Alabama Business Search
Look up any Alabama company in the state's official business search.
Find any Alabama LLC or corporation, check whether it is active, and see where to get proof of good standing.
Last updated November 5, 2026
Look up a Alabama company
Alabama only allows its search on its own site, so this opens in a new tab. It finds the company, not usually its EIN.
What the Alabama business search shows
The Alabama Secretary of State business entity records finds a company by entity name, entity number, or officer, agent or incorporator. It finds a company by entity name, entity number, or officer, agent or incorporator. Use it to confirm a company exists and is active, not to get its federal number.
The Alabama Secretary of State's brochure says the Entity ID issued at formation is not an EIN, and that an EIN should not be put on state formation documents.
The Alabama entity ID number
The Alabama Secretary of State gives every company an entity ID number when it is formed. It identifies the company in state records, and it is not the company’s EIN.
Check if an Alabama LLC is active
Search the company in the Alabama business search and open its record. The status tells you whether the state counts the company as active. Words such as dissolved, revoked, forfeited, inactive or delinquent mean it is not in good standing, usually because an annual filing or fee was missed, and the company may need to be reinstated before it can do business there.
To prove a company is in good standing to a bank, a lender or another state, order a Certificate of Existence from the Alabama Secretary of State. Our LLC status check reads the status from public data where a state publishes it.
Good to know in Alabama
- Alabama requires a name reservation from the Secretary of State before an LLC can be formed, and the reservation certificate is part of the formation filing. In most states a name is simply checked at filing time, so the two-step sequence catches out owners who expected to form the LLC the same day they chose the name.
- Alabama's Business Privilege Tax is an annual return filed with the Department of Revenue by every LLC, separate from the Secretary of State's records, with an initial return due shortly after formation and a regular return every year after. Alabama is one of a handful of states with a privilege tax return on top of income tax filings.
- Since 2021 Alabama LLC formations are filed directly with the Secretary of State. Before that they went through the county probate judge, so older Alabama paperwork and older guides describe a county filing step that no longer exists.
Found your Alabama company but it has no EIN yet? We prepare and file the application and email you the number.
Start Now →Questions
How do I search for a business in Alabama?
Use the Alabama Secretary of State business entity records, which finds a company by entity name, entity number, or officer, agent or incorporator. Search by the main words of the name, without LLC or Inc, so small differences do not hide the company.
Does the Alabama business search show a company's EIN?
Generally not. The EIN comes from the IRS, and Alabama's business records are kept for the state's own purposes. A Form W-9 from the company is the reliable way to get it.
How do I check if an Alabama LLC is active?
Search the company by name and open its record. The status shows whether Alabama counts it as active. Words like dissolved, revoked, forfeited, inactive or delinquent mean it is not in good standing, often because an annual filing or fee was missed.
How do I get proof that an Alabama company is in good standing?
Order a Certificate of Existence from the Alabama Secretary of State. Banks, lenders and other states ask for it as proof the company exists and is current.
What is an Alabama entity ID number?
It is the number the Alabama Secretary of State gives a company when it is formed, and it identifies the company in state records. It is not the company's EIN, which comes from the IRS.
More for Alabama companies
- Alabama EIN lookup: where a company’s federal number can be found.
- EIN for an Alabama business: what Alabama asks for after the EIN.
- LLC name check and LLC status check.
- Business search in other states.
Sources
Get Your EIN the Easy Way
Answer a few questions in about 5 minutes. Our specialists prepare your IRS Form SS-4, file it, personally handle any rejection or name conflict along the way, and get your EIN to you, typically within 2 to 4 business days, or about 11 when the IRS requires the application by fax.
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You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.