How to Conduct a Kansas Business Entity Search

The Kansas business search, sometimes called the Kansas corporation search or business entity search, is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to learn about the businesses on file with the Secretary of State. Whether you’re a veteran business owner who needs to request a Certificate of Good Standing or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wants to check business name availability, the business search is a go-to resource.

But using the business entity database search tool can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll show you how to use each version of the search tool. We’ll also cover some important Kansas business naming guidelines and what you should do after searching a business name.

Let’s get started.

Kansas Secretary of State Contact Information

Kansas Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Kansas has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Kansas, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Kansas business name should follow: 

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a word like “company,” “corporation,” “limited,” “union,” or similar words. Certain abbreviations like “Co.” or “Inc.” are also acceptable. 
• Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or “limited company” or an abbreviation like “LLC” or “LC” with or without periods.
  • An LLC name is allowed to include the name of a member or manager. You can also use words like “fund,” “trust,” “association,” “syndicate,” and more, if you wish. 
• Business designators can be in other languages as long as they express the same meaning and are written in Roman characters or letters.
• Banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, and public benefit corporations have slightly different naming requirements.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one.

How to Search the Business Entity Database by Business Name

Technically, Kansas allows you to look up business records in three different ways: by business name, by business ID number, and by registered agent name. The state also offers a name availability search. We’ll cover all of these search types separately, but in this section, we’ll focus on searching by an entity’s name.

Step 1: Set your search filters and type your search

To get started, navigate to the business search homepage. By default, the search is set to the “By Business Name” category (pictured below). But before you type anything, double-check that the search is set correctly.

Underneath the search bar, you’ll see two different ways to filter your results:

• Contains: This default setting will display the business names that include your search terms anywhere in the name; it acts a lot like a keyword search. For example, if we searched “Smith,” this setting would show business names that include words like “Locksmith,” the surname “Smith,” and more.
• Starts With: This setting limits results to only those business names that start with the word(s) you searched. Going back to our “Smith” example, this search would only display business names like “Smith & Allen Farms, LLC” and other company names that begin with “Smith.”

Choose the search filter that best suits your search goals. Then, type your search and click “Search” or hit “Enter.”

Step 2: Review your search results

The business search tool will pull up all of the business names that match your search terms. For example, here’s what our results list looked like when we did a “Contains” search on the term “Smith.”

This first results page will show the full business name for each matching result. You’ll also see each company’s entity ID number, city, status, and resident agent name. If you’d like to learn more about a particular company, click on the “Select Business” button next to its business name.

On this business summary page, you’ll see more details about the company, including its entity type, physical office address, home state jurisdiction, the resident agent’s name, registered office address, information report due date, and more. You can also use this page to view the company’s business filings and request certified copies if needed. You can also request a Certificate of Good Standing or update your principal office address online.

How to Search by State Business ID Number

All of the state’s existing businesses are assigned a unique ID number when they first register with the Secretary of State’s office. And if you know that number, it’s possible to locate a business directly without sifting through a long list of business names.

To get started, navigate to the business search homepage. But this time, you’ll switch the search menu to the “By Kansas Secretary of State Business ID” option. The search should look like the image below.

Next, type in the business ID carefully and click “Search.”

As long as you typed in the ID correctly, you’ll be taken directly to the company’s business details page. From there, you can review the company’s information, request certified copies, get a Certificate of Good Standing, update your business address, and more.

How to Search by Resident Agent Name

The final way to look up business records is by the name of the resident agent who represents that company. To do so, you’ll need to navigate to the search page and change the search type to “By current resident agent name.” The search should look like this:

From there, the search functions pretty similarly to a business name search. Just type in the resident agent’s name into the search bar and click “Search.” For the sake of illustration, here’s what our results list looked like when we searched “Smith.”

The name of each resident agent that matches your search terms will be displayed on the far right-hand side of the results page. You’ll also see the full entity name, ID, city, and status for each represented business.

As before, you can click on the “Select Business” button to review additional information about a company, request certificates or copies, and more.

How to Run a Business Name Availability Search

If you’re just starting a business, then checking if your desired business name is unique isn’t merely a great idea; it’s a requirement. You need to ensure that your name doesn’t infringe on the names of any existing businesses.

To get started, navigate to the name availability search homepage. This page is distinct from the ones we’ve covered above.

Once you’re on the search page, you’ll need to type in the business name you’re hoping to use, leaving off entity designators like “LLC” or “Inc.” Then, click “Search.”

Ideally, you’ll see a message in green-colored text that reads, “Name Is Available.” If that happens, there’s a very good chance that your name is available (keep in mind that a formal request with the Secretary of State has the final say about name availability in the state).

However, if your name does infringe on any existing company names, you’ll see a message in red: “Name Is Unavailable.” You’ll also see the business entity name and ID number for the company that has a claim on that name. For example, here’s what we saw when we searched “Smith Construction.”

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Kansas

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Kansas business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Kansas business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Kansas allows you to reserve a business name.

You can get a name reservation by filing an online request, the Reservation of Exclusive Right to Entity Name. Corporations and LLCs both use the same form. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your reservation is valid for 120 days. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in Kansas will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Kansas business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Kansas LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want it to be easy for your customers to find your business website. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Sunflower State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.