To find your business license number online, search the database maintained by whichever agency issued the license: your state’s Secretary of State for entity registration numbers, your city or county licensing office for local operating licenses, and the relevant state board for professional licenses. All three types of search are free, and most return results in seconds once you enter your legal business name. The catch is that “business license number” means different things to different people, so before you open any database, make sure you know which number you actually need.
Figure Out Which Number You Need
Businesses accumulate several government-issued numbers, and each lives in a different database. Using the wrong one on a form creates delays that are easy to avoid.
- Employer Identification Number (EIN): a nine-digit federal tax ID issued by the IRS, used for tax filings, bank accounts, and payroll. It applies nationwide.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
- State entity number: assigned by the Secretary of State (or equivalent) when you registered your LLC, corporation, or limited partnership.
- Local business license number: issued by your city or county when you got permission to operate there. Many jurisdictions require one even for home-based businesses.
- Professional or occupational license number: issued by a state licensing board for regulated work such as contracting, real estate, medicine, or cosmetology. This is separate from your general business license.
- Sales tax ID: issued by your state department of revenue, authorizing you to collect and remit sales tax. Some states call it a seller’s permit or resale certificate.
These are not interchangeable. A vendor asking for your “business license number” usually wants your local operating license; a bank asking for your “tax ID” wants your EIN. If you’re not sure which the requester needs, ask before you start searching.
Check Your Own Records Before Searching Anywhere
The fastest online search is often through documents already on your own computer. Your license number is printed on the face of the original certificate, whether that lives as a framed print, a filed PDF, or a scanned attachment in the email thread from when you first applied. The approval notice from any of these agencies typically includes the assigned number.
Your EIN appears on the CP 575 notice the IRS sent when the number was first assigned, on every federal tax return you’ve filed, on payroll records, and on your business bank account paperwork. State entity numbers show up on your articles of incorporation or organization, annual report filings, and correspondence from the Secretary of State. Local license numbers appear on renewal notices, city tax receipts, and sometimes on your commercial lease.
If you use an accountant or bookkeeper, they almost certainly have your EIN and state entity number on file. A quick email is often faster than any government portal.
Search the Secretary of State’s Entity Database
Every state maintains a free, public database where you can search for registered business entities. These are typically run by the Secretary of State’s office. Search for your state’s name plus “business entity search” or “business filing search” to find the right portal.
The tools let you search by legal business name or, if you already have a partial number, by entity number. Results usually show the registration number, formation date, current status (active, dissolved, and so on), registered agent, and links to filed documents. The number returned here is your state registration number, not a local operating license number.
One thing trips people up: these databases index businesses by their exact legal name as filed. If you registered as “Smith Consulting LLC” but search for “Smith Consulting,” some portals return nothing. Try variations with and without the entity designation. Some states also limit searches to business name or entity number and won’t return results based on an owner’s name or address.
Search Your City or County License Records
City and county business licenses are separate from state registration and are issued by different offices. Your city clerk, county clerk, or a dedicated municipal licensing department handles them. Many larger cities and counties have moved their license records online, so start with your local government’s official website and look for sections labeled “business licensing,” “permits,” or “business services.”
Local search tools tend to be less sophisticated than state portals. Some let you search by business name, owner name, or address; others may require you to know your license type first. If the website doesn’t offer online search, you can call the issuing office and request your license number over the phone.
If your business operates in more than one city or county, you may hold separate local licenses from each, each with its own number.
Look Up a Professional or Occupational License
Licenses for regulated professions have their own numbers, issued by state licensing boards. Contractors, real estate agents, nurses, accountants, engineers, electricians, and many other occupations each have a dedicated board or division with its own database.
These boards typically sit under a state’s department of professional regulation, department of consumer affairs, or a similar agency. Most offer free online license verification where you can search by name to pull up your license number, issue date, expiration, and status. Search for your state, your profession, and “license lookup” to find the right page.
Professional license numbers are separate from both your general business license and your state entity number. A contractor who forms an LLC carries at least three distinct numbers: a state entity number for the LLC, a local business license number, and a contractor’s license number from the state board.
Find or Retrieve Your EIN
The EIN is the number businesses lose track of most often. Start with the sources that almost always have it: your most recent business tax return, your business bank (which collected it when you opened the account), or the original CP 575 assignment notice.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
If none of those turn it up, you have two options. You can request a business tax transcript from the IRS, which shows your EIN. Or you can call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The IRS will verify your identity and provide the number over the phone to anyone authorized to receive it.1Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number You can also ask for a 147C letter, which serves as official written confirmation of your previously assigned EIN. That matters because the IRS will not reissue the original CP 575 notice; it’s a one-time document.
When Online Searches Come Up Empty
If the databases don’t return what you need, a phone call to the issuing agency usually resolves things quickly. Call the Secretary of State for a state entity number, the city or county clerk for a local business license, the relevant state licensing board for a professional license, and the IRS line above for an EIN.
Before you call, gather your full legal business name exactly as registered, the business address on file, the approximate date you obtained the license, and personal identification. Most agencies verify identity before releasing license information over the phone, and if you’re calling about a business you don’t own, you’ll likely need written authorization from an owner or officer. Calling early in the morning or midweek tends to cut wait times.