How to Conduct a Kentucky Business Entity Search

The Kentucky business entity search (sometimes called the Kentucky business search) is a valuable resource to help you learn about a company or to check the availability of a business name. But the search tool can feel overwhelming at first. After all, there are several different types of searches you can run on the Kentucky website: a standard business entity search, a name availability search, a registered agent search, or even an officer name search. So, which search type do you choose, and how do you use each one?

Thankfully, we’ve assembled this guide to walk you through all the essential steps of using the search tools provided by the Secretary of State’s office. We’ll also cover some must-know naming guidelines in Kentucky and what you should do after searching a business entity name.

Let’s get started.

Kentucky Secretary of State Contact Information

Kentucky 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, Kentucky has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Kentucky, 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 Kentucky business name should follow: 

• Your company name likely needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a designator like “corporation,” “company,” or an acceptable abbreviation. A Kentucky limited liability company would need to include the phrase “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an abbreviation.
• Your name cannot include any language that implies that your business is organized for purposes that aren’t permitted by state laws or by your company’s formation documents.
• You can’t use the word “cooperative” in your for-profit business name unless you meet the requirements set out by law.
• Your name must be written in English letters, Arabic or Roman numerals, and symbols that can be reproduced by the Secretary of State’s record-keeping computer and software (usually those present on a standard keyboard).

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 desired name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one. 

How to Run a Kentucky Business Entity Search

The Kentucky business entity search is just one of several online services offered by the Secretary of State’s office. It’s especially helpful if you’d like to learn information about an existing business.

Currently, the primary Business Entity Search page allows you to search by a company’s name, filing number, or principal office location. If you typed “Kentucky business search” into a search engine, this is the default page you’d be routed to.

Let’s walk through how to use this particular search option.

Step 1: Select your search type

At the top of the page we linked above, you’ll see a drop-down menu labeled “I want to search by.” When you click that menu, you’ll see three different options:

• Business name or organization number: Use this search method if you know a company’s filing number or if you know their business name. You can even use this tool if you know just part of a company name, too.
• City name of principal office: This search function lets you look up businesses in a particular city. The tool will retrieve all the companies that have their principal office in the city name you search.
• Zip codes of principal office: Similar to the city option, this search lets you look up businesses in a zip code. The tool will retrieve the companies that have their principal office located in the zip code that you search.

For most people, the business name or number search is the more helpful tool simply because the city name and zip code searches yield a lot of results. For reference, when we searched “Lexington” using the city name search, we got over 37,000 results. That list would take a long time to sift through.

The name or organization number search method is probably the better choice if you’re looking for a specific business. We’ll cover that search type in the rest of this section.

Step 2: Type the name or number into the search field

After you’ve selected your search type, it’s time to type in the search criteria you’re looking for. In our example search, we typed “America,” but you can use the full organization number or as much of the business name that you know.

Once you’ve typed the search term, don’t hit search just yet. First, decide if you want to include inactive entities in your search results. Check the box if you only want to see active entities in the search results. If you want to see both inactive and active entities, keep it unchecked.

Then, hit “Search.”

Step 3: Review your search results

If there are any businesses that match your search terms, you’ll see them pop up at the bottom of the page. For example, here’s what we saw when we searched “America.”

For each result, you’ll see the company name, organization number, status, and business type. If you included inactive entities in your search, you’ll also notice that the active entities are depicted in green, while the red ones are inactive.

If you click on a company’s name, you’ll be taken to another page, which shows you additional information about the business. Here, you can complete many common filings, such as requesting certificates, uploading filings, changing the business’s address or registered agent, managing your assumed name, and more. Note that these updates are only available for active entities.

At the bottom of the page, you’ll find buttons that show you other information, such as the company’s officers (past and present) and even images of some of the business filings they’ve made. If needed, you can view and print copies of certain records on this page, too.

How to Run an Officer Search

Some states only allow you to search for a business by its name or filing number, but in Kentucky, you can look up business information if you know the name of one of its founders, current officers, or directors.

If you know the name of a current officer, you’ll need to use the current officer search page, but if you know a founding officer, you’ll use the founding officer search instead. Keep in mind that the current officer search doesn’t cover the trustees of trusts or general partners for limited partnerships or RLLPs.

Both searches function pretty similarly: you’ll type in the officer’s name (or part of their name, if you don’t know their full name) and hit “Search.” You can also limit the search to active entities only, if needed.

On the results page, you’ll see a list of matching names in the state’s database. You’ll also see each individual’s title, the full name of the organization they’re affiliated with, the company’s status, and their ID number. You can also click on a company name to learn more about it.

How to Run a Registered Agent Search

The Kentucky registered agent search lets you look up businesses by their registered agent’s name. It functions pretty similarly to the searches we’ve covered above; simply type in the registered agent’s name and hit “Search.”

If desired, you can filter the results to include or exclude business records for inactive businesses. You can also change how the tool sorts results: by agent name, by company name, or by ID number.

On the results page, you’ll see a list of all the agents that match the name you searched, the entity (or entities) they represent, and the status and ID of each business. If you click on the company name, you’ll be directed to even more information about the company.

How to Run a Kentucky Name Availability Search

The searches we’ve covered so far are great resources if you need to learn something about an existing company. But if you’re looking to start a new business in Kentucky, then you probably need to check if your desired business name is available. That’s where the Kentucky name availability search comes in.

To use this search tool, simply type out the name you’re hoping to use, and hit “Search.”

You’ll see one of two options. You’ll see a message saying, “No matching organizations were found” if your desired name is probably available.

But if there are any matches, you’ll see a list of the business name(s) that match the business name you searched, like the example below. If this happens, you should pick another name (or edit your current one) until you don’t find any matches through the name availability search tool.

If there are any name matches, you can click on the company name to learn more about the company.

Ultimately, the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office will do a final verification of name availability when you file your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation. But running this search online can save time and money in the long run, so doing this search before you file any paperwork is quite helpful.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Kentucky

After you’ve come up with a business entity 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 Kentucky business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Kentucky business name (optional)

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

You can file a Kentucky business name reservation by filing a Reservation or Renewal of Reserved Name form. There’s a $15 fee to reserve a name.

After your paperwork is filed and approved by the Kentucky Secretary of State, your name reservation is valid for 120 days. During the last thirty days of the reservation, you can file the form again to renew and extend your reservation, if needed. 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 entity name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in Kentucky will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Kentucky business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Kentucky 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 operate your business to its full potential 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 Bluegrass 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.