United States Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a US Business

TL;DR. The United States has no single national company registry. Each of the 50 states and Washington DC operates its own Secretary of State business portal. SEC EDGAR provides federal disclosure data for publicly listed companies only. Most state searches are free and require no account, but data depth varies widely by state. Foreign buyers can access all major state portals and EDGAR directly.

What is the official United States business registry?

There is no US federal company registry equivalent to Companies House in the UK or ACRA in Singapore. This is the single most important structural fact about US business verification.

Every US company is incorporated at the state level. A Delaware C-corp, a Nevada LLC, and a New York partnership are each registered in a different state registry with different disclosure rules, different search interfaces, and different data fields. A company doing business nationwide may be incorporated in one state (commonly Delaware, Wyoming, or Nevada for legal and tax reasons) while physically operating in another.

The result for compliance buyers: verifying a US company often requires checking the state of incorporation and, separately, any states where the entity has filed a foreign qualification to operate.

Key registries by state:

Federal disclosure (public companies only):

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval), available via the EDGAR full-text search at efts.sec.gov and the classic interface at sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar. EDGAR covers only companies that have registered securities with the SEC (public companies, investment funds, and some debt issuers). It does not cover private companies.

Federal employer identification: The IRS issues Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) to US entities. There is no public EIN lookup. Third-party TIN match services (available through IRS-authorised providers) can confirm whether an EIN/name pair is valid, but the underlying registry is not publicly searchable.

What can you search?

State Secretary of State portals typically allow search by:

• Entity name (partial match supported on most portals)
• Entity number (state-assigned registration number)
• Registered agent name (useful when the entity name is a shell name or numbered company)

Data available per state profile varies. At a minimum, most states show: entity name, entity number, entity type (LLC, corporation, LP, etc.), status (active, dissolved, revoked), state of incorporation, registered agent name and address, and date of formation. Some states (California, New York, Florida) publish officer or manager names. Others (Delaware, Nevada, Wyoming) do not require officer disclosure, meaning the public record shows only the registered agent.

SEC EDGAR allows search by:

• Company name or CIK (Central Index Key, EDGAR’s unique identifier)
• Ticker symbol
• Full-text search across all filed documents (EDGAR full-text search)
• Filing type (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 20-F for foreign private issuers, etc.)

EDGAR provides access to annual reports, quarterly reports, proxy statements, beneficial ownership disclosures (Schedule 13D/G), and insider transaction forms (Form 4). For a public company, EDGAR is the most detailed disclosure source available anywhere. There is no charge to search or download any EDGAR filing.

How much does it cost?

State registries: Most state Secretary of State searches and basic profile views are free. Some states charge for certified copies of formation documents or good standing certificates.

Prices for certified documents vary by state. Delaware charges USD 50 for a certified copy of a certificate of incorporation. New York charges USD 10 for a certificate of good standing. Verify current fees on each state portal; fees change without notice.

Do you need a local account or ID?

No. All major state Secretary of State portals and SEC EDGAR are publicly accessible without an account. No US Social Security Number, EIN, or other local identifier is required to search.

Some states offer optional registered accounts for filing and monitoring purposes, but a read-only compliance search does not require one.

Is the website in English?

Yes. All state Secretary of State portals and SEC EDGAR are English-only. There are no official Spanish or other language interfaces on the registry portals, though some states provide general public-facing services in multiple languages.

What’s the turnaround time?

Search results are instant on all state portals and EDGAR. Document downloads from EDGAR are instant. Certified document requests from state offices (when required for a legal process) can take one to five business days by mail, or instant to same-day for online/expedited requests in most states.

Is there an API?

SEC EDGAR: Yes, with a free public API. The EDGAR RESTful API provides programmatic access to company facts, financial data, filing metadata, and full filing submissions. Documentation is at sec.gov/edgar/sec-api-documentation. The API is free with no authentication required. Rate limits apply (10 requests per second per IP as of 2024); contact SEC for bulk or higher-rate needs. This is one of the best-documented free public APIs for company financial data in the world.

