Mississippi Business Entity Search

Conducting a Mississippi Business Entity Search is an excellent way to get information related to business entities. This is a useful tool for getting information on existing entities. It’s also useful for those setting up a new business in Mississippi.

The state requires that the name for a business be unique and not be confusingly similar to existing business entities. Running the entity search is useful in checking if the proposed name is available for use. 

Accessing And Using MS Secretary Of State Business Search

Business entity search in Mississippi is managed by the Secretary of State. It’s also called the MS Secretary Of State Business Search is managed and made available by the office of the secretary of state. The entity search is available online and is free to access.

The available search options are:

Using MS Corp Search With Business Name

Using the business name for search is often the easiest method. It’s more intuitive simply because we recognize companies by their name.

If you’re conducting a name availability search, you will use the business name option. Considering the variations available, it’s also useful in finding similarly-named businesses. Let’s see what the variations and options available offer.



  • Starting With: The search query here should represent the starting of the business name for lookup. It doesn’t have to be the full name of the entity, as long as it matches the starting of the name.
  • All Words: In this option, all the words in the search query must be present in the entity name displayed in the results. The order of the words isn’t important. 
  • Any Words: As the name implies, any words present in the search query can be a part of the entity name results. 
  • Sounds Like: This returns results that are phonetically similar to the search query. 
  • Exact Match: This is an exact search. The entered query must match the name of the entity displayed as the result. Usually, this will provide only a single result, which is the exact match of the search term entered.

Working With Other Search Options

Apart from search by name, other options are also available for Mississippi business entity search. They’re discussed here.

  • Business ID: Each entity in MS has a specific business ID associated with it. This is an exact search, where the displayed result will be the business corresponding to the ID entered as query.
  • Officer Name: This option looks for businesses based on the name of company officers on record with the Mississippi SOS. This can return multiple results because an officer may be present in multiple companies. Similarly, there can be more than one person of the same name working with a different (or the same) company.
  • Mississippi Registered Agent: Searching for business entities using the registered agent works the same as the Officer Name search. The only difference is that this focuses on the registered agents of a company.

Working With Entity Search Results

If your search query has relevant results, the page will display them in a table with several columns and rows. The information displayed here is Business Name, ID, Type, Status, and Create Date. A “details” button is available to view more information on a specific business entity. 

Clicking on the “details” button will show more information on the business, including its Name History, Business Type, Business ID, Status, Effective Date, Principal Office Address, etc.

The names and addresses of company officers and the registered agent are available as well. Users also have the option to view the filing history of the entity, print business details, and opt-in or out of email updates.

How To Reserve A Business Name In Mississippi

Finding an attractive and remarkable name for your business is a tough job. Besides, the name has to be unique and distinguishable upon the record, so things can get somewhat difficult. While we’re focused on forming a Mississippi LLC, this applies to other business entities as well.

So, if you find a name that would fit your business just right, it makes sense to grab hold of it soon as you can. You might not be prepared to launch your business just yet, even if you have a name in mind. In these circumstances, the best path forward is to consider a name reservation.

Once a name reservation request is accepted, the name cannot be used by anyone else. However, it’s worth noting, you cannot start doing business with just a name reservation. You will have to go through the complete process (like filing for a Certificate of Formation in case of LLCs) before you can conduct business.

Is It Mandatory To Reserve A Business Name?

No, name reservation in Mississippi is entirely optional. There can be several reasons for choosing to file a name reservation, which makes it a useful tool for entrepreneurs. On the other hand, if you’re not concerned about name availability, it’s better to not spend your time and resources on reservation.

How Long Does A Name Reservation In MS Last And What Does It Cost?

Once the secretary of state accepts your name reservation request, it remains valid for 180 days, as defined by the State Code. That’s fairly generous and it should give you enough time to get things in order. If necessary, you can file for a renewal for another 180 days. The filing fee for name reservation is $25.

Reserving A Business Name In Mississippi

Name reservation requests in Mississippi must be filed online using the Secretary of State’s online filing system. If you don’t already have an account on the website, you will need to set up a free account for using this service. 

The name reservation process is quick and convenient. The associated filing fee can be paid online. 

Before filing for name reservation, make it a point to go through the name restrictions from the state. Also, use the Mississippi business entity search to check for name availability and to ensure that there aren’t any confusingly similar names for already existing entities.