California Entity Search

How to read the official business-entity file, and a way to have the search run for you.

California Entity Search

California business entity search

Quick answer. The California business entity search is bizfile Online, run by the Secretary of State. The public search is free and does not need an account. Open a record to see status, entity number, agent, and imaged Statements of Information. Filing a document, including a Statement of Information, requires a bizfile login and, from August 1, 2026, user access on that entity.

Official office

California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division

Open the official search

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

  1. Open bizfile, not a reprint

    Go to the business search. The Secretary of State describes this portal as the place to search corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships. The hub page is sos.ca.gov/business-programs/bizfile.

  2. Search the legal name or the entity number

    A CA SOS business search by name returns groups of corporations separately from LLCs and limited partnerships. If you were given an entity number, search that number. Newer numbers need the letter B included, which the Secretary of State noted on the bizfile page.

  3. Read SOS status and FTB status as two facts

    The record can show an SOS status and a Franchise Tax Board status. “FTB suspended” is a tax-agency standing. It is not the same event as an SOS suspension. The FTB suspended guide separates them.

  4. Download the free images

    The Secretary of State’s public-portal help says plain copies of filed business documents can be downloaded without an account, including imaged Statements of Information for corporations and LLCs. Certified copies and certificates of status are orders, and those require a login.

  5. Use the entity number for the next filing

    The number on the detail page is what you need for a Statement of Information or a certificate. Keep it with the formation PDF. The entity number page explains the B prefix.

What this California corporation search will not show

The Secretary of State’s search tips say the tool covers domestic stock, domestic nonprofit, and qualified foreign corporations, plus LLCs and limited partnerships. It does not include general partnerships or limited liability partnerships. A missing LLP is not a failed search. It is a different registry.

County fictitious-business-name filings are clerk-recorder records, not bizfile entity records. This site stays on the Secretary of State file. If the question is a DBA, start at the county clerk where the name was published.

Accounts, and what changed in August 2026

Searching stays logged-out. The Secretary of State says that effective August 1, 2026, web user access is required before the Statement of Information option appears. Someone filing for a company has to request access on that entity’s record. Questions about that change go to bizfile@sos.ca.gov or (916) 653-6814, the numbers printed on the Statement of Information page.

How a California LLC search fits the same screen

LLCs are in the same business search as corporations. The results are grouped so a corporation list and an LLC list can both come back for one query. Open the row whose entity number matches your file. A California LLC lookup walkthrough is on this site if the company is a limited liability company.

Common mistakes

  • Dropping the letter B from a new entity number and concluding the company was never filed.
  • Treating FTB suspended as something the Secretary of State can clear with a phone call. The Franchise Tax Board has to release its hold.
  • Using the business search as a statewide business-license lookup. Licenses are issued by cities, counties, and state boards, not by this index.

Questions

Is the California Secretary of State business search free?

Yes. The Secretary of State says business searches are free and do not require an account. Ordering certificates or filing a Statement of Information does require an account.

What is the difference between bizfile and the old California Business Search?

bizfile Online is the current Secretary of State portal for search and filings. Older bookmarks should be replaced with bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. The search tips page still describes what the public database contains.

Why are corporations and LLCs in separate groups?

The Secretary of State’s search tips say the tool groups corporations separately from LLCs and limited partnerships and returns matches in each group regardless of status. Check both groups before you decide a name is absent.

Who do I call about a bizfile record?

The search-online page lists (916) 653-6814. Statement of Information questions also use bizfile@sos.ca.gov, printed on the statements page.

Sources reviewed

Guides on this site