Guide
Overview
Business records span Secretary of State corporate registrations, UCC financing statements, SEC filings, business licenses, and court judgments. Whether you need to verify a company's legal status, find its registered agent, or research its financial disclosures, this page links to the official state and federal sites.
Guide
Business Records: Entity Search, Ownership, UCC, EIN, and Corporate Due Diligence
Business public records sit in federal, state and local databases, and each covers a different part of a company: its formation, owners, debts, contracts and lawsuits. The checklist at the end of this section puts them in order.
A Secretary of State business search shows the registered agent, officers, formation date and standing, free online in most states.
Business Record Sources by Layer
| Layer | Record Type | Source | Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Formation | Articles of Incorporation/Organization, amendments, annual reports | Secretary of State | Yes |
| Federal Tax ID | EIN (Employer Identification Number) | IRS / EDGAR (for public companies) | Partial |
| Beneficial Ownership | FinCEN BOI reports (U.S. companies exempt since March 2025) | FinCEN, non-public database | No |
| Federal Contracts | SAM.gov registration, contract awards | USASpending.gov, SAM.gov | Yes |
| Secured Interests | UCC financing statements | Secretary of State | Yes |
| Litigation | Civil complaints, judgments, bankruptcies | PACER, state court portals | Mostly free |
| Licenses | Business licenses, professional licenses | Municipal, county, state licensing boards | Yes |
| Property | Real property owned by entity | County Assessor/Recorder | Yes |
Secretary of State: The Starting Point
Every business entity formally registered in a state has a record with the Secretary of State (or equivalent: in some states it's the Department of State or Division of Corporations). The filing shows: entity name and any DBA/trade names, registered agent name and address, officers/directors/members (varies by entity type and state), formation date, state of formation, and current standing (good standing, administratively dissolved, etc.). Many states also require annual or biennial reports that update officer information and confirm the entity is active. In California the search is the Secretary of State's bizfile Online business search; Delaware's Division of Corporations entity search matters most for large companies, given Delaware's role in U.S. business formation.
The Corporate Transparency Act and FinCEN BOI
The Corporate Transparency Act (effective January 1, 2024) required most small companies and LLCs to report their beneficial owners, the people who own or control the entity, to FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network). FinCEN's interim final rule of March 2025, made final in August 2026, exempts U.S. companies, so only some foreign companies still report. The reports were never public: FinCEN keeps them in a secure, non-public database. For researchers and journalists, state business records and the IRS Form 990 (for nonprofits) remain the main public tools.
Following the Money: Federal Contracts and Grants
USASpending.gov is the official open data source for U.S. federal spending, covering all contracts (value, period, agency, and description), grants, loans, and other financial assistance. Each award record includes the recipient's name, address, Unique Entity ID (UEI), and NAICS code. SAM.gov (System for Award Management) holds the registrations of companies that seek federal awards and the list of excluded parties, so its search shows a company's registration, Unique Entity ID and any exclusion (debarment). Together they show the federal contracts, grants and loans a business has received.
EIN (Employer Identification Number) Lookup
The IRS does not publish a searchable EIN database for private companies. Two public sources show EINs:
IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search: a nonprofit's Form 990 returns show its EIN.
SEC EDGAR: a public company's 10-K gives its IRS Employer Identification Number on the cover page.
Corporate Due Diligence Checklist
1. Secretary of State entity search: formation, good standing and registered agent.
2. PACER Case Locator: federal bankruptcy, civil and criminal cases in the entity's name.
3. State court search: civil judgments in the entity's name.
4. UCC search: what assets are pledged and to whom.
5. County property records: real property owned by the entity.
6. USASpending.gov and SAM.gov: federal contracts and grants, and SAM.gov exclusions (debarment).
7. OSHA establishment search: inspections, violations and penalties.
8. EPA ECHO: environmental inspections and violations.
9. State attorney general: consumer complaints and enforcement actions.
10. SEC EDGAR: filings by public companies and their officers.
Guide
Secretary of State & Corporate Registrations
Guide
SEC & Financial Disclosures
Guide
UCC Filings & Business Liens
UCC financing statements are filed with the Secretary of State or central filing office of the state where the debtor is located, which for a corporation or LLC is its state of organization, so the UCC search is on that state's site; the SBA list above links each state's business office. Federal court cases, tax exempt status and federal contractor records are below.
Straight answers
Questions about business records
How do I find if a business is legally registered?
Search the Secretary of State's office in the state where the business claims to be incorporated or registered. Most states offer a free online business entity search tool.
What is a registered agent and why does it matter?
A registered agent is the official contact person or service designated to receive legal documents on behalf of a business entity. The name and address are part of the public corporate record.
How do I find lawsuits involving a business?
Search state and federal court dockets (PACER for federal cases and each state's court portal for state cases) using the business name or its principals. Many counties also offer free online civil-court searches.
What is an Annual Report for a business?
An annual (or biennial) report is a required filing with the Secretary of State confirming a business's continued existence, current officers/directors, and registered agent. Most are publicly available.
Where can I find a business's tax-exempt status?
The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, linked above, lets you verify nonprofit status, view Form 990 filings, and confirm that an organization is currently in good standing.