Pennsylvania Business Search
Search Pennsylvania companies by name, right here. No signup.
Find any Pennsylvania LLC or corporation, check whether it is active, and see where to get proof of good standing. The state's search is also known as PA SOS.
Last updated November 5, 2026
Look up a Pennsylvania company
What the Pennsylvania business search shows
The Pennsylvania Department of State business search finds a company by entity name or entity number. The Department of State says businesses are not indexed by tax or Federal I.D. number, and that its records do not reflect any tax information.
The Pennsylvania entity number
The Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations gives every company an entity number when it is formed. It identifies the company in state records, and it is not the company’s EIN.
Check if a Pennsylvania LLC is active
Search the company in the Pennsylvania 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 Subsistence Certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. Our LLC status check reads the status from public data where a state publishes it.
Good to know in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania's certificate of organization is filed together with a docketing statement, and the docketing statement asks for the federal EIN. An LLC that does not have the number yet can still file, but the Department of State's form is one of the few in the country that expects the EIN at the moment of formation.
- Pennsylvania replaced its once-a-decade decennial report with an annual report requirement, so an LLC now has a yearly Department of State filing that older guides say does not exist. Searches for the Pennsylvania decennial report turn up advice written for the old regime.
- Pennsylvania requires a registered office address rather than a named registered agent. An LLC with no Pennsylvania street address uses a Commercial Registered Office Provider, and the provider's name, not an individual's, appears on the filed certificate.
Found your Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Use the Pennsylvania Department of State business search, which finds a company by entity name or entity number. Search by the main words of the name, without LLC or Inc, so small differences do not hide the company.
Does the Pennsylvania business search show a company's EIN?
Generally not. The EIN comes from the IRS, and Pennsylvania'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 a Pennsylvania LLC is active?
Search the company by name and open its record. The status shows whether Pennsylvania 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 a Pennsylvania company is in good standing?
Order a Subsistence Certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. Banks, lenders and other states ask for it as proof the company exists and is current.
What is a Pennsylvania entity number?
It is the number the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations 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 Pennsylvania companies
- Pennsylvania EIN lookup: where a company’s federal number can be found.
- EIN for a Pennsylvania business: what Pennsylvania asks for after the EIN.
- LLC name check and LLC status check.
- Business search in other states.
Sources
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You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.