How to search Illinois business entities online
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
Illinois's business search is at apps.ilsos.gov/businessentitysearch, run by the Secretary of State's Business Services Division. Search by business name, file number, registered agent, or officer name to open the entity's File Detail Report, showing its registered agent, officers, and status — free and public. The database covers domestic and foreign corporations, not-for-profit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. Sole proprietorships, general partnerships, and county-level trade names (DBAs) aren't included — those records sit with individual county clerks or recorders instead.
- Go to apps.ilsos.gov/businessentitysearch.
- Search by business name, file number, registered agent, or officer name.
- Open the File Detail Report to see the registered agent and current status.
Bulk data restriction
Illinois law prohibits using this database for bulk data extraction — it's intended for individual lookups only. Unauthorized copying, downloading, or bulk use of the database information is prohibited under Illinois' computer tampering statutes and can be prosecuted as a criminal offense.
Search options
The portal supports a broad range of searches:
- Business Name — supports partial and keyword matching
- File Number — the Illinois-assigned entity ID
- Registered Agent Name
- Officer names — President, Secretary (corporations); Manager (LLCs)
- Keyword — finds the term anywhere in the entity name
- Partial Word — useful when you only know part of a word in the name
Reading the File Detail Report
Each entity's record — the "File Detail Report" — shows the legal name, formation or registration date, jurisdiction, registered agent name and address, and current status. Corporation records include the names and addresses of the president and secretary from the most recent annual report. LLC records list the manager or managers. All of this is publicly accessible without an account.
Certificates of Good Standing
A Certificate of Good Standing can be purchased directly from the search results page. The cost is $25 for corporations and LLCs, $5 for not-for-profit corporations. Expedited service is available in person — at the Springfield and Chicago offices, as well as select DMV+ Flagship Centers and partner DMV locations (Aurora, Champaign, Lake Zurich, and Melrose Park) — but not by mail or online.
What Illinois's status labels mean
Illinois' search results show one of several status values, and they're not all equally serious. Active (or Good Standing) means the entity is current on its filings. Not in Good Standing is a compliance flag, not a dead end — the entity can still file its annual report online and clear the issue, though a late penalty applies under the LLC Act. Voluntarily Dissolved or Voluntarily Withdrawn means the owners chose to end the entity themselves, while Involuntarily Dissolved means the state did it for non-compliance. Revoked is Illinois' specific term for a foreign entity that failed to renew its assumed name registration, and Expired is a separate status from either of those.
Reinstatement matters here too: Illinois only lets a delinquent entity reinstate online if the gap is 6 years or less of missing annual reports. Anything voluntarily dissolved or withdrawn, expired, revoked for an assumed-name lapse, or flagged with an Illinois Department of Revenue hold can't be reinstated electronically at all — those require a paper filing instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Illinois' business search include DBAs or general partnerships?
No. The database covers domestic and foreign corporations, not-for-profit corporations, LLCs, LPs, and LLPs. Sole proprietorships, general partnerships, and county-level trade names (DBAs) aren't included — those records are held by individual county clerks or recorders.
Can I get an expedited Certificate of Good Standing by mail in Illinois?
No. A Certificate of Good Standing costs $25 for corporations and LLCs, or $5 for not-for-profits, purchased from the search results page. Expedited service is only available in person at the Springfield and Chicago offices or select DMV+ locations — not by mail or online.
Is it legal to bulk download data from Illinois' business search?
No. Illinois law restricts this database to individual lookups only. Unauthorized copying, downloading, or bulk use of the information is prohibited under the state's computer tampering statutes and can be prosecuted as a criminal offense.
What does 'Not in Good Standing' mean for an Illinois business?
It's a compliance flag, not a dead end — the entity is still active but has an unresolved issue, usually a missed annual report. It can still file online to fix it, though a late penalty applies under the LLC Act.
Can every delinquent Illinois entity reinstate online?
No — only if the gap is 6 years of missing annual reports or less. Entities that are voluntarily dissolved or withdrawn, expired, revoked for an assumed-name lapse, or have an Illinois Department of Revenue hold must file a paper reinstatement instead.