Most people searching this phrase want one of two things. Either they are checking whether a company name is free before forming, or they are trying to find out who is behind a Delaware company.
The free search answers the first question well and the second not at all.
That second point is worth knowing before you start. The Delaware entity search never shows owners. No members, no managers, no officers, no directors, no shareholders. That is not a gap in the tool. It is how Delaware is designed, and it is one of the main reasons companies register there.
Here is what the search returns, what it withholds, and where to go for the rest.
Search under Entity Name. Around 30 seconds, no account, no fee.
- Tells you whether the name is taken
- Inactive entities block a name too
- No result is not a reservation
Search by name or by file number. Returns active and inactive entities alike.
- Name, status, formation date, entity kind
- Registered agent and its contact details
- Dissolved and merged entities still appear
The search will not answer this, and no filing behind it will either.
- Members and managers are never filed
- Officers, directors and shareholders are absent
- This is Delaware by design, not a tool limitation
Where the official tool is
The register is maintained by the Delaware Division of Corporations. The public search is called the ICIS General Information Name Search.
It is free, needs no account, has no captcha, and is directly accessible.
Every other result you will meet on this query is a registered agent offering its own search interface. They query the same database. They add no data the official tool does not have, and most of them exist to capture a contact form.
The only two ways to search
The tool accepts two criteria, one at a time.
| Field | How it behaves |
|---|---|
| Entity Name | Not case sensitive. For an exact match, wrap the name in quotation marks |
| File Number | The file number Delaware assigns at formation |
The search returns both active and inactive entities. That matters in due diligence: a dissolved or merged company still appears, with its status.
The restriction nobody mentions
The official site states it plainly:
The Division of Corporations strictly prohibits mining data. Excessive and repeated searches that may have a negative impact on our systems and customer experience are also prohibited. Use of automated tools in any form may result in the suspension of your access to utilize this service.
In practice: if you are checking a list of suppliers, do it by hand. A script that fires off repeated queries can cost you access. Not one page in the current top 10 mentions this.
What the free search returns
| Field | Included |
|---|---|
| Entity name | ✅ |
| File number | ✅ |
| Incorporation or formation date | ✅ |
| Entity kind (LLC, Corporation, LP and so on) | ✅ |
| Entity type (General, Statutory Trust and so on) | ✅ |
| Residency (domestic or foreign) | ✅ |
| State | ✅ |
| Registered agent name | ✅ |
| Registered agent address and phone | ✅ |
| Entity status | ✅ |
That is enough to establish that a company exists, since when, in what form, and who receives its legal mail.
What the search will never show
| Information | Included |
|---|---|
| LLC members | ❌ |
| LLC managers | ❌ |
| Corporate officers | ❌ |
| Directors | ❌ |
| Shareholders | ❌ |
| Real operating address | ❌ |
| Accounts or financial figures | ❌ |
This is not an interface limitation. A Delaware LLC's Certificate of Formation never requires naming a member or a manager, not at formation and not in any later filing. The information simply does not exist in the public register.
That is what makes Delaware the strongest US state for owner privacy, and it is sold as such by the formation agents who dominate this search result.
What that means if you are running due diligence
You can confirm that a counterparty legally exists and is in good standing. You cannot confirm who controls it, not from the register.
Three routes remain, in increasing order of cost.
Ask directly. A legitimate partner will hand over an operating agreement or a certificate of ownership without difficulty. A refusal is itself information.
Order the filed documents. They are paid, and they generally do not contain member names. But the Certificate of Formation and its amendments can reveal name changes, mergers or conversions worth knowing about.
Look outside the register. If the company operates in a regulated sector, construction, financial services, healthcare or cannabis, other states may require disclosure of owners or controlling persons. Those obligations come from local law, not from Delaware law.
Checking whether a company is in good standing
This is the question that follows "does it exist", and it runs through a separate service, not through the entity search.
The Division of Corporations offers an online service for paying franchise tax and filing the annual report, available daily between 8:00 am and 11:45 pm Eastern Time.
What it costs to keep a Delaware company alive
| Entity type | Annual amount | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic corporation, minimum franchise tax (Authorized Shares Method) | $175 | 1 March |
| Domestic corporation, minimum under Assumed Par Value Capital Method | $400 | 1 March |
| Corporation, maximum under either method | $200,000 | 1 March |
| Large Corporate Filer | $250,000 | 1 March |
| Annual report, non-exempt domestic corporation | $50 | 1 March |
| Annual report, exempt domestic corporation | $25 | 1 March |
| Foreign corporation, annual report | $250 | 30 June |
Late penalties
| Situation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Domestic corporation filing late | $200 plus 1.5% interest per month on tax and penalty |
| Foreign corporation filing late | $250 |
A company that stops paying eventually loses good standing. That is visible, and it is the most useful signal a register can give you about a counterparty's administrative health.
