Kentucky Business Entity Search
Find a registered business through Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings. Use the official link below, then check the search options and name rules for Kentucky.
Official website: web.sos.ky.gov · Opens in a new tab
Kentucky search options and record coverage
Kentucky FastTrack searches business organizations by name and organization number and exposes entity type, status, registered agent and office, annual reports, and filings. The Secretary's public guidance also permits name-availability checks online, in writing, or by phone. The search is primarily entity-name/number based; review the returned record for agent, principal-office, and management information rather than assuming an officer-name filter exists.
Checking a business name in Kentucky
Kentucky requires entity names to be distinguishable from existing record names under the applicable LLC or corporation statute. The Secretary can permit an application for use of an indistinguishable name only where the law's conditions are met and the $20.00 fee is paid. Capitalization, punctuation, spacing, and generic designators should not be assumed to create distinction. Registry acceptance does not clear trademarks or local trade names.
Kentucky name reservations
Kentucky charges $15.00 for an application to reserve or renew a reserved name for 120 days. An indistinguishable-name use application is $20.00 where the statute permits that procedure. Reservation does not guarantee trademark, assumed-name, professional-license, or marketplace availability and should be followed by prompt formation or qualification.
DBA, trade names, and fictitious names
Kentucky uses registered-name or assumed-name filings through the Secretary of State for entities whose legal name cannot or should not be used. Use FastTrack at https://web.sos.ky.gov/ftsearch/ and the Business Filings forms page. The applicable registered-name fee is $36.00, while a local sole-proprietor trade-name or occupational license can involve county or city filings outside the SOS.
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 Kentucky formation and filing fees.