Oklahoma Business Entity Search (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you’re planning on starting a business in the state of Oklahoma, then you’ll need to conduct a name search to ensure that your desired name is indeed available. The name search tool available on the Secretary of State’s website will determine whether or not the name is registered within the state.

The reason why a name search is recommended is that you may be advertising someone else’s business inadvertently. Therefore, if you’re not aware that another business is using the same name, you could be promoting another business entity.

This is especially true if there are businesses with similar names in the same areas as yours. Likewise, by doing a name search in advance, you’ll ensure that your selected business name is not infringing on another business’s rights.

Business search by name

To perform an Oklahoma business entity search, go to the Corporation Entities search page on the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website.

Enter the business entity name into the search box and click ”Search”.

The search results will display the filing number, name, entity type, registered agent’s name, as well as the company name type and status of the business.

If you’d like to view further information on one of the business entities on the list, simply click on the hyperlinked filing number that corresponds to that specific entity.

You will then be able to view additional business information, including:

And in the event that you’d like to view further business information, you’ll need to pay a $5 fee which includes filing documents or ordering documents as well.

Simply click on the “View Entity Detail” button and provide your personal name and email address.

Advanced search

When on the Search Corporation Entities page, you can click on the Advanced Search link below the search box. You’ll be able to select whether you want to search all, active, banks, churches, and domestic cooperatives, as well as to search by name of a person, or registered agent, and perform name availability or filing number search.

Name availability search

You can use the ”Name Availability Search” as a preliminary search for an available business name. However, it is the Business Filing Department that decides whether the name may be registered or not.

Enter the name you’re looking up into the search box. Click the ”Search” button.

The list that displays will contain only the names and the filing numbers of the businesses. To view additional information, click on the relevant filing number.

In the event that there are no matching names, you’ll see a message that says, “no results found for criteria.”

Business search by filing number

You can also perform an LLC or corporation search by Filing Number, also known as a charter number.

Select the Filing or charter number, and enter it into the search box. Click ”Search.”

You must enter the exact charter number. If it belongs to an entity, you’ll see only one record in the search results. For additional information, click the hyperlinked filing number.

Business search by registered agent

When performing a business search by a Registered Agent, please note that for the entities filed before June 25th, 2003, registered agents are stored as business names.

Select the ”Search Registered Agent” option and choose whether you want to search for a business or an individual.

Enter the company name or the first/middle/last name of the registered agent and choose a suffix if needed. The last name is a required field.

Click on the ”Search” button below.

Matching records will be displayed in the table.

Some of the information you’ll be able to see includes the company’s filing number, entity’s name, entity type, as well as the location and name of the registered agent.

Business search results

Aside from the standard business entity search by company name, the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website also gives you the option of an advanced search method, where you may search by filing number, name of the person or registered agent, and name availability search, as well as a search for only active business entities, churches, banks, or domestic cooperatives.

The search results will display the following information:

Once you access the business entity page by clicking on the hyperlinked filing number, you’ll see additional information, including:

From this page, you can also:

Copies of documents and certificates

If you’d like to order certified or uncertified copies of business documents, you may do so by requesting this information from the Oklahoma Secretary Of State – Business Filing Department.

Some of the documents that you may request include Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization or Formation, dissolutions, amendments, annual reports, DBA filings, Certificate of Good Standing, as well as initial reports, etc.

One of the easiest ways to obtain certified copies of business documents is by using the contact following contact information:

Business name availability

What you should note is that although the preliminary search for an available business name is accessible to the public, when it comes to “name availability,” there are specific requirements.

Additionally, an organization’s name is not reserved until the name reservation request is filed and accepted by the Secretary of State’s office. Ultimately, it is the Business Filing Department that determines the availability of the name.

Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you create a list of possible business names to avoid disappointment when it comes to registering your desired business name. Additionally, when deciding on a name for your Oklahoma LLC, partnership, or corporation, ensure that it is not misleading.

Misleading names imply that your organization is something that it actually isn’t. Therefore, avoid:

Domain name availability

When it comes to deciding on a name for your business, a lot of factors will come into play. Choosing a suitable domain name is one of them. Picking the right domain name is a crucial part of your marketing strategy, and therefore, careful thought and consideration should go into this part of the process.

Your domain name should fit your company’s branding and should not be so complicated that customers will not be able to remember it or easily search for it. One of the best ways to determine domain name availability is to use a professional domain name checking service like namechk.com.

Not only will this service allow you to filter domain names, but it will also offer suggestions. Furthermore, domain names will allow you to attract as much traffic as possible, which means you can generate more money or profit; therefore, it’s a worthwhile investment.

Fictitious business name search

Another important aspect of business names is whether or not you need a DBA or “doing business as” name. While businesses are not required to register DBAs in the state of Oklahoma, doing so will secure exclusive rights to your business name within the state.

This is not only important for legal liability but will also help for business purposes that are related to dispelling any potential customer confusion.

You should start the process off with a DBA name search on the Oklahoma business name search website. This will ensure that the DBA or fictitious name isn’t already taken by another business entity in the state.

Thereafter, ensure that your DBA does not include any business entity suffix, the words building, and loan, savings, and loan, savings bank, or savings association without any prior approval. Additionally, do not include any words in your fictitious name that may imply that your business is a government agency.

To register your DBA, you will need to complete the Trade Name Report Form. Some essential sections on this Form include the trade name being registered, the type of business entity you’re registering the DBA for as well as a description of your business.

Once you’ve completed the Trade Name Form, you can go ahead and file it online with the Oklahoma Secretary of State or alternatively have it mailed to the following mailing address:

You should also note that there’s a filing fee of $25 for registering a DBA in Oklahoma.