How to search Kentucky business entities online
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
Kentucky's business search is at sosbes.sos.ky.gov/BusSearchNProfile/search.aspx, run by the Secretary of State. Search by name, organization number, officer, or registered agent — active entities show by default, uncheck the box to include dissolved ones — then open the profile for the registered agent and filing history. Filing anything beyond a search — amendments, new formations, annual reports — routes through the separate Kentucky Business One Stop account system, not the search portal itself.
- Go to sosbes.sos.ky.gov/BusSearchNProfile/search.aspx.
- Search by business name/organization number, officer, or registered agent.
- Open the profile to see the registered agent and complete filing history.
What the search covers
The database includes domestic and foreign LLCs, profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, statutory trusts, and unincorporated nonprofit associations registered with the Secretary of State. County-level trade name registrations are not included — those are held by individual county clerks.
How to search
The default search looks up a business by name or organization number; you can also switch to search by city or zip code of the principal office, current officer name, founding officer/initial director name, or registered agent name. The portal shows active entities only by default — uncheck that box to include inactive, dissolved, and revoked entities as well.
Search results display the entity name, organization number, type, status, and formation or registration date. Clicking a result opens the full profile, which includes the registered agent name and address, officer information from the most recent annual report, and a complete filing history with links to document images.
Document access and a note on older records
Filed documents are publicly viewable from the entity profile without an account. Corporate documents filed on or after September 15, 2004 are available as scanned images; documents filed before that date are being made available as they are scanned. If you need a pre-2004 record that isn't online yet, contact the Business Filings Division directly.
Annual reports
Kentucky requires annual reports from all registered entity types, due June 30 of each year. Reports can be filed online through the Kentucky Business One Stop portal, and carry a flat $15 fee across LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, partnerships, and statutory trusts alike. Most other filings are processed the same day or within a few business days; annual reports can take longer.
Inactive good standing vs. inactive bad standing
Kentucky's Inactive status isn't one thing — it splits into two very different situations. Inactive with good standing means the entity closed on its own terms: it filed articles of dissolution, changed its name, or merged into another entity. Inactive with bad standing means it didn't file its annual report by the June 30 deadline, or its registered agent resigned and was never replaced — and bad-standing entities are the ones that get administratively dissolved.
Foreign entities get a different, harsher consequence for the same problem: instead of dissolution, a foreign entity that misses its annual report has its certificate of authority revoked, and getting back to active status means filing a brand-new certificate of authority application, not a simple reinstatement. For domestic entities, reinstating requires a Reinstatement Application plus a letter of good standing from the Kentucky Department of Revenue — for-profits also need one from the Division of Unemployment Insurance, though the Secretary of State's office can request both on the entity's behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pre-2004 Kentucky business documents available online?
Corporate documents filed on or after September 15, 2004 are available as scanned images. Documents filed before that date are being added as they're scanned; if you need an older record that isn't online yet, contact the Business Filings Division directly.
Does Kentucky's business search show dissolved or inactive companies by default?
No. The portal shows active entities only by default — you have to uncheck that box to include inactive, dissolved, and revoked entities in your results.
How much is Kentucky's annual report fee, and is it the same for every business type?
Yes — Kentucky charges a flat $15 annual report fee across LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, partnerships, and statutory trusts alike, due June 30 each year.
What's the difference between Kentucky's 'inactive good standing' and 'inactive bad standing'?
Good standing means the entity closed on its own terms — dissolved, renamed, or merged. Bad standing means it missed its June 30 annual report or lost its registered agent without replacing one, and bad-standing entities are the ones that get administratively dissolved.
What happens to a foreign entity that misses its Kentucky annual report?
Its certificate of authority is revoked, not dissolved — and getting back to active status means filing a brand-new certificate of authority application, not a simple reinstatement like a domestic entity would file.