How to Conduct a Rhode Island Business Entity Search

The Rhode Island business entity search, sometimes called the corporate database search or Rhode Island business search, is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn about registered business entities in the state. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner who needs to access a Certificate of Status or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wants to check if your desired name is free for use, the search is your go-to resource.

But using the search can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll walk you through how to use the state’s different search options effectively. We’ll also talk about important business name guidelines and what you should do after searching a business name.

Let’s get started.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Contact Information

Address: 148 West River Street Providence, RI 02904-2615	Email: corporations@sos.ri.gov
Telephone: 401-222-3040	Website: https://www.sos.ri.gov/

Rhode Island 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, Rhode Island has several rules about naming your business. 

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

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a word like “corporation,” “company,” “limited,” “incorporated,” or an abbreviation of one of those words.
• Meanwhile, LLCs must end their name with the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “LLC” with or without periods (uppercase and lowercase are both acceptable). Low-profit LLCs have to end in the phrase “low-profit, limited liability company” or the abbreviation “L3C.”

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 Run a RI Business Search by Entity Name

Rhode Island is unique because the state offers eight different ways you can search for a business: by business name, individual name, identification number, filing number, registered agent, business address, purpose, or NAICS code. We’ll walk you through how to use each of these options throughout this guide, but in this section, we’ll focus on how to run a name search.

Step 1: Set up your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the search homepage. Here, you’ll actually be able to locate all of your search options (pictured below).

But for this search, you’ll need to click the bubble labeled “Search by entity name.” After that, you can set some filters. At the top of the search menu, you’ll see that you can tell the search to retrieve results for active or inactive entities only (this filter applies to all search types).

Next, on the right-hand side of the entity name search section, you’ll see a drop-down menu labeled “Search type.” This gives you several options:

• Begins with: This search type retrieves the business names that start with the same words as your search terms (disregarding small words like “the” or “a”). For example, if you searched “America” using this search, you’d only see business names that begin with “America” as their first word.
• Exact match: This search type only retrieves those business names that match your search terms exactly. It’s the ideal search to use if you’re searching for a company that you know the name of or you’re trying to check name availability.
• Full text: This search tool retrieves business names that include any portion of the words in your search terms. You can also run an “AND” or “OR” search for your search terms using this option. For example, you could type “Smith OR Construction” and see business names that include the word “Smith” or the word “construction.” Meanwhile, searching “Smith AND Construction” would yield business names with both words, such as “RJ Smith Construction, Inc.”
• Soundex: This search type instructs the database to retrieve business names that might sound like your search terms, even if they’re spelled differently. For example, if you searched “Four,” the tool would include names with words like “fire,” “fair,” or “fore.”

Choose the option that best suits your search criteria. Then, type your search terms into the search bar and click “Search” or hit “Enter.”

Step 2: Review your search results

The state website will retrieve a list of all of the company names that match your search terms. For example, here’s what our results looked like when we ran a “Begins with” search for “America.”

On this first page, you’ll see the full entity name for each matching business along with the ID number, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, and business address. If you searched inactive businesses, you’ll see each company’s status under the “Inactive Status” column (this column is blank for active business searches). If you’d like to learn more about a specific business, click on its name.

On this entity summary page, you’ll learn a lot of other facts about the company, including its entity type, the name and address of its registered agent, its business purpose, and more. At the bottom of the page, you can find information about the company’s filing history.

If you need to request a Certificate of Standing (sometimes called a Certificate of Good Standing), click the “Request certificate” button near the top of the page.

How to Check Name Availability

If you’re starting a new Rhode Island LLC or corporation, it’s your responsibility to ensure you pick a company name that doesn’t infringe on the names of existing businesses; it has to be unique. While Rhode Island doesn’t offer a dedicated name check tool, you can use the business name search feature to do some preliminary research about name availability.

To do so, set the business name search type to “Exact Match.” Then, type the exact name you’re hoping to use into the search bar. Don’t worry about capitalization, as the search is case-insensitive. Additionally, leave off entity designators like “Inc.” or “LLC.” Then, click “Search.”

Ideally, you’ll see a message that reads, “No records found.” If that happens, there’s a good chance that your desired name is available. But if any matches exist, they’ll be displayed on the results page. If that happens, you’ll need to amend your name until it’s distinct (or pick a new one altogether).

Remember, this search isn’t a definitive look at name availability; the database isn’t completely up to date at all times. The Secretary of State’s office will have the final say when you request a name reservation or file business registration paperwork.

