When a loved one who owned a business passes, you will likely have to go through the process of shutting down that business if you don’t choose to continue it.
Each state has different forms to file with its own Secretary of State or Division of Corporations to dissolve a business. To find the Secretary of State website for your state, click on your state below. To find the form for your needs, click on the entity your business falls under (LLC, corporation, etc.). (If you need help figuring out which of these your loved one’s business was, scroll down to the section below for information on how to look this up via business entity records.)
When you’ve found that, select the form that includes “dissolution” or “cancellation,” fill it out, and submit it to the appropriate entity. Some of these websites require you to create an account before you file, but it is simple to do.
Hawaii (click on “Changes” under “Manage a Business”)
Idaho (click on “Terminate Business” under “Business Services”)
New Jersey (click “Close a Business” under “Business Filings”)
Rhode Island (or here)
West Virginia (search for “Dissolution”)
If you need more information on your loved one’s business (like whether it’s an LLC, etc.) in order to complete the necessary dissolution form(s), you can find out by searching for records of the business entity on the Secretary of State’s website. The following are links to business entity search pages:
