What does Active or Involuntarily Dissolved status mean?

Active means the entity is on the record and in good standing with the Corporations Division. Involuntarily Dissolved (administrative dissolution) usually means the entity failed to file required annual reports; it must be reinstated, for a $100 fee plus back reports, before it can operate normally again.

Does the Massachusetts business entity search include DBAs?

No. In Massachusetts a DBA is a business certificate filed with the city or town clerk under M.G.L. c.110, §5, not with the state. The Corporations Division search covers LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and similar state-registered entities.

Massachusetts Business Entity Search: Free Lookup (2026)

Q: How do I search Massachusetts business entities?

Use the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division business search at corp.sec.state.ma.us. You can search by entity name, by identification number, or by an individual's name to see an LLC or corporation's status, date of organization, and resident agent. The search is free.

Q: Is the Massachusetts business entity search free?

Yes. Searching and viewing entity records on the Corporations Division database is free. Ordering an official Certificate of Good Standing (Legal Existence) or certified copies of filings carries a separate fee set by the Corporations Division.

Q: Can I check whether a business name is available in Massachusetts?

The search shows names already on file, which helps you gauge availability, but the Corporations Division makes the final distinguishability determination when you file. An available name in the entity search is not a trademark clearance.

Fact-checked by the LegalGlass editorial team against primary sources · Published Aug 6, 2026 · Last updated Aug 6, 2026

You search Massachusetts business entities for free on the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division business search at corp.sec.state.ma.us. Enter an entity name or identification number to see an LLC or corporation's status, date of organization, resident agent, and officers or managers. Viewing records is free; an official Certificate of Good Standing is a separate paid order.

Quick Answer

Tool: Corporations Division business search (corp.sec.state.ma.us)
Cost: Free to search and view records
Search by: Entity name, identification number, or individual name
Shows: Status, date of organization, resident agent, officers/managers
Certificate of Good Standing: Ordered from the Corporations Division for a fee
Not included: DBAs (business certificates) filed with city/town clerks

What the Massachusetts Business Entity Search Is

The Massachusetts business entity search is the free public lookup tool run by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division. It lets anyone confirm that an LLC, corporation, limited partnership, or similar entity is registered with the state, check its current standing, and view basic public filing information. It is the authoritative record for entities registered at the state level, and it is the same database the Corporations Division uses to decide whether a proposed name is distinguishable when you file a Certificate of Organization.

The search covers entities that register with the Commonwealth - domestic and foreign LLCs, business corporations, nonprofits, and limited partnerships. It does not cover sole proprietorships, general partnerships, or business certificates (DBAs), which are filed with city and town clerks rather than the state. For the broader formation picture, see how to form an LLC in Massachusetts.

How to Run the Search Step by Step

Using the tool takes about a minute:

Open the Corporations Division search. Go to the business search page on corp.sec.state.ma.us.
Choose your search type. You can search by entity name, by identification number, or by an individual's name (useful for finding entities tied to a person).
Enter the term. For a name, partial matches work; narrow the results with more of the exact name. For a number, use the entity's identification number.
Open the entity record. Click the matching result to view status, entity type, date of organization, resident agent, and the principal office.
View filings or order documents. Many imaged filings - including the annual report - are viewable, and you can order certified copies or a Certificate of Good Standing for a fee.

If your business does not appear, confirm the exact spelling, try the identification number, and make sure the filing has finished processing - newly filed entities appear once the Corporations Division completes review.

What the Search Results Show

Each entity record includes several public data fields:

Field	What it tells you
Entity name	The exact legal name on file with the Commonwealth
Identification number	The unique number assigned at registration
Status	Active, Involuntarily Dissolved, Voluntarily Dissolved, Merged, or Withdrawn
Entity type	LLC, corporation, LP, or nonprofit; domestic or foreign
Date of organization	When the entity was created or registered in Massachusetts
Resident agent	Who accepts service of process for the entity
Officers / managers	The people listed on the most recent filing

Addresses and the roster of managers or officers come from the entity's most recent filing, so they are only as current as the last annual report.

Reading Entity Status: Active vs Dissolved

Status is the field most people care about. Active means the entity is properly on the record and has not been dissolved. Involuntarily Dissolved (administrative dissolution) means the Secretary of the Commonwealth dissolved the entity, most often because it failed to file required annual reports or maintain a resident agent. A dissolved LLC loses its good standing and the protection its status gives to its name; to return to good standing it must file an Application for Reinstatement, pay a $100 reinstatement fee, and file any overdue reports and fees.

