How to Conduct a Georgia Business Entity Search

Georgia Secretary of State Contact Information

Search Georgia business entities by name

The most common way to search for a business entity is by name. To begin the process, visit the Georgia Corporations Division’s business search page, enter the name of the business into the appropriate field, and click the “Search” button.

The results page lists all of the businesses registered in Georgia that match your query. On this screen, you can see the business name, control number, entity type, principal office address, registered agent name, and current status of each result. Clicking on the name will reveal further details about the company.

On the next screen, you can access detailed information about the business. This page lists the business name, entity type, NAICS code and subcode, principal office address, formation state, control number, current business status, formation date, most recent annual registration year, and registered agent name and address.

At the bottom of the page, you’ll also see links to the company’s filing history and name history. The filing history includes any documents filed with the Georgia Secretary of State regarding that business, including formation documents and annual registrations. Meanwhile, the name history lets you know if the business has changed its name over the years, or whether it has any doing business as (DBA) names.

Search Georgia businesses by control number

If you know the company’s Georgia control number, you can do a refined search that should only produce one result. Simply type the number into the corresponding box and click the “Search” button.

You should see only one search result for each number. Clicking on the name of the business will present you with additional information, such as the filing history and name history of the company in question.

Search Georgia businesses by registered agent or officer name

If you know the registered agent’s name or the name of an officer of the company, you can search for that business’s information using either one of those pieces of data. Enter all or part of the agent/officer’s name into the respective fields and click “Search” to view results on the state website.

Using the Georgia Service of Process Search

The Georgia Secretary of State also allows you to use the corporation search to find service of process filings for any domestic or foreign entity operating in the state. You can search by defendant name, plaintiff name, civil action number, or control number. In addition, you can filter the search to include results that start with or contain your search terms, or solely for exact matches.

On the results page, you can see the defendant name, plaintiff name, control number, filing type, case name, civil action number, county court, and statutory authority for each service of process filing that fits your search terms.

Using the Georgia Trademark Search

Finally, the Georgia Secretary of State also allows you to search all trademarks registered in the state. You can search the Georgia Secretary of State’s trademark database by registration number, trademark name, registrant name, class of goods/services, identification of goods/services, or trademark description. Like the other search options, you can use the trademark search to start with or contain the terms you input, or you can search for exact matches only.

On the next screen, you’ll see the trademark name, mark type, registration number, class, status, and registrant name for each result. Clicking on the mark name will provide you with some more details about the company’s goods and/or services.