Massachusetts (MA) Secretary of State (SOS) LLC & Business Search

A business entity search can be conducted on the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website under the Corporate Division. They enable users to search their business entity database to find businesses that have been registered in Massachusetts. You can search by any of the following:

• Entity name
• Individual name
• Identification number
• Filing number

Search by entity name

The Massachusetts business entity search database can be searched by entity name and can narrowed down by selecting begins with, exact match, full text or soundex.

The results will be presented in a list which will include all businesses that match your search criteria and the list details the entity name, ID number, old ID number and address.

Additional information about the businesses is available by clicking on the entity name which is highlighted in blue. The business entity summary includes:

• ID number
• Name
• Entity type
• Date of organization Massachusetts
• Date of revival
• Date of involuntary dissolution
• Last date certain
• Current and previous fiscal month/day
• Principal office address
• Registered agent details
• Officer and directors’ details
• Stock details
• Filings details

You can also request certificates such as legal existence and good standing.

Search by individual name

The database can be searched by individual name such as an officer or director and you complete the name details in separate fields for the first, middle and last name.

The search results are displayed in a table which details the name, position, individual’s address, entity name, identification number and old identification number.

You can view more information on the businesses by selecting the entity name in blue text. This will display a summary which includes the entity type, dates for activity, details of key people and filings, plus more as listed above under search by entity name.

Search by identification number

You can also search by the business identification number if you have this unique nine digit number.

This search should generate a single result and open up the business’ entity summary. This will show all publicly available information such as business name, address, agent details, details of the key people involved in the business and more as listed above under search by entity name.

Search by filing number

You can also search by filing number if you know this.

The results of this search should be a list with an individual document as the filing number is unique to the item filed. The details displayed include the business name, name of the filing, year filed, date filed and filing number. You can view the document by clicking on the document name in the view PDF column.

Contact details

Website: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/corporations/corporations.htm

Phone: 1-800-392-6090

Address: One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108

Hours: Monday-Friday 8.45am-5.00pm

Email: cis@sec.state.ma.us

How to register a business in Massachusetts?

If you are setting up a business in Massachusetts you may need to register your business with the Massachusetts Secretary of State. Sole proprietorships and partnerships do not need to register their businesses but LLCs and corporations will need to complete either a certificate of organization or article of organization, the forms are available on the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.

The fees vary depending on your organization type and the documents you need to file, for example, registration of a limited partnership costs $200 and limited liability partnership costs $500, and Articles of Organization start at $35 for non-profit organizations to $275 for corporations.

How much does a Massachusetts business entity search cost?

There are no charges for carrying out a business entity search on the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.

How can I get a business license in Massachusetts?

There are no statewide business licenses however you may be required to complete a sales and use tax registration which you can apply for on the MassTaxConnect website where there are no fees to register.

You may also be required to have other licenses or permits depending on your industry or profession, these occupational licenses can be found on the mass.gov website.  The cost of these licenses varies depending on the industry.