As of January 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of State will require all corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships and other associations registered in Pennsylvania to file a decennial report. The decennial report form, available on the Department of State website, www.dos.state.pa.us, will be used to identify registered business names and marks that are no longer in use so that they may be made available to new users. If an entity fails to file the decennial report by December 31, 2011, the entity’s name or registered insignia will be made available to other entities registering in Pennsylvania. If an entity files the decennial form after the deadline, its name will be reinstated unless it has been appropriated by a third party during the delinquency period.
The decennial report requirement applies to nonprofit and business entities. Some entities are not required to file this report, including entities that have made certain new or amended filings during the period between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2011. Note that the decennial report requirement is different than the annual registration requirement for restricted professional limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships, which are required to file an annual registration on or before April 15.
If you are not sure whether you need to file this report for your entity, or if you have any questions regarding this requirement, feel free to contact us. We caution you not to rely upon the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website search feature to tell you whether or not your entity is required to file the decennial report.