- 1 MarchDomestic corporations: annual report and franchise tax. Late filing costs $200 plus 1.5% interest per month on tax and penalty.
- 1 JuneLLCs, LPs and general partnerships: annual tax. Late filing brings a penalty plus interest.
- 30 JuneForeign corporations: annual report, $250. Late filing costs $250.
What is free and what is paid
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Entity search, basic information | Free |
| Certificate of Status | Paid |
| Certified copies of filed documents | Paid |
| Plain copies of filed documents | Paid |
Paid documents are ordered through a Delaware online agent or through the Division's Document Filing and Certificate Request Service.
Checking name availability before you form
This is the other main use, and it is simpler.
Search the name you want under Entity Name. If nothing comes back, it is probably available. If something comes back, even an inactive entity, the name is taken or too close.
Three things to know before you rely on the result.
The search returns inactive entities too. A name that looks dead can still be blocked.
No result is not a reservation. Until your Certificate of Formation is accepted, someone else can take the name. Delaware offers a paid name reservation if the timing worries you.
Delaware does not check trademarks. A name available in the register can still infringe a federal or state trademark. They are two unrelated databases.
When the company does not come up
Four explanations, by frequency.
Spelling. The engine is literal. "Acme Holdings LLC" and "Acme Holding LLC" are two different things. Search the shortest distinctive root rather than the full name.
The suffix. Including "LLC", "Inc." or "Corp." can break an exact-name search. Drop it.
A name change. The entity exists under a new name. If you have the file number, search by number instead. It does not change.
It is not a Delaware entity. Plenty of companies describe themselves as "incorporated in the US" while being registered elsewhere. The Delaware register only holds Delaware entities.
The summary
| You want to | Answer |
|---|---|
| Check a name is free | ✅ Entity Name search, free |
| Confirm a company exists | ✅ Name or file number search, free |
| Get a file number | ✅ Name search, free |
| See how long it has existed | ✅ Formation date, free |
| Identify the registered agent | ✅ Name, address, phone, free |
| Know whether it is in good standing | ⚠️ Separate franchise tax service |
| Get a Certificate of Status | 💰 Paid |
| Find out who owns it | ❌ Not possible from the register |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Delaware entity search free?
Yes. The search and the basic entity information are free, with no account and no captcha. Only Certificates of Status and copies of filed documents are paid.
Can you find out who owns a Delaware LLC?
No, not from the public register. The Certificate of Formation never requires naming a member or a manager, at formation or afterwards. The search shows the registered agent, which is a service provider, not an owner.
What exactly does the search show?
Entity name, file number, incorporation or formation date, entity kind and entity type, residency, state, the registered agent's name, address and phone number, and the entity's status.
Can you search by file number?
Yes. The tool accepts either the entity name or the file number. The file number is useful because it does not change, even after a change of name.
Can you run bulk or automated searches?
No. The Division of Corporations explicitly prohibits data mining and the use of automated tools, and warns that doing so may result in suspension of your access to the service.
How do you check whether a Delaware company is in good standing?
Through the Division's franchise tax and annual report service, which is separate from the entity search and available daily between 8:00 am and 11:45 pm Eastern Time. For evidence you can rely on, order a Certificate of Status, which is paid.
What does it cost to keep a Delaware corporation?
The minimum franchise tax is $175 under the Authorized Shares Method, or a $400 minimum under the Assumed Par Value Capital Method, capped at $200,000 for both, or $250,000 for a Large Corporate Filer. The annual report costs $50 for a non-exempt domestic corporation and $25 if it is exempt. All of it is due by 1 March.
What happens if you file late?
A domestic corporation filing late faces a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest per month on the tax and the penalty. A foreign corporation filing late faces $250.
Do inactive companies appear in the search?
Yes. The database returns both active and inactive entities. That is useful in due diligence and counter-intuitive when you are checking name availability.
Why does my search return nothing?
Four causes, by frequency: a slightly different spelling, including the LLC or Inc. suffix in an exact search, a change of company name, or a company that is simply not registered in Delaware.
Sources
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Entity Search (ICIS)
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Pay Taxes / File Annual Report
- Delaware Division of Corporations: Annual Report and Tax Information
Search behaviour, available fields, the data mining prohibition and the fee structure are taken from the Delaware Division of Corporations own pages, consulted in August 2026. Franchise tax amounts, due dates and penalties are the state's published figures. The description of what is absent from public filings reflects Delaware's Certificate of Formation requirements and is informational, not legal advice.