State Secretary of State portals: API availability is inconsistent. Some states (California, Delaware) have partial programmatic access or bulk data exports. Most state portals do not offer a documented public API. For cross-state bulk lookups, aggregators like Bizapedia (bizapedia.com) and OpenCorporates (opencorporates.com) provide normalised API access across most states.

What you legally cannot do

State Secretary of State records and SEC filings are public records. However:

• Screen scraping state portals at volume likely violates each portal’s terms of use. Automated scraping beyond normal browsing rates is not permitted on most state sites.
• SEC EDGAR prohibits automated bulk downloads outside the official API rate limits. Using a scraper to bypass the API rate limit is a terms violation.
• Personal data obtained from state filings (registered agent home addresses, officer residential addresses where disclosed) cannot be used for spam or unsolicited solicitation under the CAN-SPAM Act and state-level privacy laws.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) applies to personal data of California residents from any source, including public records. Foreign buyers processing California resident data must account for CCPA obligations.

Compliance buyers using state and EDGAR data for CDD, AML monitoring, sanctions screening, or counterparty due diligence are within permitted use. Documenting the stated purpose of each lookup in an internal audit log is good practice for regulated buyers.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• State of incorporation is not the state of operations. Most large US companies are incorporated in Delaware even if headquartered in California, New York, or Texas. Always look up both the state of incorporation and the state(s) where the company operates or is headquartered.
• Delaware discloses almost nothing. The Delaware Division of Corporations shows entity name, status, registered agent, and formation date. It does not show officers, directors, or owners. For Delaware entities, you must supplement with EDGAR (if public) or a commercial data provider.
• EDGAR is the gold standard for public companies. A public US company’s EDGAR filings contain more ownership, financial, and governance disclosure than almost any other registry in the world. Proxy statements (DEF 14A) disclose officer compensation and beneficial ownership above 5%. Annual reports (10-K) include audited financials, risk factors, and subsidiary structures.
• EIN cannot be verified publicly. There is no public EIN lookup. Use a third-party TIN matching service to confirm an EIN/name pair. Do not rely on a counterparty’s self-disclosed EIN without independent verification.
• LLCs may have minimal disclosure. Many US LLCs (particularly Wyoming and Nevada LLCs) disclose only the registered agent. There is no director or officer list. Ownership is not public. UBO identification requires a commercial report or direct counterparty inquiry.
• Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) context. The CTA, effective January 2024, required most US companies with fewer than 21 employees to file beneficial ownership information with FinCEN. Multiple court challenges have created enforcement uncertainty: as of early 2025, SCOTUS stayed FinCEN enforcement and the BOI reporting requirement remains largely enjoined pending further litigation. The FinCEN BOI database, even where populated, is not public. Access is limited to law enforcement and financial institutions. Foreign buyers cannot query it directly.
• FATF context. The US is a FATF member with AML/CFT obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act, the CTA, and related regulations. US financial institutions must conduct customer due diligence including beneficial ownership identification for legal entity customers.
• Wolfsberg Group guidance. The Wolfsberg Group’s CBDDQ and Beneficial Ownership standards apply to financial institutions conducting due diligence on US counterparties. State registry data is the starting point; it rarely satisfies the full Wolfsberg standard on its own.

Alternatives if you cannot access the registries directly

• OpenCorporates (opencorporates.com): indexes all 50 US state registries and provides a normalised search and API. Useful for cross-state name checks. Data lags official sources; not sufficient as the sole compliance document but a fast aggregation layer.
• Bizapedia (bizapedia.com): covers all 50 states with a database of over 119 million US business entities, including Secretary of State filings, trademark records, and officer data. Free basic search; pro access from USD 199 per year.
• EDGAR API for direct programmatic access to public company data (see above).

