To find out if a business is registered in the US, start with the Secretary of State’s online business entity search in the state where the company was formed or where it operates. The search is free, takes a few minutes, and will tell you the entity’s legal name, formation date, current status, and registered agent. For sole proprietorships, licensed professionals, nonprofits, or publicly traded companies, you’ll need a different database, and this guide covers each one.
What to Gather Before You Search
The exact legal name matters more than anything else. That’s the name on the company’s Articles of Incorporation (for corporations) or Articles of Organization (for LLCs), not the storefront sign or the website header. Many businesses trade under a “doing business as” or DBA name that looks nothing like the name on file. Search only the brand name and you may get no results even when the company is properly registered.
Knowing the formation state narrows the search dramatically. A company headquartered in one state is often incorporated in another; Delaware and Wyoming are common formation states for businesses that operate elsewhere. If you know the name of an officer, director, or registered agent, that can help you confirm you’ve landed on the right entity when several businesses share similar names.
Searching the Secretary of State Database
The Secretary of State’s office, or its equivalent, is the primary registrar for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships in most states.1U.S. Small Business Administration. Register Your Business Every state offers a free online search portal. Go to the portal, type in the business name, and review the results.
A typical result shows:
- The entity’s legal name
- Its type (corporation, LLC, limited partnership)
- The date it was formed or first registered
- Its current status
- The name and address of its registered agent
The registered agent is the person or company designated to receive legal documents like lawsuits and official state notices on the business’s behalf. Every registered entity must maintain one, and the agent needs a physical in-state address where someone is available during business hours to accept service. Many portals also let you view or download images of the original formation documents, often at no charge, with certified copies available for a modest fee.
Reading the Status Field
The status field tells you whether the entity is currently authorized to operate. Common labels:
- Active or In Good Standing: The business has filed its required annual reports and paid any franchise taxes or fees owed to the state.
- Inactive or Not in Good Standing: The business has fallen behind on filings or fees. It still exists as a legal entity but may face restrictions until it catches up.
- Administratively Dissolved: The state shut the business down, usually for failing to file required reports over an extended period. Many states allow reinstatement within a certain window.
- Voluntarily Dissolved: The owners chose to close the business and filed paperwork with the state to end its legal existence.
“Active” doesn’t mean the business is honest or well-run. It only means the paperwork is current. A “dissolved” status doesn’t automatically signal fraud either, since businesses close for all kinds of reasons. But if you’re about to send money to a company showing as dissolved or administratively revoked, treat that as a red flag worth investigating.
When the State Database Comes Up Empty
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships usually don’t register with the Secretary of State at all. To verify a small local business, check the county clerk’s office or municipal licensing department. These offices handle business licenses, zoning permits, and fictitious name filings.
A fictitious name filing, also called a DBA filing or assumed name certificate, is required when someone operates under any name other than their own legal name. The filing creates a public record connecting the trade name to the actual person behind it. If “Sunrise Plumbing” is run by John Smith, the DBA filing is what lets you discover that. These filings are typically handled at the county level, though some states process them centrally instead.
County searches are less standardized than state searches. Some counties have online portals; others still require a phone call or an in-person visit. If a local business can’t produce a business license when you ask, that can mean it’s operating without proper authorization, which in many places carries fines or forced closure.
Verifying Licensed Professionals
Certain industries require practitioners to hold specialized licenses from state licensing boards, on top of any general business registration. Contractors, doctors, nurses, dentists, real estate agents, and many other professionals must be individually licensed before they can legally practice.2U.S. Department of Education. Professional Licensure A Secretary of State search won’t tell you whether a contractor’s license is valid or whether a doctor has been disciplined. For that, you need the relevant licensing board.
Board databases typically show the license number, issue and expiration dates, current status (active, expired, suspended, revoked), and any disciplinary history. Disciplinary records can reveal past complaints, investigations, fines, license suspensions, practice restrictions, and the specific conduct that triggered the action. A contractor’s file might show bond claims or safety violations. A physician’s might show a suspension for negligence. Most licensing boards publish these records online for free. If you’re not sure which board regulates a given profession in your state, the state government’s main website usually maintains a directory of licensing agencies.
Verifying Nonprofits and Charities
Nonprofits follow a different registration path, and one search won’t cover it. A nonprofit corporation registers with the state like any other corporation, so a Secretary of State search will confirm it exists as a legal entity. That won’t tell you whether it’s tax-exempt or whether its fundraising is legitimate.
