New York State Department of State

What New York State Department of State does

The New York State Department of State is one of the oldest and most diverse agencies in New York State government, functioning as the state's primary regulatory, filing, and consumer-facing service body. It regulates approximately 900,000 occupational licensees through the Division of Licensing Services, serves as the filing office for 2.7 million corporations and business entities through the Division of Corporations, State Records and UCC, and oversees about 1,700 not-for-profit cemeteries. The Department also delivers consumer protection, building standards and codes enforcement, local government training and shared services, coastal and waterfront management, immigrant integration through the Office for New Americans, and other administrative hearings and licensing discipline functions.

The Department's core technology footprint consists of online filing and search systems for business formations, UCC filings (with XML schema support), license applications and renewals, notarial credentials, and not-for-profit oversight. In 2021, the agency replaced its 40-year-old DOS Corps system with a modern online filing platform, followed by service of process, notarial licensure, and not-for-profit oversight systems launched in 2022-2023. It also operates an interactive Coastal Atlas for coastal-area determinations and a 13-language multilingual website. Operations are funded through New York State appropriations (the Chief Administrative Officer oversees more than $600 million in annual procurement and more than $1 billion in agency contracts and funding), with fee-based transactions (business filings, licensing fees, UCC filings, certificates) representing the user-facing revenue mechanics. The Department distributes services through its dos.ny.gov portal, administrative hearings held in Albany, NYC, and Buffalo, regional local government specialists, ONA provider networks, and a code training program for code enforcement officials.

Name

New York State Department of State

Legal name

New York State Department of State

Website

https://dos.ny.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The New York State Department of State regulates ~900,000 occupational licensees and serves 2.7 million business entities, providing licensing, corporate filings, consumer protection, local government support, building code enforcement, cemetery oversight, and immigrant integration services across New York State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Registration & Corporate Affairs (Registries) (BPAIAOAA), Labor, Employment Standards & Occupational Licensing Boards (BPAIAOAF), Licensing & Permitting Authorities (General) (BPAIAOAB), State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

Keywords

• Business regulatory services
• Occupational licensing
• Corporate filings
• Consumer protection services
• Building code enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Abany, NY

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate and Business Filing Fees: Revenue generated from filing certificates of incorporation, articles of organization, limited partnership certificates, and other business formation documents with the Division of Corporations
2. Licensing Fees: Fees collected from approximately 900,000 occupational licensees regulated by the Division of Licensing Services, including license applications, renewals, and expedited handling services
3. Uniform Commercial Code Filing Fees: Fees for UCC financing statements, amendments, and searches under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code
4. Certificate and Document Fees: Fees for certificates of status, document copies, trademark registrations, games of chance registrations, and other official records

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The New York State Department of State is a government regulatory agency that administers occupational licensing (regulating approximately 900,000 licensees), business entity formation and corporate filings (serving 2.7 million corporations and business entities), consumer protection, building and fire code enforcement, local government training and support, immigrant integration services, and oversight of not-for-profit cemeteries. It collects transaction-based filing and licensing fees, delivers consumer education and complaint mediation, and operates online portals for business filings, license applications, UCC financing statements, and document authentication.

Product overview

The New York State Department of State operates as a government agency providing a comprehensive suite of regulatory, filing, and service programs. Its core offerings are organized into divisions covering licensing oversight (Division of Licensing Services regulating ~900,000 licensees), corporate and business filings (Division of Corporations handling 2.7 million entities), consumer protection, building standards and codes enforcement, local government support, and community infrastructure programs. Key divisions deliver digital services including an online Corporation and Business Entity Database search, eAccess Real Estate Portal, UCC filing system with XML support, and the Office for New Americans hotline and services. The department also administers specialized programs for cemeteries, athletic commission, coastal management, brownfield redevelopment, resilience planning, and the Address Confidentiality Program. These offerings function as distinct program divisions under unified departmental administration rather than a single integrated product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Office for New Americans (ONA): Assists new Americans in accessing and navigating free services including citizenship, legal help, workforce development, and English language learning.
• Division of Consumer Protection
• Division of Building Standards and Codes
• Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)
• Division of Cemeteries

Products and services

• Division of Licensing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 900,000 occupational licensees regulated by Division of Licensing Services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal-state-local economic development partnership program serving 42 New York counties through the Appalachian Regional Commission. ARC is a regional agency established by the Federal Appalachian Regional Development Act.
• Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal-state-local economic development partnership serving 42 New York counties. Provides funding and technical assistance for economic development projects.
• Regional Economic Development CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTen Regional Economic Development Councils across New York State that work with state agencies to coordinate economic development efforts. DOS serves as Chair of the Regional Economic Development Councils.
• NOAA Office of Coastal ManagementmajorTechnology or IntegrationFederal coastal management agency that provides concurrence for coastal Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs (LWRPs). Supports the State Coastal Management Program framework.
• NYS Commission on Open GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatutorily independent governmental program housed within the Department that provides legal advice on Freedom of Information, Open Meetings, and Personal Privacy Protection Laws.
• ONA Provider NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStatewide network of community-based providers assisting immigrants through Citizenship and Civic Engagement, English Language Learning, Immigration Legal Services, Workforce Development, and other programs. Providers located throughout New York State regions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Secretary of State: Illinois's state department handling business services, licensing, and records; comparable in scope and corporate/licensing mix to NYS DOS.
• Texas Secretary of State: Texas's state filing authority for business entities, trademarks, and uniform commercial code filings; directly comparable regulatory and corporate records mandate to NYS DOS.
• Pennsylvania Department of State: Pennsylvania's statewide Department of State handling professional licensing (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs), corporate filings, and notary services; closely mirrors NYS DOS's combined licensing-plus-corporate structure.
• Delaware Division of Corporations: Delaware's corporate filing office, the largest state corporate registry in the US by entity count; directly comparable to NYS DOS Division of Corporations on business formation, UCC, and state records functions.
• California Secretary of State: California's counterpart state agency performing business filings (Secretary of State's Business Programs Division), notary regulation, and lobbying disclosure; directly comparable function set as the chief state filing and licensing authority.
• Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: Florida's state department handling business formations, UCC filings, and elections administration; most direct functional peer for high-volume corporate registration services.

Regional players

• New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services: New Jersey's business registration and UCC filing authority; operates in an adjacent regional market with comparable corporate filing and licensing-adjacent functions to NYS DOS.

Broad incumbents

• Corporation Service Company (CSC): Global private-sector provider of entity management, UCC, registered agent, and corporate compliance services that operates on top of state filing offices like NYS DOS; comparable as a major counterparty and complement to the Division of Corporations and UCC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nysdos
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nysdosvideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/newyorkdepartmentofstate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-york-state-department-of-state
• Instagraminstagram.com/nysdos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New York State Department of State