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You cannot search every US company in one place. LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships and nonprofit corporations are formed under the law of a state, and each state's filing office keeps its own register. A company is only on the registers of the state where it was formed and the states where it registered to do business.
Why there is no single database
Company law in the US is state law. Each of the 50 states and DC writes its own rules for forming companies, runs its own filing office and builds its own search tool. Federal agencies collect information about businesses for tax, securities or contract purposes, but none of them runs a public register of all companies. That is why a national search means a set of searches.
Search state by state
This gives the most complete result for ordinary companies.
- Start with where the company works. The state of its office, shop or main staff. If it formed elsewhere, it should still be registered there as a foreign entity, and the record shows its home state.
- Then try the common formation states. Many companies form in Delaware, Wyoming or Nevada and register where they work.
- Use the legal name. Search without the ending, and try the name from a contract, invoice or website footer.
- Note the entity number in each state. It is the surest way to find the record again.
Our Secretary of State business search page lists every state's official search in one place.
SEC EDGAR for public companies
The SEC's EDGAR system holds the filings companies make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Its company search finds registration statements, periodic reports and other forms by company name or ticker, and its full text search looks for words across EDGAR filings. Start at https://www.sec.gov/search-filings.
EDGAR is useful for listed companies, funds and companies that raised money under SEC rules. Most small private LLCs never file with the SEC, so a blank result there tells you little.
IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for nonprofits
The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lets you check whether an organization is eligible to receive tax deductible gifts and review its exempt status and filings. You can search by name or by EIN. It draws on several IRS lists, including Form 990 series returns, Form 990-N (e-Postcard) filings, Publication 78 data, the automatic revocation list and determination letters.
This tells you about federal tax status. It is not the nonprofit's corporate record, which the state keeps.
SAM.gov for federal contractors
SAM.gov is the federal government's system for entities that do business with it. A company must register there to bid on federal contracts or apply for federal assistance as a prime awardee. The site also lets the public view entity information for businesses that do federal business. It only covers companies that chose to register, so most small businesses will not appear.
When a business is on no register
Some businesses never form a company. A sole trader or a general partnership can trade under a trade name without any state entity record. In that case the name may only appear in an assumed name filing with the state or a county. Our DBA search guide explains where to look. For other routes to the people behind a business, see the business owner lookup and EIN lookup guides.