Performing a business Entities in California entity search in California allows you to uncover key details about companies registered to do business Entities in California in the state. This can be useful for a variety of reasons such as due diligence, recruiting, sales prospecting, or researching potential business Entities in California partners or competitors. This article is about business entities in California.
The California Secretary of State maintains a database of business Entities in California that have registered with the state. This includes corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships (LPs), and other common business Entities in California structures. By searching this database, you can find information like a company’s legal name, status, registered agent, filing history, executives, and addresses.
Some of the most common Business Entities in California registered in California include:
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C Corporations – This is a standard corporation structure with shareholders. C Corps are taxed separately from their owners.
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S Corporations – Like a C Corp but with pass-through taxation meaning owners pay taxes on corporate income. Has restrictions on ownership.
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Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) – A hybrid corporate structure that combines limited liability with pass-through taxation. Very popular for small businesses Entities in California
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Limited Partnerships (LPs) – Has general partners that control the company and limited partners that have limited liability. Common for investment funds.
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Nonprofit Corporations – Formed for religious, charitable, social, educational, or other nonprofit purposes.
Being able to search for details on these different entity types can reveal important insights about a business Entities in California and who is behind it.
Searching the California Secretary of State Database
The California Secretary of State (CA SOS) business Entities in California entity database is the primary resource for searching official company registration information in the state. All corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and other business entities registered to do business in California are listed in the SOS database.
The CA SOS business Entities in California search provides access to the following key details for companies on record:
- Legal business Entities in California name and alternate names (DBAs)
- Entity number and type (corp, LLC, etc.)
- Date of formation/registration in California
- Status (active, suspended, dissolved, etc.)
- Agent for service of process
- Addresses of record (principal office, mailing, Business Entities in California)
- Executives like directors, officers, managers, partners
- Filing history documents
The SOS database contains millions of business Entities in California entities registered in the state. Search functions allow looking up companies by name, number, executives, location, and other data fields. This makes it easy to find official information on any California business.
The CA Secretary of State offers free public access to company data through its online business search portal. Users can lookup basic details on entities and view filing documents for many records. Paid services provide additional search capabilities and comprehensive reports.
Third Party Databases for CA Business Searches
In addition to the California Secretary of State’s database, there are a number of third party services that provide access to California business entity information. These can supplement official state records with additional data points and search capabilities.
One popular third party source is LexisNexis. Their database includes not just basic corporate filings, but also executive names, corporate family trees, and detailed information on companies’ status, compliance, locations, and more. LexisNexis offers robust filtering to find companies by location, industry, size, and other attributes.
Other third party business data services like Dun & Bradstreet and Cortera also compile information from various public and proprietary sources. These can provide extra details beyond state filings, such as corporate hierarchies, number of employees, credit scores, and expected revenues.
The main benefits of using third party business data platforms include accessing more comprehensive information in one place, flexible search options, and automated monitoring/alerting capabilities. Limitations are that data can sometimes be outdated if not synced frequently with official state sources, and accessing full reports usually requires a paid subscription. But for in-depth CA business searches, third party databases can provide valuable supplemental intel.
Searching by Entity Name
Searching for a California business entity by name is one of the most common search types performed. The California Secretary of State business search allows you to look up active and inactive entities registered in California by their legal business name.
When searching by name, there are a few tips to get the best and most accurate results:
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Enter the complete legal name if known. The search engine performs partial matches, but full names work best.
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Try different variations of the name – abbreviations, shortened versions, initials, etc. Business names can be registered in different formats.
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Use quotes around multi-word names like “ABC Company” to search for the full phrase. This narrows results.
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Avoid special characters and punctuation which may cause issues. For example, search “ABC Company” instead of “ABC Company, Inc.”
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If unsure of the exact registered name, try more general keywords related to the business.
Some common challenges with name searches include:
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Multiple businesses registered with very similar names. Adding location or keywords can help narrow the results.
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Name changes over time. Try searching previous or alternate names if you know them.
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Generic names returning too many results. Add distinctive keywords, locations, or owners to filter further.
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Misspellings or name variations. Try alternate spellings and abbreviations as needed.
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Duplicated names if search terms are too broad. Use unique keywords and location filters to narrow the pool.
With some trial and error using these tips, you can generally find the specific California business name registration you are looking for through the Secretary of State’s database. Checking for alternate names and spellings goes a long way in tracking down the business entity you want.
Searching by Entity Number
Each business entity formed in California receives a unique registration or entity number upon filing with the Secretary of State. This number functions similarly to an identification number for that entity.
The entity number can be a useful way to search for businesses in the California Secretary of State database. Here are some tips on searching by entity number:
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The entity number is assigned upon initial registration of the business and does not change over time. This makes it a reliable identifier to find a specific business.
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The format of entity numbers varies based on the business structure. Corporations have a 7-digit number, while LLCs have a 10-12 digit number beginning with “20”. Other structures like partnerships may have different formats.
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You can perform an exact match search by inputting the full entity number. This is the most precise way to pull up a specific business’s filing history and records.
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Partial number searches are not as accurate, but can be helpful if you only know part of the entity number. Look for matching results and verify it is the correct entity by checking names, addresses and filing dates.
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Obtaining the entity number beforehand can be useful when dealing with common business names. An entity number search can directly find the business you want without confusion.
