California Secretary of State Business Search
Use California’s bizfile Online to find a corporation, LLC, or limited partnership. Search by name or file number, then open the matching entity to review its record and documents.
Official website: bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov · Opens in a new tab
How to search California business records
Open the Business search
Open the official bizfile Online search. Enter the company name or file number in the Business search field.
Narrow the results when needed
The Advanced search offers contains or starts-with matching, entity type, status, and initial filing-date filters. Remove filters if you cannot find the expected record.
Review the entity and its documents
Select the matching business and compare its name, number, status, and agent. Use the available filing history to find formation documents, amendments, and Statements of Information.
What to watch for
Looking up a public record and filing for a company are different actions. California requires user access for online filings, including Statements of Information; finding an entity does not authorize you to change it.
Walkthrough sources · Checked
California search options and record coverage
BizFile Online searches California corporations, LLCs, LPs, and related filings. The business search supports entity name or entity-number lookup and can refine results by entity type/grouping, status, and initial filing-date range. Users can view filing history, order certificates/status documents, submit Statements of Information and amendments, and obtain certified copies. Trade-name or local fictitious-business-name records may be held by county clerks rather than the SOS.
Checking a business name in California
California requires a corporate or LLC name to be distinguishable in the SOS records. The examiner may disregard capitalization, punctuation, spacing, articles, and generic entity designators when comparing names; a small typographical change should not be treated as sufficient. The name must contain the legally appropriate LLC or corporate wording and cannot imply an impermissible purpose or regulated status. A preliminary search and optional 60-day reservation do not replace the SOS's formal name review.
California name reservations
California name reservation is generally $10.00 and holds an available corporate or LLC name for 60 days. Reservation is optional; it does not form the entity and does not guarantee that a later filing will be accepted if circumstances change. The SOS examines legal distinguishability under the California Corporations Code and may require a consent or other evidence for a name that is not clearly distinguishable.
DBA, trade names, and fictitious names
California does not maintain one statewide SOS DBA registry for ordinary local business names. A fictitious business name statement is generally filed with the county clerk/recorder where the principal place of business is located, with county-specific fees, publication, and renewal rules. The SOS BizFile business-entities page is https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities; it is not the county DBA filing portal. A California corporation or LLC may also have a legal name different from its county fictitious name.
What do you need after the search?
- Official proof of standing — find certificate fees and ordering instructions.
- A missed report or inactive registration — check deadlines and reinstatement rules.
- A new business registration — compare California formation and filing fees.