To get company information from public records, start with the business entity search run by the Secretary of State in the state where the company was formed, then branch out based on what you need: SEC EDGAR for publicly traded companies, the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for nonprofits, Uniform Commercial Code and tax lien records for debt, PACER for federal lawsuits, and the city or county clerk for small unincorporated businesses. Each source answers a different question, and knowing which one to open first saves hours.
Get the Legal Name and State of Formation First
Before you open any database, pin down the company’s formal legal name. That is often not the name on the storefront or website. Many businesses operate under a “Doing Business As” alias for marketing while their actual registered name sits in the fine print of invoices, contracts, or a site’s terms of service. If a company presents itself as “Bright Path Consulting” but is registered as “BPCON Holdings LLC,” searching the marketing name returns nothing.
You also need the state of formation, or at least a reasonable guess. A company incorporated in one state but operating in others keeps its primary records in the state of formation and may appear as a “foreign” entity elsewhere.1U.S. Small Business Administration. Register Your Business Check the footer of the company website, the signature block on any contract, or the return address on correspondence. If you spot a registered agent name anywhere, keep it. The registered agent accepts legal documents for the company, and the name works as a backup search term when the company name does not.
Search the Secretary of State Business Database
Almost every state offers a free online business entity search through the Secretary of State or an equivalent office. A standard result includes the legal name, formation date, entity type (LLC, corporation, limited partnership), current status, and the registered agent’s name and address.
Read the status field carefully. “Active” or “in good standing” means filings and fees are current. “Dissolved,” “revoked,” or “administratively dissolved” means the company failed to file required reports or pay franchise taxes. An administratively dissolved company can still owe debts and face lawsuits, but it has lost authority to conduct business in that state.
Annual Reports Tell You Who Is Running the Company Now
The most practical records in a state database are the annual or biennial reports that most entities must file. These update the state on current officers, directors, principal office address, and sometimes a description of the business. If you want to know who runs a company today rather than who signed the formation paperwork years ago, pull the most recent annual report. Listed officers typically include the president, secretary, and treasurer, along with all directors.
Certified Copies When You Need Official Proof
For official documentation rather than a screenshot, most states issue Certificates of Good Standing (sometimes called Certificates of Existence) and certified copies of Articles of Incorporation and other formation documents. Fees generally run from about $5 to $50 depending on the state and whether you want certification or expedited handling. Many states now deliver these electronically within a few business days.
Use SEC EDGAR for Public Companies
Companies that sell stock to the public file detailed disclosures with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all free to read on the EDGAR system.2U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. About EDGAR You can search by company name or Central Index Key (CIK). Results display the address, phone number, state of incorporation, industry code, and every filing the company has submitted.3U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. How Do I Use EDGAR
Three forms carry most of what you need. The Form 10-K is the audited annual report with financial statements, a description of the business and its risks, executive officers, and major shareholders.4Securities and Exchange Commission. Form 10-K Annual Report The Form 10-Q covers each of the first three fiscal quarters with unaudited numbers and management’s discussion of results, filed within 40 days of quarter-end for large companies and 45 days for smaller ones.5SEC.gov. Form 10-Q General Instructions The Form 8-K is filed within four business days of a significant event: a leadership change, a major acquisition, a material contract, a cybersecurity incident.6SEC.gov. Form 8-K Current Report
EDGAR’s full-text search covers the actual content of filings back to 2001, not just titles.7SEC.gov. EDGAR Full Text Search You can run a person’s name across every filing to see which companies they appear in, or search a counterparty’s name to find disclosed business relationships.
Look Up Nonprofits Through the IRS
If the entity is a nonprofit, the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search returns more than people expect. You can search by name or Employer Identification Number, and the tool pulls from several IRS databases at once.8Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search
The most useful piece is free access to the organization’s Form 990 returns. A 990 shows total revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, the compensation of top officers and highest-paid employees, and a narrative description of programs. For a larger nonprofit this runs to dozens of pages of financial detail that simply does not exist publicly for a private for-profit company. The tool also shows whether tax-exempt status has been revoked, worth checking before donating or signing a contract.