Local data suppliers

If you need a packaged US company report rather than raw state registry and EDGAR extracts, the US has several established providers:

• Dun & Bradstreet (dnb.com). The largest US business data provider by coverage. Issues D-U-N-S numbers to US and global entities. D&B reports include credit risk scores, payment history, financial data, and corporate family trees. Used by most US banks and corporates for supplier and counterparty due diligence. Pricing on request for enterprise; consumer-facing plans available.
• Experian Business (experian.com/small-business). Provides US business credit reports including credit scores, trade line data (payment history, liens, judgments, bankruptcies), UCC filings, and ownership data. Individual reports from USD 59.95; monitoring plans from USD 199 per year. Covers approximately 28 million US businesses.
• Equifax Business (equifax.com/business). Provides business credit risk assessments, verification, fraud and identity solutions, and decisioning tools for US entities. Enterprise pricing on request. Covers hundreds of thousands of US companies with credit and financial data.
• LexisNexis Risk Solutions (risk.lexisnexis.com). Provides the Accurint suite for due diligence, investigations, and business identity verification across US entities. Used by financial institutions, government agencies, and law firms. Covers litigation, public records, corporate filings, and identity data. Access is enterprise/institutional; not available for individual ad-hoc use.
• OpenCorporates (opencorporates.com). Aggregates official Secretary of State data across all 50 states. Free basic search available; API and bulk data via paid tiers. Covers 130M+ US business entities from official primary sources.

Use state Secretary of State portals and EDGAR for primary-source legal filing data. Use D&B, Experian, or Equifax Business when you need credit risk, payment history, or trade reference data layered on top of the official record. Use LexisNexis Risk Solutions for deep investigation workflows requiring litigation and public records.

FAQ

Does the United States have a single national company registry?

No. This is the most common misconception for foreign compliance buyers. Each of the 50 states and Washington DC maintains its own separate business registry. A company incorporated in Delaware is not searchable in California’s registry. You must identify the state of incorporation (usually listed on the company’s letterhead, contracts, or website) and then search that state’s Secretary of State portal.

Can a foreign company access US state business registries?

Yes. All major state Secretary of State portals are publicly accessible without a US account, SSN, or local identifier. Any international browser session can search and download basic entity information at no cost.

What is SEC EDGAR and which companies does it cover?

EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) is operated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and covers companies that have registered securities with the SEC. This includes all US-listed public companies, investment funds registered under the Investment Company Act, and entities that have issued registered debt. It does not cover private companies, partnerships, or most LLCs. EDGAR is free, requires no account, and offers a documented API.

Is there a public lookup for a US company’s EIN (tax ID)?

No. The IRS does not provide a public EIN lookup. Third-party TIN match services can confirm whether an EIN and name combination is valid for 1099 withholding purposes, but the underlying database is not searchable. For compliance purposes, obtain the EIN directly from the counterparty and verify it through a commercial due diligence provider.

What does the Corporate Transparency Act mean for foreign buyers doing US due diligence?

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), effective January 2024, required most US companies with fewer than 21 employees to file beneficial ownership information (BOI) with FinCEN. The requirement has been subject to extensive litigation; as of early 2025, SCOTUS stayed enforcement and most filings remain in limbo pending further court proceedings. Even where FinCEN has received BOI filings, the database is not public. It is accessible only to law enforcement and, under specific procedures, to financial institutions for customer due diligence. Foreign compliance buyers cannot query the BOI database directly. Commercial providers may surface beneficial ownership data through other means (public records, corporate filings, self-certification), but the FinCEN database itself is not a publicly searchable resource.

Why do so many US companies incorporate in Delaware?

Delaware offers favorable corporate law, a dedicated Court of Chancery with specialist business judges, and an efficient Division of Corporations. Most venture-backed startups and public companies choose Delaware for legal predictability, not for physical operations. A Delaware incorporation does not mean the company is based there. Always supplement the Delaware registry record with EDGAR (if public) or a commercial report to identify actual operations, address, and ownership.

How do I verify a US company for AML or sanctions compliance?

Start with the state Secretary of State portal for the state of incorporation. For public companies, supplement with SEC EDGAR filings. Run the entity name and any identified principals against OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list (free at sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov) and any other applicable sanctions lists. For UBO identification, use a commercial provider (D&B, LexisNexis) or direct counterparty inquiry, since US state registries do not require beneficial ownership disclosure in most cases.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: US Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR (sec.gov/edgar), state Secretary of State portals as cited, FATF (fatf-gafi.org), Wolfsberg Group (wolfsberg-principles.com).