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

If you’re planning on starting a new business in the state of Utah, then you’ll need to conduct a business entity search in the state first.

The business name search will give you an indication of whether the desired name is indeed available for use or has already been registered by another company in Utah. Ultimately, it helps determine name availability.

The Utah Division of Corporations contains a registry of businesses, including information on those entities such as authorization, filing, type of entity, and status.

The following step-by-step guide will show you how to conduct a Utah business entity search.

The Utah Secretary of State business search allows you to search entities using the following options:

Business search by name

In order to start your search, you’ll need to go to the Utah.gov website or the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code Business Search page.

The following business structures located in the state of Utah or actually doing business in Utah will come up in the search results if applicable:

Enter the name of the business into the search bar and click on the “Search” button.

All results matching your keyword will show up in the search results, be they exact matches or partial matches.

The information you’ll have access to on this page includes:

Click on the “Details” button to take you to the business summary page. Here, you’ll have access to detailed information such as the entity type, state of origin, registered agent details, etc.

Additional search options

The Utah government website business search page allows the public to search entities by entity number.

Simply enter the entity number and click on the “Search” button.

Additionally, you may search by Executive name. When searching by Executive name, you may enter the:

You may also enter the exact name using quotes on either end of the name. Please note that the search by Executive name options comes with a $3 processing fee.

When using either one of these additional search options or search types, it will lead you to the same results, and you also have the option to click on the “Details” button to gain additional information on each entity on the business summary page.

Utah search results

Irrespective of your search criteria or search type used, you will be able to view the following information after conducting your Utah business name search:

Copies of documents and certificates

After conducting your Utah corporation search, you may need to obtain copies of business documents on a specific entity. These copies may be required for a number of reasons, including allowing your business to transact as a foreign entity, opening up a corporate bank account or obtaining Utah business licenses, and so on.

All requests for certified copies, including copies of records, annual reports, Articles of Incorporation Certificates of Existence as well as archive searches, should be made in writing via fax, mail, or in person. The state of Utah does not accept requests by phone.

When making a request via mail, send it to the Utah SOS at the following mailing address:

Alternatively, place your request in person at the Division offices at:

This usually takes three to ten business days to process and deliver. However, if you do require a speedier service, there’s an additional $75 fee per document, and the turnaround time for this is one to two business days.

Additionally, depending on the type of information you want to obtain, there will be a fee ranging from under $12 to $12 or more for certified copies and Certificates of Good Standing.

In the event that some documents need to be retrieved from the archives, then you’ll pay an additional $0.30 a page fee for each copy.

When making a request, include the following information:

Payment methods for certified copies include:

In the event that you do not have the phone number of the business, then a search will be necessary. Please note that there’s a $12 fee required at the time of service.

The information you’ll need to provide to conduct the search includes:

If you are requesting plain copies, then the fee is $0.30 per copy or page. However, certified copies include the certified stamp, and you’ll need to pay a $12 fee per page, including an additional $0.30 per copy page.

Business name availability

Even if the name you’re searching for does not come up in the search results, it’s no indication that the name will be available at the time of business registration.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that you conduct a trademark search to first determine if the name has been trademarked in the state of Utah or nationally with the USPTO.

You may refer to the Utah Trademark Manager Portal to confirm if the desired name is already trademarked in the state.

Alternatively, conduct a trademark search on the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s website to determine if the name has been trademarked nationally.

If the name is available, but you’re ready for business registration immediately, you should file an application to reserve the name. Include the below details in the application form:

Once you have completed the form, go ahead and mail it to the address below:

Alternatively, you may complete the Application Form online with the One Stop Business Registration portal. Please note that there’s a $22 filing fee for name reservations.

Your name will be reserved for a period of 120 days, and if you need additional time thereafter, you may submit a renewal request which will reserve the name for an additional 120 days.

Additionally, you should note that the state of Utah contains corporation naming rules like every other state. Feel free to browse through the Justia Law website or the Utah Department of Commerce website and read through the Utah state statute about naming guidelines.

Domain name availability

Domain names are becoming increasingly popular in the age of the Internet. Therefore, after deciding on a suitable name for your business, the next step is to consider finding a suitable domain name.

While there are literally millions of websites on the Internet, and it may be challenging to come up with or obtain your desired domain name, finding a suitable name is still not impossible.

Consider the following hints when deciding on a domain name for your business:

The professional domain checking service, Namechk.com is extremely helpful when it comes to filtering domain names and offering suggestions in your preferred domain name is already in use. Namechk.com checks the preferred names you’ve entered against hundreds of different platforms, including more than 100 social media networks like:

Fictitious business name search

While general partnerships and sole proprietorships normally use DBAs, other business structures may also register DBAs in order to transact business under fictitious names. DBAs are known as fictitious, assumed, or trade names, and they allow you to conduct business under different names from your business entity name.

Once you’ve decided on a DBA name and confirmed its availability, you can register the DBA online with the Utah Department of State’s office either via fax, mail or in person. However, the quickest option is to apply online, and by using this method, your DBA name will be registered within one business day.

Alternatively, you can always download the DBA Application Form and submit it in person; however, please note that processing times may vary based on the volume of applications received.

You should also know DBAs do not offer any legal form of protection; however, they are necessary if you’re going to transact under a different name from your legal entity name and perform other actions such as opening up a bank account under a DBA name or entering into contracts using that name.

Additionally, when deciding on a DBA name, try to avoid names that may appear deceptive or fraudulent in nature. Additionally, avoid names that may misrepresent the nature of your business and imply that it is a type of business structure that it is, in fact, not.