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Indiana Secretary of State

Indiana Secretary of State

The Indiana Secretary of State's Office was established on November 7, 1816. It is one of the five significant offices that were initially mentioned in the State Constitution.

Since the office was first established, it had few responsibilities. At first, it was responsible for keeping public records. Besides, it had to protect the seal.

However, with time, the responsibilities of the executive body expanded. The office takes care of:

  • Chartering new business
  • Regulating the securities industry
  • Oversighting elections
  • Commissioning public notaries
  • Registering trademarks
  • Licensing vehicles

The Secretary has four divisions:

  • Business Services
  • Election Division
  • Securities
  • Auto Dealer Services

With industrial development, more and more people get interested in this topic. To learn more, continue reading.

Find Out a Registered Business in Indiana

You may wonder how to find out if an enterprise is registered or not. For this, you have several options. It is possible to search the entity by its:

  • Name
  • ID
  • Resident Agent
  • Incorporator
  • Filing Number

If you want to conduct a search, visit the Secretary of State’s search website. Whenever you enter the web page, you will notice many empty bars. Hence, depending on the search intent, you may enter different data.

Accordingly, you are to fill in the bars that you need. Hence, by conducting the research, you will find the information you look for.

Availability Search Through Indiana SOS Database

It is important to know whether the name you have chosen for your future company is available or not. To learn about this, you again have to do research. The SOS database will come to help.

The search website also allows people to find information on entities.

At the beginning of the search, you’ll see information on:

  • Entity Name
  • Enterprise
  • Entity Type
  • City/State

Business Structure Naming Considerations

Choosing a name for a company may be challenging. It is one of the most important steps in starting a firm. One has to be sure that he/she chooses a good one. Besides, it must follow naming requirements. However, you should remember that it will depend on the structure you choose.

Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships

To clarify the previous notice, in sole proprietorships, they use the owner's name. Unlike that, in general partnerships, all partners' surnames must be included.

LLCs

As for LLCs, there are special regulations to know about. First of all, it has to include the expression "limited liability company". An abbreviated form is also an option.

Secondly, it must not be confused with federal or government agencies. So, this means you are to avoid using confusing words. In addition, remember that some words like "bank" or "university" may need special documentation.

All in all, these are the main points to know. For more information, contact the division.

Corporations

Like in the previous case, there are specific requirements as well. According to the law, your entity must have one of the following words or abbreviations:

  • Corporation/Corp.
  • Incorporated/Inc.
  • Company/Co.
  • Limited/Ltd.

Besides, if the entity is going to provide professional services, it must include the word “professional.” As for the word "medical," it can be used only when doctors work in the company.

Business Registration With the Indiana Secretary of State

Many people wonder whether they have to register their enterprise with the Secretary. Yet, the registration procedure depends on the type of enterprise structure one chooses.

For example, if you want to register a name for your business located in Indiana, you’ll need to do it with the Secretary. Thus, if you have any questions, contact the corresponding division.

Licensing Costs

You may need an Indiana business license if you want to have a company here. However, it is not mandatory in some cases. It is required only in some areas of activity.

For example, you need a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate to sell goods. The latter costs $25. With this certificate, one can collect the 7% sales tax on the sale of goods.

Contact Information

Call: 1-800-457-8283

Text: 1-855-463-5292

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Mary T

Mary T

Mary is a translator/interpreter by profession. She is an experienced translator and though translation/interpretation is her passion and she pictures herself in that area, content writing is of particular interest to her. She has cooperated with many different organizations and has written contents on various topics. She places all her skills and ken into her writings to provide the reader with a quality content to read and enjoy. She loves to study, gain new knowledge and share it with those who are eager to learn and enrich their outline, so content writing is the right field for her to operate. The scope of her interests is large, she wants to challenge herself, aspiring for the best. She also is passionate about creative writing and is trying to do her first steps into the literary world. She is also a creative writer with her unique style and interesting point of view.

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