Idaho Business Entity Search
Find a registered business through Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services. Use the official link below, then check the search options and name rules for Idaho.
Official website: sosbiz.idaho.gov · Opens in a new tab
Idaho search options and record coverage
Idaho SOSBiz provides an official public business-entity search that can locate registered businesses and expose status, addresses, registered-agent information, filing history, and annual-report information. The public resource describes the search as business research rather than a full officer-name search, so name or entity identifiers should be used first and the record reviewed for available agent and filing data. SOSBiz also supports online filings, annual reports, and certificates of existence through an account.
Checking a business name in Idaho
Idaho applies statutory distinguishability rules to entity names. A proposed corporation must use an allowed corporate designator such as corporation, incorporated, company, limited, or the permitted abbreviation; LLC names must satisfy Idaho's LLC naming provisions. Differences based only on capitalization, punctuation, articles, spacing, or generic wording should not be assumed to make names distinguishable. Acceptance does not clear trademarks, assumed names, professional restrictions, or marketplace rights.
Idaho name reservations
Idaho provides an Application for Reservation of Legal Entity Name through the Secretary of State. The accessible 2026 fee page confirms the form but does not display the reservation price or duration in the search extract; use the live SOSBiz form and Idaho Code before quoting those values. A reservation is optional because a compliant name may be submitted directly with formation, and it protects filing priority only rather than trademark rights.
DBA, trade names, and fictitious names
Idaho calls a DBA an Assumed Business Name (ABN) and files it statewide with the Secretary of State. A Certificate of Assumed Business Name has a $25.00 base fee plus $20.00 manual processing on paper, or $45.00 total manually; the SOSBiz online form avoids the manual charge. The official forms page is https://sos.idaho.gov/business-forms/ and the online forms portal is https://sosbiz.idaho.gov/forms/business. An ABN does not create a separate legal entity.
What do you need after the search?
- Official proof of standing — find certificate fees and ordering instructions.
- A missed report or inactive registration — check deadlines and reinstatement rules.
- A new business registration — compare Idaho formation and filing fees.