New Hampshire Business Entity Search
By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 5, 2026
The short answer. The New Hampshire Department of State (Corporation Division) keeps New Hampshire's register of business entities. The official search is the state's “Search for business name” page, on quickstart.sos.nh.gov. Searching is free.
New Hampshire Business Entity Search at a Glance
| Register kept by | The New Hampshire Department of State (Corporation Division) |
| Official search | Search for business name |
| Cost to search | Free |
| Search by | Entity name |
| Filed documents online | Yes, free |
| Copy fee | $1.00 per page (see Documents) |
| Certifying a copy | Adds $5.00 (see Documents) |
| Name reservation | Not required by any rule we found |
| Name reservation fee | $15.00 |
| Bulk data | Available, for a fee |
Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked October 5, 2026. See the sources.
How to Search New Hampshire's Register
The official search is the state's “Search for business name” page, on quickstart.sos.nh.gov. Searching is free. Open the official search.
On the main search page you can search by:
- Entity name
What a Search Result Shows
A New Hampshire result includes the items below, according to the state's own pages or a result page we read. It may show more.
- Filing history
- Images of filed documents
What Each New Hampshire Status Means
The status is the label the register puts on each entity. Where the state defines a label, the meaning below restates that definition, with a link to the state page it comes from. Where it does not, we do not guess from the word, because the same word can mean different things in different states.
| Status label | What it means | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| “Good Standing” Named on sos.nh.gov | The entity has filed all reports and fees. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Not in Good Standing” Named on sos.nh.gov | The entity owes reports or fees, or its registered agent has resigned. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Administrative Dissolution” Named on sos.nh.gov | The Secretary of State dissolved the entity for failure to file reports, pay fees or maintain a registered agent. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Entities formed in New Hampshire |
| “Administrative Suspension” Named on sos.nh.gov | The Secretary of State suspended the entity for failure to file reports, pay fees or maintain a registered agent. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Entities formed in another state |
| “Active” Named on sos.nh.gov | A trade name, or an entity that does not file reports. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Acceptance Inactive” Named on sos.nh.gov | An annual report, reinstatement, re-qualification or agent change was filed, but the record is inactive because the check was protested. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Creation Inactive” Named on sos.nh.gov | A creation document or trade name renewal was filed, but the record is inactive because the check was protested. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Transaction Inactive” Named on sos.nh.gov | Amendments were filed, or copies or certificates were issued, but the record is inactive because the check was protested. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Consolidated Inactive” Named on sos.nh.gov | The entity has consolidated into another entity. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Merged” Named on sos.nh.gov | The entity has merged into another entity. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Dissolved” Named on sos.nh.gov | A corporation that filed Articles of Dissolution, or that was administratively dissolved before December 2004. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Corporations |
| “Inactive” Named on sos.nh.gov | A dissolved or expired entity that is not required to file reports or fees, or a trade name that has expired. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Reserved Name” Named on sos.nh.gov | A business name reserved (held) for 120 days. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | All entities |
| “Converted” Named on sos.nh.gov | An out-of-state entity that has converted into a different type of entity not registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Entities formed in another state |
| “Non-Qualified” Named on sos.nh.gov | An out-of-state entity, not registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, that was involved in a merger with an entity that is registered there. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Entities formed in another state |
| “Withdrawn” Named on sos.nh.gov | An out-of-state entity that has filed an application to withdraw from New Hampshire. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Entities formed in another state |
| “Withdrawn by Merger” Named on sos.nh.gov | An out-of-state entity that has merged into another entity. Based on the definition at sos.nh.gov (archived page the state has since removed) | Entities formed in another state |
This list is not complete. It holds the labels we found on the state's status definitions page, and the register may show others.
If the search shows that your own LLC was dissolved, see how to reinstate an LLC in New Hampshire.
A search result is not a certificate of good standing. If a bank or another state asks for one, see how to get a New Hampshire certificate of good standing.
Viewing and Ordering Documents
Filed documents can be viewed online. Viewing them online is free.
Most charter documents can be viewed and downloaded online for free. Certified copies ordered from the Corporation Division cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification charge.
Is the Name Available?
The state says its staff decide whether a name is available when they receive your filing, and that checking a name is not a service it offers online.
The state's naming standard, in its own words: “based upon the records of the secretary of state, shall be distinguishable from, and not the same as.”
The state lets you reserve a name; we have not found a rule requiring one before you file. A name reservation costs $15.00.
Our free LLC name checker looks up domain and social media handle availability for a name. It does not search New Hampshire's register, so check the state's search as well.
Bulk Business Entity Data
New Hampshire offers bulk business entity data for a fee. The Corporation Division sells business data, ordered online through NH QuickStart.
Ready to form? See what goes on the New Hampshire articles of organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's business entity filing office publishes about searching its register, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you whether a particular business is active, authorized or reliable: read the state's own record for that, and search tools, status labels and fees change between our reviews. Confirm anything you rely on with the filing office named on this page before you act on it.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified New Hampshire sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so. Where we hold the citation but no stable public link, the citation is printed on its own rather than pointed at a guessed address.
- sos.nh.gov/corporation-ucc-securities/corporation/Corporation Division (archived copy)
- quickstart.sos.nh.gov/online/Account/SFALogin?LoginType=ManageBusinessFilingNH QuickStart (sign in page) (archived copy)
- sos.nh.gov/corporation-ucc-securities/corporation/order-a-certificateOrder a Certificate (with Corporation Division FAQ) (archived copy)
- sos.nh.gov/corporation-ucc-securities/corporation/online-business-services/business-status-definitions/Business Status Definitions (archived page the state has since removed)
- sos.nh.gov/corporation-ucc-securities/corporation/business-name-lookupBusiness Name Lookup (with Corporation Division FAQ) (archived copy)
- gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXVIII/304-C/304-C-32.htmRSA 304-C:32 Name Set Forth in Certificate of Formation
- gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXVIII/304-C/304-C-mrg.htmRSA 304-C:27 Reservation of Name; RSA 304-C:191 Fees
- Name standard: RSA 304-C:32, III
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.