A US company search needs the state and the entity number.
Choose the correct US state registry, separate domestic formation from foreign qualification and understand status, agents, filings and ownership limits.
Company search in United States
Most US commercial entities are formed under state or territorial law, with records kept by the relevant authority. There is no single comprehensive federal company-incorporation register. The state of formation and its entity number are therefore essential parts of a reliable corporate identity check.
Request the specific registry records through our international company registry search. Feasibility and access are confirmed for the requested items; price and expected turnaround are confirmed when the order is accepted.
At a glance
- Registry
- State and territorial business entity registries
- Authority
- Secretary of State offices or other designated state and territorial registry authorities
- Language of records
- English
- Currency of fees
- US dollar (USD); applicable fees confirmed for the requested documents
- Public access
- Depends on registry, legal form and requested document
- Turnaround via Fill Easy
- Confirmed when the order is accepted
Registry
State and territorial business entity registries
Secretary of State offices or other designated state and territorial registry authorities
A company can also qualify to do business in other states. Those foreign qualifications refer to the same entity formed elsewhere, using foreign in the sense of another jurisdiction. Do not count every state registration as a separate subsidiary or assume the operating address identifies the formation state.
The US has no single comprehensive federal company-incorporation registry. Search the state of formation and relevant foreign qualifications separately.
Identifier
State-issued entity or file number
Retain the identifier with the issuing state or territory. An EIN is a federal tax identifier and does not replace the corporate-registry reference.
Documents
| Document | What it shows |
|---|---|
| State entity record or profile | Registered legal name, entity number, legal form, status and other particulars published by that registry. |
| Formation documents and amendments | Articles, certificates or other filed corporate documents available from the formation state, depending on entity type and product. |
| Status or good-standing certificate | An official certificate scoped to the issuing authority’s requirements and the certificate’s date; it does not establish financial health. |
Worth knowing
- The US has no single comprehensive federal company-incorporation registry. Search the state of formation and relevant foreign qualifications separately.
- A registered agent receives legal process and official communications; it is not automatically an owner, officer or operating location.
- State records vary widely in officeholder, ownership and filing disclosure. EIN and beneficial-owner information should not be assumed publicly searchable.
Questions
Which identifiers are needed to search companies in United States?
Retain the identifier with the issuing state or territory. An EIN is a federal tax identifier and does not replace the corporate-registry reference.
Does the company search establish every beneficial owner?
No. Registered particulars and public ownership disclosures have limits. Trace corporate holders and obtain supporting ownership or control evidence where the accessible records leave gaps.
Can I request certified documents?
Specify the required document, certification and receiving institution’s requirements. Feasibility, access, price and expected turnaround are confirmed for the request.
Sources
- USA.gov: state business information (opens in a new tab)
- Delaware Division of Corporations: entity search (opens in a new tab)
- Delaware Division of Corporations (opens in a new tab)
- California Secretary of State: bizfile Online (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: employer identification numbers (opens in a new tab)