How to search New Jersey business entities online

New Jersey business entity records are maintained by the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) within the NJ Department of the Treasury — not the Secretary of State, which handles elections, apostilles, and notary commissions. The public business search is at njportal.com/DOR/businessNameSearch, and the more feature-rich Business Records Service is at njportal.com/DOR/businessrecords.

What the search covers

The DORES registry covers domestic and foreign for-profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLCs, LLPs, limited partnerships, and trade names. The Business Name Search is designed primarily for availability checks and basic lookups. The Business Records Service provides a fuller search and Standing Certificate ordering.

Search options — Business Records Service

The Business Records Service supports:

• Business Name — with wildcard matching (the "%" character appended automatically)
• Entity ID
• Principal Name — officers, directors, members, managers
• Registered Agent Name
• Associated Name — alternate, fictitious, or previous names

Certificates of Standing can be ordered directly from search results; short-form and long-form certificates are both available. The certificate can be validated online at njportal.com/DOR/businessrecords — Validate.

Two-step registration process

Forming a business entity in New Jersey is a two-step process. First, file the Certificate of Formation (or equivalent) with DORES through the online portal. Second, file a separate NJ-REG business registration to establish tax and employer accounts with the NJ Department of the Treasury. Both steps are required; the Certificate of Formation alone does not complete the tax registration.

Notes on fax filing and records timing

As of October 20, 2025, fax filing is no longer available. All submissions go through the online portal. Electronic filings are reflected in the public record by 10:00 a.m. on the next business day after submission.

This guide is informational only and is not affiliated with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services or any state agency. Verify current procedures at nj.gov/treasury/revenue. Source: NJ Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, verified May 2026.