Note: if your name includes words that could be abbreviated (such as “St.” and “Saint” or “Jr.” and “Junior”), you’ll need to run multiple searches with each spelling. The search can’t recognize these differences automatically.

How to Run an Individual Name Search

Another way to look up a business is by the name of an individual who’s affiliated with it. For instance, you could use the individual name search to look up a Rhode Island corporation by the name of one of its directors or officers. This search could also help you look up an LLC by a member’s or manager’s name.

To get started, head to the search homepage. Then, select the bubble labeled “Search by an individual name.” Then, type as much of the agent’s name as you know into the “first,” “middle,” and “last” search bars. You can also set the “Search type” dropdown menu to “Begins with,” “Exact match,” “Full text,” or “Soundex” (see the business name search section for a full rundown of these filter functions). For example, you could use the “Soundex” type if you know the officer’s name but can’t recall exactly how it’s spelled.

After you’ve typed the name, click “Search.” The database will retrieve all of the businesses with an affiliated individual whose name matches your search. For instance, here’s what our results looked like when we searched “John Smith.”

This results page will show you the matching names in a table. For each matching result, you’ll see that person’s position, their address, and the name and ID number for the business they’re affiliated with. As before, you can click on a company’s name to see more information about it.

How to Search by Identification Number

The Rhode Island Department of State assigns a unique nine-digit ID number to every registered business. Since each business has its own number, searching by that number is the most direct way to locate that company’s information.

To get started on a number search, navigate to the search page and select the bubble labeled “Search by Identification Number.” Then, type the business’s ID number into the search bar and click “Search.”

As long as you typed the identification number correctly, you’ll be taken straight to the company’s business entity summary page. From there, you can review information, view business filings, or request a certificate.

How to Search by RI SOS Filing Number

The RI Department of State also assigns a unique 12-digit number to every form that’s filed with their office. This includes forms like annual reports, registered agent changes, and more.

If you use this search, you’ll be directed straight to the form associated with that particular filing number. To get started, head to the search homepage and then select the bubble “Search by Filing Number” (located immediately underneath the Identification Number search covered above). Type the filing number and click “Search.”

Your results page will show you information for the form tied to that number (plus the name of the business that filed it). For example, here’s what our results page looked like when we searched a sample filing number.

You can click on the PDF link on the far right-hand side to view the filing, if needed.

How to Search By Registered Agent

A registered agent search is pretty similar to an individual name search; you’re still searching for a business using the name of someone affiliated with it. The difference is that the affiliated individual is the registered agent, not an officer or member.

To get started, head to the search page and select the bubble labeled “Search by Agent.” Then, type in as much of the agent’s name as you know. This search also lets you pick between the “Begins with” or “Contains” search types (use the “Contains” search if you aren’t sure about spelling or you don’t know the full name).

After you click “Search,” the database will display a list of all of the agents by that name and the businesses they represent. For example, here’s what we saw when we searched the registered agent “John Smith.”

As with other searches, you can click on an affiliated company’s name to review its additional information, request certificates, and more.

How to Search by Business Address

One of Rhode Island’s more unusual search options is the business address search. This tool allows you to look up entity details by the address listed as the company’s principal office or place of business.

The search functions pretty similarly to the ones we’ve covered above. Simply open the search homepage and select the bubble labeled “Search by a Business Address.” Then type the street address into the search bar and click “Search.”

The results page will show you the business(es) located at that particular address. For example, here’s what we saw when we searched a sample address.

It’s possible to see just one or even multiple businesses affiliated with a particular address. But as before, you can click on a company’s business name to review more detailed information about it.

How to Search Rhode Island Entities by Purpose or NAICS Code

Small and large companies alike have a business purpose listed with their company information; for example, one of our sample searches showed the “Staffing firm” purpose.

Similarly, every business has an NAICS code assigned to it (NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System). This code designates a company’s particular industry; for example, one of our sample businesses had the NAICS code of “561320,” representing a business that provides temporary help services.

If you know a company’s NAICS code or listed business purpose, you can search by that data point to look up the company’s other information. To do so, head to the search page and select the bubble that matches your search type, and type the information into the search bar.

When your results page appears, you can click on the company name to see its business records.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Rhode Island business name (optional)

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

You can request a name reservation online through the Business Services Online Filing Services website. If you’d rather file a paper form, you’ll need to download and submit the Application for Reservation of Entity Name form. Currently, most entities pay $50 (nonprofits pay $20) to submit this form. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days. Rhode Island doesn’t allow you to renew the reservation. 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 the state will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

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

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. 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 Ocean 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.