The official search
Arizona is one of the few states where an elected commission, not the Secretary of State, registers LLCs and corporations: the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), Corporations Division. The Secretary of State instead handles trade names (DBAs), trademarks, notaries, and partnerships.
- Search portal: https://arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov
- Cost: Free
- Login: None to search (an account is needed to file)
The Arizona Business Center launched on January 12, 2026, replacing the old eCorp system. Most third-party guides still say "eCorp" — those instructions are stale. One more warning straight from the ACC: a private site calling itself "Arizona Business Filings" is not affiliated with the Commission. Stick to azcc.gov domains.
A results list shows the entity ID, name, type, status, domicile, and statutory agent (Arizona's term for a registered agent). A detail record adds the formation date, principal address, statutory agent address, the LLC's principals — members and managers are published in Arizona — and a document history of everything filed.
Step by step
- Open the Arizona Business Center and choose Entity Name search. The tool accepts only one search field at a time.
- Change the match mode to Contains. The search defaults to Starts With, which misses look-alike names that begin with a different word. Contains is the mode that finds real conflicts. (Exact Match is also available.)
- Raise the page size. Results default to just 10 rows per page. Increase it so conflicts are not sitting on a page you never opened.
- Use the filters. You can narrow by entity type, status (active/inactive), name type — including reserved names and former names — county, and domicile.
- Open close matches and compare word by word. The search gives no availability verdict and flags nothing for you. You eyeball similar names yourself, and ACC staff apply the distinguishability standard when your Articles are examined.
- Run the second search. Check the Arizona Secretary of State's trade name and trademark records. Under Arizona law, distinguishability is measured against Commission and Secretary of State records, so a conflicting trade name can block an LLC name even when the ACC search is clean. (One gap remains: county-recorded DBAs of sole proprietors appear in neither database.)
- Other search modes if you need them: Entity ID pulls one record directly, Statutory Agent Name finds every entity an agent represents, and Principal Name finds entities by a member or manager's name.
Arizona's name rules
The rules are in A.R.S. §29-3112 (names) and §29-3113 (reservations).
Designator. The name must contain "Limited Liability Company" or "Limited Company," or the abbreviation "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C.," or "LC." Arizona is unusual in allowing the short "LC" forms.
Distinguishable. The name must be distinguishable from entity names, reserved names, registered names, and trade names on the records of the Corporation Commission or the Secretary of State. The ACC describes its own standard as a "minimal standard" — a substantive word difference is what counts. Changing only punctuation, capitalization, or the entity designator does not distinguish a name, and numbers written as digits versus words ("Circle 2" versus "Circle Two") are treated as the same.
Prohibited terms. "Association," "corporation," "incorporated," and their abbreviations may not appear in an LLC name.
Restricted words. "Bank," "deposit," "credit union," "trust," and similar financial terms may be used only if the LLC is actively and substantially engaged in that business (or holds a substantial interest in one), and ACC filing instructions require prior written approval from the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions for banking words.
Length. Names are capped at 120 characters.
Reserving a name. A reservation costs $10 and holds the name for 120 days — and it is explicitly non-renewable, though it can be transferred to another person.
What the search can't tell you
- A verdict. There is no automated availability answer. The ACC examines your name when you file; until then, the judgment call is yours.
- Conflicts hiding behind the defaults. Starts With mode plus a 10-row results page is a recipe for missing the exact record that blocks you. Fix both settings before concluding anything.
- Trade names — unless you run the second search. The ACC database alone is not a complete clearance.
- Sole proprietor DBAs. County-recorded assumed names for sole proprietors are in neither state database.
- Federal trademarks and domains. Neither search touches trademark rights or .com availability.
If the name looks available
File Articles of Organization (Form L010) with the ACC Corporations Division, online through the Arizona Business Center (the ACC strongly recommends online filing) or by mail or in person.
- Cost: $50, the same online or on paper. Expedited processing adds $35; faster tiers are also offered.
- Processing: Regular processing runs about 14–16 business days, and expedited about 3–5 business days, per the ACC's published processing times — check the Business Center for the current figures.
Then, the publication requirement. After approval, your LLC must publish a notice of formation in a county newspaper three consecutive times within 60 days — unless your statutory agent's address is in Maricopa or Pima County, in which case the ACC posts the notice on its own website for free. Outside those two counties, publication typically runs roughly $30–$300. Choosing a statutory agent inside Maricopa or Pima legally eliminates the step.
Ongoing: almost nothing. Arizona LLCs file no annual report and pay no annual fee — no deadline, no late penalty, no franchise tax. The entity stays active indefinitely as long as it maintains a statutory agent with a valid Arizona street address on ACC records. That one obligation is real, though: failing to maintain a statutory agent is grounds for administrative dissolution (§29-3708). Reinstatement costs $100 and is available within six years.
FAQ
Why isn't the Arizona LLC search on the Secretary of State's website? Because Arizona assigns business entities to the Corporation Commission, not the Secretary of State. The SOS handles trade names and trademarks instead — which is why a full name check needs both agencies.
How much does it cost to form an Arizona LLC? The Articles of Organization (Form L010) filing fee is $50, online or on paper. Expedited processing adds $35.
Do Arizona LLCs file an annual report? No. Arizona LLCs have no annual report, no annual fee, and no annual deadline. The ongoing duty is to keep a statutory agent with a valid Arizona address on file.
What is a statutory agent? Arizona's name for a registered agent. All ACC forms, fees, and search fields use the term.
What is the Arizona LLC publication requirement? After formation, most Arizona LLCs must publish a notice in a county newspaper three times within 60 days. The exception: if the statutory agent is in Maricopa or Pima County, the ACC publishes the notice on its website at no charge.
Sources
- Arizona Corporation Commission — Corporations Division notices (official portal confirmation; impersonator warning): https://azcc.gov/corporations/notices
- ACC — 10 Steps to Starting a Business in Arizona: https://azcc.gov/corporations/10-steps-to-starting-a-business-in-arizona
- Arizona Business Center (official portal): https://arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov
- ACC — LLC fee schedule: https://azcc.gov/docs/default-source/corps-files/fee-schedules/fee-schedule-llcs.pdf
- ACC — Form L010 instructions (Articles of Organization): https://azcc.gov/docs/default-source/corps-files/instructions/l010i-instructions-articles-of-organization.pdf
- A.R.S. §29-3112: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/29/03112.htm