Business Registers in New York: Division of Corporations

Overview

New York State operates one of the largest and most active business registration systems in the United States. The primary authority for business entity filings is the New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, which maintains official records for corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other entity types formed or authorized to do business in the state.

Unlike many European jurisdictions with centralized, multi-purpose commercial registers, the New York system is narrower in scope: it focuses on entity formation and status rather than serving as a repository for financial statements or beneficial ownership data. Financial disclosure obligations for private companies are generally limited, and public access to corporate documents is confined to formation filings and related amendments. For KYB and AML professionals, this means drawing from multiple sources to build a complete corporate profile.

Since January 1, 2026, the New York LLC Transparency Act requires certain foreign LLCs to disclose their beneficial owners to the Department of State.

Official Registers

New York State Department of State – Division of Corporations

The Division of Corporations is the central registry for business entities in New York. It processes formation documents (such as Articles of Incorporation for corporations and Articles of Organization for LLCs), applications for authority filed by foreign entities wishing to do business in the state, and various amendments, dissolutions, and other filings throughout an entity's lifecycle.

The Division maintains a publicly accessible online search tool, allowing anyone to look up registered entities. Available information typically includes:

• Entity name
• DOS ID (Department of State identification number)
• Entity type and jurisdiction of formation
• Date of incorporation or registration
• Current status (active, inactive, dissolved, etc.)
• County of registration
• Registered agent information

Filing records and certain documents (such as the certificate of incorporation or articles of organization) can be obtained through the Division. The database is updated as filings are processed.

The Division of Corporations does not collect or publish information on company directors, officers, shareholders, or financial statements for most private companies, a significant gap compared to many European registers.

County Clerk Offices

Sole proprietors and individuals doing business under an assumed name (DBA, or "doing business as") do not register with the Division of Corporations. Instead, they must file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in the county where they conduct business. These records are maintained at the county level, not centrally, which means searches must be conducted on a county-by-county basis. New York City alone has five county clerk offices (one per borough: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond).

New York Attorney General – Charities Bureau

Not-for-profit organizations that solicit charitable contributions in New York must register with the Charities Bureau of the New York State Attorney General's office. Registered charities are required to file annual financial reports, which are accessible through the Attorney General. Religious organizations are specifically exempt from this registration requirement.

Beneficial Owner Disclosure (New York LLC Transparency Act)

Effective January 1, 2026, the New York State Department of State began collecting beneficial ownership information under the New York LLC Transparency Act. The scope is currently limited to non-exempt foreign LLCs (i.e., LLCs formed under the law of a foreign country that are authorized to do business in New York). These entities must file initial and annual disclosure statements providing the names and other identifying information of individuals who own or control the LLC.

Required information for each beneficial owner includes:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Current residential or business address
• A unique identifying number (e.g., from a passport or driver's license)

Existing companies registered before January 1, 2026, must file their initial report by December 31, 2026. New registrants must file within 30 calendar days of registering. A non-refundable filing fee of $25 applies per filing.

This requirement operates in parallel with federal beneficial ownership rules under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), administered by FinCEN. However, FinCEN's March 2025 interim final rule removed BOI reporting requirements for all U.S.-formed domestic companies, leaving only foreign entities registered to do business in the U.S. in scope at the federal level.

Registration and Publication Requirements

Corporations and LLCs

Corporations must file Articles of Incorporation and LLCs must file Articles of Organization with the Division of Corporations. Foreign entities (formed outside New York) wishing to do business in the state must file an Application for Authority.

There is no general obligation for private companies to file annual financial statements with the Division of Corporations. New York does not maintain a public repository of financial statements for private business entities. Companies must, however, maintain their registration in good standing, including filing biennial statements (for domestic corporations) or other periodic reports as required by the entity type. Failure to file required reports can result in dissolution or revocation of authority to do business.

Sole Proprietors

Sole proprietors are not registered with the Division of Corporations. They do not file articles of incorporation or organization. If they operate under an assumed name, they must register the DBA with the relevant county clerk. Sole proprietors can use their Social Security number for business identification purposes, though obtaining a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) is recommended.

Not-for-Profit Organizations

Not-for-profit corporations are formed by filing a Certificate of Incorporation with the Division of Corporations. Those that engage in charitable solicitation must also register with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau. Certain not-for-profit organizations are required to submit annual financial reports to the Department of State, as prescribed under Section 172-b of the Executive Law. Religious organizations are generally exempt from charitable registration requirements.

With Topograph

Topograph provides access to New York business entity data via the New York Department of State Division of Corporations, through two complementary modes under a single block.

Available Data

Company Profile

Onboarding profile (fast, non-authoritative — sourced from the NYS Open Data daily snapshot):

• Legal name
• DOS ID (Department of State identification number)
• Entity type and jurisdiction of formation
• Registration date
• Status (active, and inactive variants including dissolution and merger)
• County of registration
• Registered address
• Registered agent name and address

Verification profile (authoritative — hits both the daily Socrata snapshot and the live Public Inquiry portal):

All onboarding fields, plus:

• Authorized shares (stock type, par value, quantity)
• Next biennial statement due date
• Four separated addresses: service-of-process, registered agent, principal executive office, entity location

Legal Representatives

• CEO — disclosed for corporations via biennial statement. Biennial filing cadence means data can lag up to 24 months.
• Registered Agent and SOP Agent (service-of-process agent on the DOS) — returned as other key persons.
• LLCs, limited partnerships, and not-for-profits return no officers, managers, or directors; New York DOS does not collect this information for these entity types.

Search: supports current legal name, former legal name, and assumed name (DOS-filed only; county-level DBAs are out of scope).

Shareholders and beneficial ownership data are not available. The beneficial ownership disclosures collected under the New York LLC Transparency Act are not accessible via the Topograph API. Activity codes (NAICS/SIC) are not collected by the DOS register.

Available Documents

Certified copies of formation documents and Good Standing certificates are available directly from the Division of Corporations (paid, delivered by mail).

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