For tax-exempt status, use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, which covers organizations recognized under Section 501(c)(3) and other exempt categories.3Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search The tool shows whether the organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, whether its exemption has been automatically revoked (typically for failing to file required returns for three consecutive years), and copies of its Form 990 annual returns. Those filings disclose revenue, expenses, executive compensation, and program activities.
Many states also require charities to register separately with the Attorney General’s office before soliciting donations. These state-level charity registries track fundraising activity and may show complaints or enforcement actions that don’t appear elsewhere. Before donating to a charity you don’t know, checking all three layers (state entity registration, IRS tax-exempt status, and state charity registry) gives you the fullest picture.
Federal Databases: Public Companies, Trademarks, and Contractors
Companies that sell stock to the public must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and file ongoing disclosures.4U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Public Companies The SEC’s EDGAR system makes those filings publicly available, including annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.5U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Exchange Act Reporting and Registration These filings contain detailed financial statements, business descriptions, leadership information, and risk disclosures.
If you know a brand name but not the legal entity behind it, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office offers a trademark search tool (which replaced the older Trademark Electronic Search System in late 2023) that can identify the owner of a registered mark.6United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retiring TESS – What to Know About the New Trademark Search System Searching a brand name will show which company owns it, along with the owner’s address and the goods or services covered. That’s useful when a parent company operates under a name completely different from the consumer-facing brand.
For businesses that contract with the federal government, SAM.gov (the System for Award Management) maintains a searchable database of entities registered to do business with federal agencies.7SAM.gov. Entity Information If a company claims to be a government contractor, you can verify that registration through SAM.gov’s public entity search.
When the Company Was Formed in Another State
A business formed in one state but operating in another is generally required to register in the second state as a “foreign” entity. This registration, sometimes called foreign qualification, produces a Certificate of Authority. So a Delaware corporation with employees and an office in your state should appear in both Delaware’s database (as domestic) and your state’s database (as foreign).
Whether a business triggers the foreign qualification requirement depends on factors like physical presence, employees, or significant ongoing transactions in the state. Occasional sales or isolated transactions typically don’t trigger it, but a sustained presence usually does. Thresholds vary by state, and the line isn’t always obvious.
This matters when you’re verifying. A company might be legitimately registered in its home state but operating in your state without proper authority. If your Secretary of State search comes up empty, check the state where the business says it was formed. A company with no registration anywhere is a much bigger concern than one that simply hasn’t filed for foreign qualification yet.
Why Registration Status Matters to You
The consequences of operating without registration fall mostly on the business itself, but they can reach you. In most states, an unregistered business loses the right to file lawsuits in that state’s courts until it registers and pays back fees and penalties. So a company doing business with you without registering may be unable to enforce its side of the contract through litigation until it gets current. An unregistered business can still be sued as a defendant, and in most states contracts with it remain valid. Penalties for operating without registration vary widely and can range from modest per-day fines to $10,000 or more, with some states treating it as a misdemeanor.
From your side, an unregistered company is harder to identify, harder to serve with legal papers if something goes wrong, and potentially undercapitalized if it’s dodging regulatory oversight. Checking registration before signing anything significant is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself.
Search Tips When a Name Returns Nothing
Most failed searches come down to a few fixable mistakes. Try multiple variations of the name. Drop the entity suffix (“Inc.,” “LLC,” “Corp.”) since some databases index without it. Use partial or keyword searches where the database supports them. A company called “J&R Building Solutions, LLC” might be filed as “J and R Building Solutions” or “JR Building Solutions.” Punctuation handling varies between databases, and an ampersand or period in the wrong spot can return zero results.
Search the right state. If the company operates in your state but was formed elsewhere, you may need to check two databases. Ask the company where it was incorporated if you’re unsure. And remember that not every business appears at the state level. Sole proprietors and general partnerships are usually only in county records, so an empty state search doesn’t automatically mean the business is illegitimate.
A valid state registration means the entity filed its paperwork and paid its fees. It says nothing about the quality of the work, financial stability, or whether the company will honor its commitments. Pair the registration check with the relevant licensing board, the IRS nonprofit database if it applies, and any other source that fits the situation. No single database tells the whole story, but the combination gives you a solid foundation before you commit money or sign a contract.