Check UCC Filings and Tax Liens for Debt
Debt filings reveal things a company’s website never will. Two kinds matter most.
UCC Financing Statements
When a business pledges assets as collateral for a loan, the lender files a UCC-1 financing statement with the Secretary of State. The filing names the debtor, the secured party, and the collateral. Most states let you search these through the same portal as entity registrations.
The collateral description is where the information sits. It might list specific equipment, inventory, or accounts receivable, or it might cover “all assets” of the business. A blanket all-assets lien signals significant secured debt. Multiple filings from different lenders can indicate strain or heavy leverage. Search fees generally fall between $5 and $75.
Federal Tax Liens
When a business owes unpaid federal taxes, the IRS files a Notice of Federal Tax Lien as a public record so other creditors see the government’s claim.9Internal Revenue Service. Understanding a Federal Tax Lien These notices are filed with the county recorder or equivalent local office. A federal tax lien is one of the strongest red flags in public records: the IRS has assessed the debt, demanded payment, and been ignored. Many county recorder offices now have online search portals for lien records.
Pull Litigation History From PACER
Court records reveal what no company volunteers. The federal courts’ Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service covers federal civil lawsuits, bankruptcies, and appeals.10United States Courts. Find a Case (PACER) Create a free account, search by company name in the party field, and you get every federal case where the company appeared as plaintiff or defendant along with a full docket.
The complaint usually carries the most useful detail: the company’s address, officers or directors tied to the dispute, and the factual allegations. Bankruptcy filings go further, with schedules listing every creditor, every asset, and every contract the debtor wants to keep or reject.
PACER charges $0.10 per page for documents and search results, capped at $3.00 per document.11PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing: How Fees Work Court opinions are always free. If your charges stay at $30 or less in a calendar quarter, fees are waived entirely, and about 75% of users fall under that threshold.12PACER: Federal Court Records. Pricing Frequently Asked Questions For state-level cases, check the court system in the state where the case was filed. Many state courts now offer online case searches, though document depth varies.
Check Local Licensing for Small Unincorporated Businesses
Sole proprietors and small businesses that never incorporated will not appear in state entity databases or on EDGAR. These businesses often register only at the local level with a city clerk, county licensing department, or similar municipal agency. A business license application typically requires the owner’s legal name, the business address, and the type of activity. Requesting a copy of that application is one of the few ways to connect an unincorporated business to the individual behind it.
Local records often require an in-person visit or a search through a municipal permit database if one exists online. Some offices charge a small fee for copies. These records also show whether a business holds the professional licenses required for regulated trades such as general contracting, plumbing, or food service. If a state search returns nothing for a local storefront, the local licensing office is the next place to try.
What Public Records Will Not Show You
Public records have real gaps. The largest involves private company ownership. State filings list officers, directors, and registered agents, but not necessarily who actually owns the company. Congress tried to close that gap with the Corporate Transparency Act, which created a federal beneficial ownership database at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The database is not open to the public: access is limited to law enforcement, financial institutions conducting required due diligence with the company’s consent, and certain federal regulators.13Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Fact Sheet: Beneficial Ownership Information Access and Safeguards Final Rule As of 2025, the Treasury Department further narrowed required reporting to foreign reporting companies only, exempting all U.S.-formed entities and their beneficial owners from filing.14U.S. Department of the Treasury. Treasury Department Announces Suspension of Enforcement of Corporate Transparency Act
The other gap is financial data for private companies. Unless a business is publicly traded or tax-exempt, its revenue, profit, and debt are generally not available through any public record. UCC filings and tax liens offer indirect clues, and court records can reveal specific obligations, but there is no public equivalent of a 10-K for a private business. The practical approach is to assemble a composite picture from state filings, UCC records, court dockets, and whatever local licensing data you can find.