Voluntarily Dissolved, Merged, and Withdrawn mean the entity ended, combined into another entity, or (for a foreign entity) surrendered its Massachusetts registration. If you are entering a contract or lending money, an "Active" status plus a current annual report is the baseline check. To confirm official good standing in writing, order a Certificate of Good Standing from the Corporations Division.

Certificates of Good Standing and Certified Copies

Viewing records is free, but official documents cost money. A Certificate of Good Standing (also called a Certificate of Legal Existence) confirms the entity exists and is in good standing with the Corporations Division; banks, lenders, and other states often require it when you open accounts or register your Massachusetts LLC to do business elsewhere. Certified copies of filed documents, such as your Certificate of Organization, carry a certification fee. Both are ordered through the Corporations Division; confirm current amounts on the Corporations Division fee schedule, because these change. A screenshot of the free public record is fine for informal checks, but banks, courts, and out-of-state filing offices generally insist on the official certificate under the Secretary's seal, so budget for the paid version when you are registering to do business in another state or closing on financing.

Keep in mind the timing gap between filing and the record appearing. A brand-new LLC does not show in the search until the Corporations Division finishes processing the Certificate of Organization, and a change you make in an annual report - a new resident agent or address - will not be reflected until that report is processed. If a counterparty tells you your entity "isn't showing up," confirm the exact legal name and check whether the most recent filing has cleared before assuming anything is wrong.

Why People Use the Entity Search

The tool serves several practical purposes:

Name checking before you file a Certificate of Organization or reserve a name.
Due diligence on a vendor, customer, landlord, or acquisition target.
Finding a resident agent to serve a lawsuit on a company.
Confirming your own entity is Active and your resident agent is correct.
Verifying a foreign entity has properly registered to do business in Massachusetts.

Because it is free and authoritative, it is a better first stop than commercial data brokers, which often show stale information and sometimes charge for records the state provides at no cost. Remember that an entity being registered says nothing about whether it holds the local licenses its industry requires.

What the Search Does Not Cover

The state entity search has real limits. It does not include business certificates (DBAs), which are filed with city and town clerks under M.G.L. c.110, §5 - see Massachusetts DBA filing. It does not show local business permits, sales and use tax registrations handled through MassTaxConnect, or professional licenses issued by state boards. It is also not a substitute for a trademark search: an available entity name does not mean the name is free of trademark conflicts. For unregistered businesses such as sole proprietorships, no state entity record exists at all. To register a name for a trade name, see how to trademark a business name.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I search Massachusetts business entities?

Use the Corporations Division business search at corp.sec.state.ma.us. Search by entity name, identification number, or individual name to see status, date of organization, and resident agent. The search is free.

Is the Massachusetts business entity search free?

Yes. Searching and viewing records is free. Ordering a Certificate of Good Standing or certified copies carries a separate Corporations Division fee.

What does Active or Involuntarily Dissolved mean?

Active means good standing with the Corporations Division. Involuntarily Dissolved usually means unfiled annual reports; the entity must be reinstated for a $100 fee plus back reports before it can operate normally. See Massachusetts annual report.

Can I check whether a business name is available?

The search shows names already on file, but the Corporations Division makes the final distinguishability call when you file. An available name is not a trademark clearance.

Does the entity search include DBAs?

No. Massachusetts DBAs are business certificates filed with the city or town clerk, not the state. See Massachusetts DBA filing.

Sources

Secretary of the Commonwealth - Corporations Division Business Search (search by name, ID number, or individual; view status and resident agent).
Secretary of the Commonwealth - Corporations Division (overview of online filing and search services).
Secretary of the Commonwealth - Limited Liability Company Information (annual report and resident agent; source of record data).
Secretary of the Commonwealth - Corporations Division Filing Fees (certificate of good standing; certified copies; $100 reinstatement).
Secretary of the Commonwealth - Fee Schedule (PDF).
Massachusetts General Laws - c.156C §3, Name of a limited liability company (distinguishability standard).
Massachusetts General Laws - c.156C §12, Annual report and record data.
Massachusetts General Laws - c.156C §5, Resident agent.
Massachusetts General Laws - c.110 §5, Business certificate (DBA) filed with the city or town clerk.
Massachusetts DOR - Register Your Business with MassTaxConnect (tax registration is separate from the entity record).
IRS - Limited Liability Company (LLC) (federal tax treatment overview).
IRS - Get an Employer Identification Number (free EIN).

LegalGlass provides general information for educational purposes and is not a law firm or a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney or tax professional. Laws, fees, and thresholds change; verify current requirements with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth before acting.