California Entity Search
California LLC lookup
Quick answer. Search the LLC’s legal name or entity number in bizfile Online. LLCs are returned in their own group, separate from corporations. The free record shows status, agent, and imaged statements when the Secretary of State has scanned them. Member names appear only if a filed document listed them.
Official office
California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division
Phone: (916) 653-6814
1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Business search is free and does not require an account. Phone support: (916) 653-6814.
Steps
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Search the LLC name, then check the LLC group
A query can produce a corporation group and an LLC group. A California LLC lookup that stops at the first corporation row will miss the company. Open the LLC group even if a corporation with a similar name is sitting on top.
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Confirm domestic or foreign
A California-formed LLC and an out-of-state LLC that registered here are both in the file. The home jurisdiction is on the record. An LLC that never registered in California will not appear, no matter how many customers it has in the state.
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Read the agent and the address
The agent for service of process is on the detail record. That is the address for legal papers. It is not a substitute for the members’ addresses, which may be limited to what a Statement of Information included.
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Check whether a Statement of Information is due
LLCs file a Statement of Information on a biennial cycle, after an initial statement. The window depends on the formation month. The statement guide walks through the Secretary of State’s chart.
Name checks are not reservations
A california llc search shows names already on file. It does not reserve a name and it does not clear a trademark. If the exact name belongs to an active LLC, do not file articles in that name. If the search is empty, you still have to meet California’s name rules when you file.
Suspended LLCs
An LLC can be suspended by the Franchise Tax Board and also, separately, by the Secretary of State. Read both labels. Paying the Secretary of State a Statement of Information fee does not, by itself, lift an FTB suspension. Start with the FTB suspended explanation and the Franchise Tax Board’s own instructions.
Common mistakes
- Looking only at the corporation group of results.
- Assuming managers are listed the way officers are listed on a corporation’s statement. Read the actual image.
- Sending a revival payment to the Secretary of State when the suspension line says FTB.
Questions
Where do I run a california llc lookup?
In bizfile Online’s business search, at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. It is the same door as a corporation search. Read the LLC group of results.
Does the free search show the operating agreement?
No. Operating agreements are private. bizfile shows documents that were filed with the Secretary of State, such as articles and Statements of Information.
How do I search a CA SOS business entity number for an LLC?
Paste the entity number, including a leading B on newer numbers, into the business search. The number is printed on the articles and on the bizfile detail page.