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Corporate Names Can Be Checked
Instantly Over Internet
By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN
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One of the most-demanded business services from
the Secretary of State's office - a check on the availability of corporate names - is now accessible over the
Internet.
The "Corporate Name Availability Search" on our
office's World Wide Web site, the "Illinois Gateway,"
lets Illinois businesses and law firms learn in seconds
whether a corporate name is available.
This new feature gives anyone interested in finding a name for a new business an alternative to telephoning our Business Services Department, which receives hundreds of telephone calls each day from customers seeking a corporate name.
We still provide the same information over the
telephone, but I believe the Internet service offers a
quicker and more convenient alternative - 24 hours a
day.
Name checks can be made for a specific name or
by topic. For instance, anyone typing in the keyword
"pizza" will get a complete listing of Illinois corporations using the word "pizza" in their names.
A reservation form can be downloaded directly after a user determines that a name is available. The
form then can be mailed in with the appropriate fee.
As with telephone inquiries, there is no guarantee
that a corporate name will not be officially reserved by
another business until the appropriate forms and fees
are received by the Business Services Department.
This new service was introduced recently as part
of a special feature called "Illinois Means Business,"
which has been highlighted on the "Illinois Gateway"
since May. Users also can find the service by clicking
on the "Departments" button to find the "Business
Services" listing.
"Illinois Means Business"
The "Illinois Means Business" feature allows businesses to download all of the state forms needed for
any filing involving business corporations, not-for-profit corporations, limited liability companies and
limited partnerships.
My office also added a form to the Gateway that allows users to request checks on as many as three corporate names. That form still will be offered for anyone seeking a written confirmation that a corporate
name is available.
Another recent electronic service, "Administrative
Code Online," allows computer users to search the
complete listing of state rules and regulations by topic.
These electronic services give Illinois businesses
and law firms a new way to carry out business with the
Secretary of State's office. I invite more people to use
these options because they save time for everyone.
Our office also took a major step this spring toward a new era of service by pushing for legislation allowing the Secretary of State's office to conduct business by fax or other electronic means, including via
the Internet. The legislation would let our office accept electronic signatures in place of handwritten signatures, allowing transactions over phone lines and
computers. The measure was unopposed in the
General Assembly and awaits the Governor's action.
Finally, the "Illinois Means Business" feature offers links to several other home pages offering information for businesses, including the U.S. Small
Business Administration and the International
Business Home Page at Illinois State University.
Other "Gateway" Services
After making its first appearance in February, the
"Illinois Gateway" home page is now averaging about
180 visits daily. An array of services is available, including on-line registration for organ donors, state
and federal tax forms, requests for license plates, orders for Secretary of State publications, information
on the holdings of more than 800 Illinois libraries, early Illinois land sale records and early Chicago City
Council proceedings, maps to locate a drivers license
facility, and a complete list of Illinois lobbyists.
Future "Gateway" Services
The Gateway will be expanded in the near future
with the complete "Handbook of Illinois
Government," which is published biennially.
Future plans also include allowing Illinois residents to buy license plate stickers, renew their drivers
licenses, check on securities dealers, file investor complaints, register as lobbyists and take a "virtual" tour of
the Capitol.
Using the Gateway to renew a drivers license could
become possible if the Governor approves the "Safe
Driver Renewal" proposal approved by the General
Assembly in the spring. That effort would let about 1.1
million drivers a year renew their driving privileges
without visiting a drivers license facility.
The Internet is a great way to offer information
about government services, but more important, it is a
great way to offer government services.
The Gateway's address is http://www.sos.state.il.us. •
August 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21
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