The official search
The registry is run by the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business & Commercial Services (BCS) Division.
- Search page: https://sos-corp-search.ark.org/corps
- Cost: Free
- Login: None required
That address is where the Secretary of State's own website sends you for a "Business Entity Name Search" or a filing-number search. The database covers corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and other registered entities, and it also lists name reservations and name registrations — a name that is merely reserved can still block you. Sole proprietorships do not appear; they record business names with the county clerk instead.
You can search by entity name, fictitious name, registered agent, or filing number. There is no separate tool that gives a final yes or no: BCS makes the final decision when it reviews your Certificate of Organization.
A record shows the entity's name, filing number, type, status, registered agent, addresses, and filing history. One status to know is Forfeited, used where an entity has fallen behind on franchise tax. The record does not show who owns the LLC — the Secretary of State states plainly that it does not track ownership.
Step by step
- Open the Business Entity Search and choose the Name search.
- Enter your name without "LLC" first. This surfaces the widest set of conflicts, including corporations and partnerships, which count against you too.
- Search the Fictitious Name index as well. A registered DBA can block your name even when no entity legal name matches (see the rules below).
- Try the distinctive word alone, and a shortened version of your name, to catch near-matches the full-name search may rank poorly.
- Open any close record and check its status. Arkansas's rule tests your name against existing entities that are not administratively dissolved — a dissolved record and a live record do not count the same way.
- If nothing distinguishable appears, the name is probably available — but only BCS's review of your actual Certificate of Organization is definitive.
Arkansas's name rules
The rules are in Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-112 of the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Act 1041 of 2021).
Designator. The name must contain "limited liability company" or "limited company," or the abbreviation "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C.," or "LC." You may abbreviate "limited" as "Ltd." and "company" as "Co." A professional LLC must use the "Professional Limited Liability Company" / "PLLC" form instead.
Distinguishable. The name must be distinguishable on the records of the Secretary of State from:
- The name of any existing entity formed by an SOS filing that is not administratively dissolved
- The name of a limited liability partnership whose statement of qualification is in effect
- Any name under which a person is registered to do business in Arkansas
- Any name reserved under § 4-38-113
- Any name registered under § 4-38-114
- Registered fictitious names and the other registered names listed in § 4-38-112(b)(6)
Differences that do not count. Words and abbreviations that merely show the type of entity — "corporation," "Inc.," "limited liability company," "LLC," "LP," "LLP," and the like — are disregarded when names are compared. Swapping "LLC" for "Limited Liability Company" never makes a taken name available.
Fictitious names cut both ways. Under § 4-38-122, the Secretary of State must refuse a fictitious-name (DBA) filing if the DBA is not distinguishable from existing entities — and your LLC name is likewise tested against fictitious names already on file.
Reserving a name. Arkansas allows name reservations under § 4-38-113. The Secretary of State's official LLC fee schedule lists the application for a reserved name at $25. The reservation period is commonly stated as 120 days — confirm the current term with BCS when you apply. A reservation is optional and does not form an LLC.
What the search can't tell you
- County-level businesses. Sole proprietors file business names with the county clerk, so a local business using your name may never appear here.
- A final verdict. A clean search is a strong signal, not a ruling. BCS decides when your Certificate is reviewed.
- Trademarks and domains. The search says nothing about federal trademark rights or .com availability.
- Who owns a company. The Secretary of State does not track LLC ownership — although the formation form does ask for at least one member or manager for franchise tax purposes.
If the name looks available
File a Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01) with Business & Commercial Services, online through the Secretary of State's filing system or on the paper form. Arkansas does not use the "Articles of Organization" name for this document.
- Cost: $50 on the official fee schedule (Form LL-01 and the BCS LLC Filing Fees schedule both state $50). If you file online, the system will show you its total before you pay — confirm it there.
- What it asks for: your LLC's name, the principal office address, your registered agent's name and address, and at least one member or manager, listed for franchise tax purposes.
- The Secretary of State's site currently estimates about 3–5 business days for online and mailed filings.
Ongoing: the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report.
- Fee: $150 per year, flat — every LLC pays the same $150, whatever its revenue.
- Due date: May 1 every year. Penalty and interest apply to reports postmarked after the deadline, and no extension is offered on the official form.
- This is a tax, not just paperwork, under the Arkansas Corporate Franchise Tax Act (A.C.A. § 26-54-101 et seq.). If you do not pay, the state can revoke your authorization to do business — and the tax keeps accruing on a revoked LLC until the business is formally dissolved, withdrawn, or merged. Unpaid franchise tax also blocks you from making other BCS filings (A.C.A. § 26-54-114). Filing online adds a $5 processing fee.
FAQ
Is the Arkansas LLC name search free? Yes. The Business Entity Search is free and requires no login.
What is the Arkansas LLC formation document called? A Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01), filed under A.C.A. § 4-38-201. Arkansas does not call it Articles of Organization.
How much does it cost to form an Arkansas LLC? The Certificate of Organization fee is $50 on the Secretary of State's official fee schedule. Check the total shown in the online filing system before you pay.
Can a DBA block my Arkansas LLC name? Yes. Your name is tested against registered fictitious names, and a fictitious name that is not distinguishable from existing entities will itself be refused under § 4-38-122.
What does an Arkansas LLC owe every year? An Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report and a flat $150 franchise tax, due May 1. Late filing brings penalty and interest, and unpaid tax can lead to revocation while continuing to accrue until the LLC is dissolved.
Sources
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Business Entity Search: https://sos-corp-search.ark.org/corps
- Arkansas Secretary of State — LLC Filing Fees schedule (Certificate of Organization $50; reserved name $25): https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/bcs/LLC_Fees1_1.pdf
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01): https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/bcs/LL-01.pdf
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Franchise Tax / Annual Report Forms (LLC $150): https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/business-commercial-services-bcs/franchise-tax-report-forms
- Arkansas Secretary of State — Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report (due May 1; $150): https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/bcs/LLC1_FT_2026.pdf
- Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-112 (LLC name rules): https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-4/subtitle-3/chapter-38/subchapter-1/section-4-38-112/
- Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-122 (fictitious names): https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-4/subtitle-3/chapter-38/subchapter-1/section-4-38-122/