cancellations |
| Where it lives | coraweb.sos.la.gov | geauxbiz.sos.la.gov |
The practical sequence is CORA first, geauxBIZ second. Confirm on the free public search that nothing sits too close to your name, then sign in to geauxBIZ to file. geauxBIZ also carries a business license checklist that asks a few questions about your business and produces a list of the possible federal, state and local licences and permits you may need, which is worth running before you file rather than after.
What geauxBIZ Will Not Do For You
geauxBIZ is a filing portal, not a clearance service. It will not tell you whether a name infringes a federal trademark, which is a separate search at the USPTO. It will not rule on whether a similar but not identical name meets Louisiana’s distinguishable standard. And it will not clear a lapsed or revoked entity off a name you want, because that record stays on file until the state removes it.
Before You File: The Order to Check Things In
| Step | Where you do it | What you are confirming |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Entity name search | CORA commercial search | Nothing active, inactive, revoked or expired sits too close to your name |
| 2. Search the phrase, not the full name | CORA commercial search | Near misses surface, since the standard is a distinguishable name rather than a merely non-identical one |
| 3. Trademark check | USPTO | No federal mark conflicts with the name you have chosen |
| 4. Name reservation, optional | geauxBIZ | The name is held while you prepare your documents |
| 5. Formation filing | geauxBIZ | Your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation are accepted |
| 6. Registered agent on file | geauxBIZ filing | A Louisiana address is on record to receive legal notices |
Next Steps After Confirming Your Business Name Availability
Once you’ve confirmed your business name is available in Louisiana, here are the immediate next steps to secure your business:
1. Create a geauxBIZ Account
Louisiana’s geauxBIZ portal is a one-stop site for launching your business that allows you to:
- Register your business with multiple state agencies simultaneously
- File amendments and annual reports
- Access business documents for 120 days after filing
Visit geauxbiz.sos.la.gov to create your account.
2. Reserve Your Business Name (Optional but Recommended)
If you’re not ready to form your business immediately, reserve your name through geauxBIZ for 120 days by paying the $25 fee.
3. Form Your Business Entity
File your Articles of Organization (for LLCs) or Articles of Incorporation (for corporations) through geauxBIZ. Louisiana requires an Initial Report to be filed simultaneously with your formation documents.
4. Obtain an EIN
Get your Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. This is free and can be done online.
5. Register for State Taxes
When using geauxBIZ to form your business, you’ll have the option to register with the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Louisiana Workforce Commission at the same time.
Remember that name availability is just the beginning of your business journey. After securing your name, you’ll need to complete formation documents, set up proper business operations, and maintain ongoing compliance with state requirements.
Disclaimer: While we strive to provide accurate information, business regulations can change. Always verify current requirements with the Louisiana Secretary of State or consult with a qualified business attorney or accountant for specific advice related to your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Louisiana Business Entity Searches
What do I do if a Louisiana business entity search shows my desired name is too similar to an existing business?
Louisiana requires business names to be “distinguishable” from existing names. If your search reveals a similar name, you’ll need to modify your chosen name to make it unique. Adding words, changing the spelling, or using different entity identifiers (LLC vs. Inc.) may be sufficient.
What is geauxBIZ and do I need it to search?
geauxBIZ is Louisiana’s one-stop site for launching, maintaining and closing a business, at geauxbiz.sos.la.gov. You do not need it to search. Searching happens on CORA and is free with no account. geauxBIZ is where you reserve a name, register with the Secretary of State, the Department of Revenue and the Workforce Commission, and file amendments such as annual reports.
How do I search the Louisiana Secretary of State corporations database?
The corporations database is CORA, reached at coraweb.sos.la.gov. Choose Search by Entity Name, enter the distinctive words without the LLC or Inc. suffix, and read the status on each result. It is the same tool whether you call it a Louisiana business search, a Louisiana SOS business search or a Louisiana business entity search.
How do I do a Louisiana LLC search?
Use the same CORA search and leave the suffix off your search term. There is no separate Louisiana LLC lookup. The entity type appears on each result, so you filter by reading rather than by setting a filter.
How do I file a Louisiana annual report?
Through geauxBIZ, as an amendment to your existing filing, using the account the business was registered under. If someone else formed the entity for you and you have never signed in, create and link your account before the report falls due.
How do I reserve a business name in Louisiana?
Reserve it in geauxBIZ, which the Secretary of State lists as one of the things the portal is for. Search CORA first so you are reserving a name that is actually clear, and check the fee schedule before you pay, since Commercial Division fees rise on 1 October 2026.
Where do I get a Louisiana certificate for my business?
Certificates on business filings come from the Secretary of State’s Commercial Division, and documents that need authenticating for use outside Louisiana go through the Business Document Authentication service in the Notary and Certifications division. Confirm the current fee before ordering.
Related Blog Posts
- Registering just across the state line? The Mississippi lookup works a little differently.
- Expanding west? Run a Texas business entity search first.
- Also checking Arkansas? Here is how to confirm whether a name is taken in Arkansas.
- Heading for Alabama? Here is how to run an Alabama business entity search.
