Iowa Secretary of State business entity search
Iowa keeps the name of an administratively dissolved company off limits for five years after the dissolution takes effect.
Search Iowa's published file of active business entities
Type a name with or without its ending. LLC, Inc., Corp., Co. and Ltd. are set aside before matching, along with punctuation and capital letters.
Example: a search for "Hawkeye Roofing" in Iowa, run on November 12, 2026.
No exact match. 4 similar names are on the list
Nothing on Iowa's published file of active business entities is the same as "Hawkeye Roofing" as of November 8, 2026. The names listed here share its words.
The state decides whether your name is different enough. Names reserved or filed in the last few days may not be on the list yet.
Get the matching domain name
Type a business name to check its .com, .net, .org and .us.
"Not registered" is the registry's answer at this moment. It is not a promise that the name can be bought at the standard price, since some unregistered names are reserved or sold at a premium. The buttons open Spaceship, a domain registrar, where the price is shown.
- One word apartHAWKEYE ROOFING ENTERPRISE COMPANYDomestic profit, Active, filed July 8, 2022, record 717916One word added: Enterprise
- One word apartHAWKEYE ROOFING SERVICES, LLCDomestic limited liability company, Active, filed February 28, 2018, record 566878One word added: Service
- One word apartHAWKEYE, L.P.Domestic limited partnership, Active, filed September 17, 1980, record 085549One word missing: Roofing
Source: Active Iowa Business Entities, Iowa Data Hub (licensed CC BY 4.0), data dated November 8, 2026.
- The file holds active entities only and is updated once a month.
- Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not register with the Iowa Secretary of State, so they are not in it.
Confirm with the state before you file: Iowa's Business Entities Search. A state business name is not a trademark. This is not a government site.
A private website, not a government site. Every state entry links to that state's official search.
Iowa Secretary of State's own search
- Run by
- Iowa Secretary of State
- Called
- Business Entities Search
- Search by
- business name, business number
The state's search is the record that counts. State Business Entity Search is not a government site.
The Iowa Secretary of State runs the register, and its Business Entities Search shows at most 100 results for any one search.
Iowa filing fees for a new business name
| Filing | State fee | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Form an LLC in Iowa | $50 | Certificate of organization. Source: Iowa Code chapter 489, Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. |
| Form a corporation in Iowa | $50 | Articles of incorporation. Source: Iowa Code chapter 490, Iowa Business Corporation Act. |
| Reserve a name in Iowa | $10 | Held for 120 days. Source: Iowa Code chapter 489, Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. |
| Biennial report for an Iowa LLC | $30 | Every two years. Between January 1 and April 1 of each odd-numbered calendar year. Source: Iowa Administrative Code 721, chapter 40, Secretary of State corporations rules. |
| Fictitious name, in Iowa | $5 | Source: Iowa Code chapter 489, Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. |
Name endings Iowa accepts
For an LLC (Iowa Code section 489.112(1))
For a corporation (Iowa Code section 490.401(1)(a))
How the Iowa Business Entities Search works
The Iowa Secretary of State puts its Business Entities Search on the front of the Fast Track Filing system. You can search by business name or by business number.
The state's own warning matters for common words. Searches are limited to 100 results, so a broad name such as "Hawkeye" can hide the match you need. Add the second word of the name to bring the list under the cap.
What Iowa counts as a different name
Rule 721-40.2 of the Secretary of State spells out the test. A name is distinguishable when it has one or more different letters or numerals, or the same ones in a different order.
Three things are ignored: punctuation and special characters, capital letters, and an ampersand against the word "and". One thing does count. A singular and a plural are different names in Iowa, so "Cedar Valley Bakery" and "Cedar Valley Bakeries" can both sit on the register.
Iowa Code section 489.112 adds a longer memory for failed companies. A name stays unavailable for five years after its holder is administratively dissolved.
What the published Iowa file covers
The search here reads "Active Iowa Business Entities", a file the Iowa Data Hub publishes monthly. It lists domestic and foreign entities authorized to do business in Iowa at the time of the update.
It leaves out anything that is not active, so a company dissolved last year will not appear even though its name may still be blocked. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are missing too, because they do not register with the Secretary of State.
Reserving an Iowa name and paying for it later
Iowa Code chapter 489 prices an application for a reserved name at $10. Once the Secretary of State finds the name available, it is held for 120 days. For corporations, chapter 490 calls that period nonrenewable.
After formation, the cost comes around every two years. The first biennial report is due between January 1 and April 1 of the first odd-numbered year after the LLC is formed. The Secretary of State's fee rule charges $30 for a report filed on its website and $45 for one on paper. The LLC cost calculator adds these to the $50 certificate of organization.
Words that need another agency's approval
Section 489.112 bars words that may be used only with approval from another state department or agency. An LLC can use such a word once it has that approval and files a record certifying it with the Secretary of State.
Checking and claiming a name in Iowa
- Search the name here against the published file of active entities, with and without a plural.
- Open the state's Business Entities Search and repeat the search there, watching for the 100-result cap.
- Check that the name ends with one of the endings Iowa lists, using the name endings each state accepts.
- File the $10 application for a reserved name if you need the 120 days, or file the certificate of organization directly.
Iowa name search questions
Is the Iowa Secretary of State business search the same as this search?
No. The state's Business Entities Search sits inside its Fast Track Filing system and is the official record. The search here reads the file of active Iowa business entities that the Iowa Data Hub publishes once a month.
Does a plural make an Iowa business name different?
Yes. The Secretary of State's rule 721-40.2 says differences between singular and plural forms of words are distinguishable. Punctuation, capital letters and "&" against "and" are not.
How long can I hold an Iowa LLC name before filing?
Iowa Code chapter 489 gives a reserved name 120 days, and the application for a reserved name costs $10.
How often does an Iowa LLC report to the state?
Every two years. The biennial report is due between January 1 and April 1 of each odd-numbered year, and the Secretary of State's fee rule sets it at $30 online or $45 on paper.
Can I use a name that is close to an existing Iowa company?
Only with a separate filing. Iowa Code chapter 489 lists a $10 application for use of an indistinguishable name, which is its own step and not part of a name reservation.
After the Iowa name check
- LLC cost calculatorIowa filing and report fees added up
- Business name rules by stateIowa's endings beside other states
- District of Columbia business entity searchDC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
- Tennessee business entity searchTennessee Secretary of State
- Kentucky business entity searchKentucky Secretary of State
- What does Ltd mean in a company name"Limited" and "ltd." in state name statutes, and why LLC statutes ask for different endings.
- Fictitious business name, assumed name and trade nameWhich word each state uses for a DBA, who takes the filing and how long it lasts.
4 official Iowa sources
- Iowa Code chapter 489, Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Iowa Code chapter 490, Iowa Business Corporation Act, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Iowa Administrative Code 721, chapter 40, Secretary of State corporations rules, retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Iowa Secretary of State, Fast Track Filing and Business Entities Search, retrieved November 12, 2026.
Where a state page would not load, its stored copy at the Internet Archive was used and the copy's date is shown. Fees can change, so confirm the amount with the state before you pay.