Arizona Corporation Commission eCorp Search — How to Find a Business Before Filing

Why This Search Matters for Small Claims

If you're suing a business in Arizona small claims court, you need two things right on the complaint form: the business's exact legal name and its designated statutory agent for service of process. Get either one wrong and your case faces dismissal or — worse — you win a judgment that's unenforceable because it names the wrong entity.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) eCorp portal at ecorp.azcc.gov is where you verify both.

What eCorp Tells You

Search by business name, file number, or statutory agent name. The results show:

• Legal entity name — the exact name the business was incorporated or organized under. This is what goes on your complaint, not the DBA or trade name on the storefront sign.
• Entity type — corporation, LLC, partnership, etc. This determines how you caption the defendant and who can represent them in court.
• Status — active, inactive, or revoked. If the entity is inactive or revoked, verify the proper defendant and current service instructions before filing; that status alone does not make the owners personally liable.
• Statutory agent — the person or company designated to receive legal papers on the entity's behalf, along with their address.
• Principal address and officers/managers — useful if the statutory agent has resigned or the address is outdated.

Step by Step

1. Go to the eCorp portal
2. Search by the business name as you know it
3. Look through the results for an entity that matches — check the type (LLC, Inc., etc.) and status
4. Click into the entity record
5. Note the exact legal name as registered — this is your defendant caption
6. Note the statutory agent name and address — this is where you'll direct service of process

If you're suing a sole proprietorship or a trade name (DBA), eCorp may not have a listing. Check the Arizona Secretary of State's Trade Name portal at azsos.gov instead. For a sole proprietorship, you sue the individual owner personally, using the format "John Doe, d/b/a Acme Services."

Common Mistakes

Using the DBA instead of the legal name. "Desert Home Renovations" on the sign might be "Desert Home Renovations, LLC" or "J. Smith Construction Inc. d/b/a Desert Home Renovations" in eCorp. The complaint must name the registered entity.

Serving the store manager instead of the statutory agent. A small claims summons served on an employee at the business location may not constitute valid service. The statutory agent listed in eCorp is the correct service target for corporations and LLCs.

Not checking entity status. If the LLC or corporation has been administratively dissolved or revoked, verify the correct defendant and service method with the ACC or the court. Do not assume that the ACC automatically becomes the service agent or that the owners are personally liable.

Using This in Your Small Claims Case

Once you have the legal entity name and statutory agent address from eCorp, you'll use them in two places: the defendant caption on your complaint form, and the address where you send (or direct) service of process.

The Arizona Small Claims Filing Guide walks through the entity identification process as part of the pre-filing workflow, including how to handle partnerships, marital communities, and situations where the statutory agent address is outdated.

See more Arizona guides →