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Certain third party data providers may list the entity numbers in their California business data. This can assist in searching the Secretary of State records.
Overall, searching by the unique entity number assigned to each California business is an effective way to directly access filings and information on a specific entity. It is the most precise method when you already know the business’s registration number.
Owner and Executive Name Searches
Searching for businesses and entities by owner and executive names can be an effective way to uncover connections and relationships in California. With over 4 million business entities registered in the state, linking entities to people is crucial for research and due diligence.
When searching by name, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
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Name variations – Try searching for formal names, nicknames, middle names/initials. People don’t always register businesses under their legal name.
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Partial name searches – Search by last name only or first name only to cast a wider net.
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Executive titles – Search for President, CEO, Director, Manager etc to find entities associated with a person.
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Ownership terms – Try Owner, Member, Shareholder, Partner etc to find ownership connections.
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Unique name spellings – If someone has an unusual name, searching for common spelling variants can uncover more entities.
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Name change history – Look for maiden names, married surnames, divorce reversions etc. to account for name changes over time.
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Associated people – Try searching for spouses, family members, business partners etc. alongside the primary name.
With the right search techniques, you can uncover the full scope of someone’s business interests and connections. Search broadly, creatively and thoroughly to get the best results.
Location and Address Searches
California’s Secretary of State business database allows users to search for companies by location and address within the state. This can be helpful for targeting businesses in your local area or a specific region.
To search by location, use the Business Search interface and select the city, county, or ZIP code you want to target. You can search within a single ZIP code, city, or county, or across a wider region by selecting multiple locations. The database will return all active and inactive businesses on file with the matching location.
Address searches work similarly. On the Business Search page, enter a specific street address in the search bar. This will pull up any businesses registered under that address according to the Secretary of State’s records.
Keep in mind that some businesses may use a different physical address than their registered corporate address on file. So an address search may not always capture every business located at that address.
Both location and address searches can be filtered further by entity name, status, or business type. You can also combine location/address criteria with executive name searches to pinpoint specific businesses and organizations in an area.
The Secretary of State provides location and address search capabilities free of charge through their online business database. There are also third party sites like Manta and Buzzfile that compile additional address data for California businesses across various public records and filings. These can supplement SOS searches, especially for very localized business lookups.
Status and Compliance Searches
One of the most important aspects of researching California businesses is checking on their status and compliance records. The status of a company can reveal critical information for assessing their reliability as a business partner or vendor.
Key factors to look for in a business status search include:
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Good Standing – This indicates the company is compliant with all California Secretary of State filing requirements and franchise tax board obligations. Good standing is essential for businesses to operate legally and maintain active status.
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Suspended/Forfeited – A suspended status means the company has failed to meet certain compliance rules and/or pay taxes or fees owed. Their corporate powers may be limited as a result. Forfeited means they failed to file/pay for an extended period and their powers to do business are revoked.
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Dissolved/Surrendered – These statuses indicate a company has formally ceased operations and wound down business activities. Dissolved typically means a business closed down on its own. Surrendered means the state revoked their status due to violations.
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FTB Suspended/Forfeited – If a company only has its Franchise Tax Board status suspended or forfeited, it still retains active corporate status with the Secretary of State but may have state tax issues.
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Active/Expired Filings – Filings like Statements of Information must be updated periodically. Expired filings don’t affect overall status but may suggest compliance issues.
Checking status indicators like these provides insight into a company’s standing and whether they are authorized to legally conduct business in California. Status should be verified directly through official state databases for accuracy.
Industry and Business Type Searches
California businesses are required to register their industry and business types with the Secretary of State. This provides a way to search for specific industries or business categories when doing an entity search.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes are used to categorize businesses by industry and type. Major categories include manufacturing, retail trade, healthcare, construction, and more. Within these are more specific sub-categories.
For example, a software company would fall under NAICS code 511210 “Software Publishers”. A restaurant could be NAICS code 722511 “Full-Service Restaurants”. NAICS codes go down to 6-digit specificity.
When searching the California SOS business database, you can filter results by NAICS codes. This lets you find just software companies, restaurants, law firms, construction companies, etc. It narrows results to businesses operating in that specific industry.
The NAICS Association provides a searchable index of codes to find the one fitting your criteria. Then apply this filter when searching California’s business entity database for targeted industry results.
Focusing your search by NAICS codes can help pinpoint the exact types of businesses you want to find registration details on. You avoid sifting through irrelevant entities outside the desired industries.
Additional Resources
California has robust public records that can help you conduct thorough business entity searches. Here are some additional resources to aid your research:
California-Specific Business Search Tips
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Focus your searches by location and region. Many California municipalities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have their own public databases.
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Search alternate spellings and name variations. Business names can sometimes be registered differently than they appear publicly.
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Look for dissolved or merged entities. Even defunct businesses may still have valuable information available.
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Verify data across multiple sources. No single database will contain everything, so cross-check entity details.
Professional Search Services for Hire
If you need to conduct large-scale California business searches, consider hiring a professional search firm. They have access to proprietary databases and strategies for finding in-depth corporate information. Some well-known research services include:
- Dun & Bradstreet
- LexisNexis
- Thomson Reuters
- Hoover’s
These companies charge subscription fees but can provide comprehensive data for investigative due diligence.