How to find company information in USA

The public may access certain information relating to business entities including corporations, limited liability companies (LLC), limited partnerships (LP), general partnerships and limited liability partnerships (LLP) of record with the California Secretary of State through the state’s online portal. https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/.

The following company information in California may be available:

• Business Search: The California Secretary of State's website provides a Business Search feature, which allows the public to search for information on registered corporations, LLCs, LPs, and LLPs. You can search for companies by name, business number, or other identifying information.
• Corporate and Business Filings: The California Secretary of State's office also maintains a database of corporate and business filings, which includes information on entity formation, amendments, mergers, and dissolutions. You can access these filings online or by visiting the Secretary of State's office in person.
• Business Name Availability Search: If you are searching for information on a specific company name, you can use the California Secretary of State's Business Name Availability Search tool.
• California Business Portal: The California Business Portal provides a centralized location for business owners and entrepreneurs to access information and resources related to starting, running, and growing a business in California. The portal includes information on entity formation, licenses and permits, taxes, and other business-related topics.

Some of the above information may be subject to restrictions or redactions to protect individual privacy or other legal interests. Additionally, some documents or filings may require a fee or may only be available to authorized individuals or entities.

Copies of documents filed with the California Secretary of State, including but not limited to, articles of incorporation, bylaws/operating agreements, registration, amendments, statement of information (similar to annual reports), certificates of good standing, dissolution, merger and withdrawal documents may be obtained through the state’s online portal.

The public may access information regarding trademark registrations and modifications of record with the California Secretary of State, including free .pdf copies of imaged trademark documents. https://tmbizfile.sos.ca.gov/Search

In addition, the public may obtain copies of recorded financing statements pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code, free of charge, filed with the California Secretary of State. https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/ucc

The public may verify whether or not an entity is in good standing with the California Franchise Tax Board and obtain an entity status letter at no cost. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/help/business/entity-status-letter.asp

Yes, it is possible to obtain information on pending litigation against a company, its shareholders, or legal representatives in California. However, available information will depend on the type of case. Each California state court has a unique online search system to look up pending litigation against a company, its shareholders, or legal representatives. Here are some ways to access information on pending litigation:

• Superior Court Records: The Superior Courts in California maintain records of court proceedings, including those related to civil litigation. These records may include pleadings, motions, orders, and other documents filed by the parties in the case. The public can access these records by visiting the court's clerk's office or through the court's online portal.
• Federal Court Records: Federal Courts, including California Federal Courts, utilize a unified search system called Pacer (Public Access to Courts Electronic Records) via the website https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ In order to access public records, you will need to create an account.
• Public Records Act Requests: Under the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the public can request access to public records, including those related to pending litigation. However, certain types of records may be exempt from disclosure under the CPRA.

Please note that some documents or information related to pending litigation may be subject to restrictions or redactions to protect individual privacy or other legal interests. Additionally, some information may only be available to authorized individuals or entities.

Arbitration on the other hand is private and it is not possible to obtain information on pending arbitration.

You may want to consult with an attorney who specializes in litigation and is licensed in the California for guidance on how to obtain information specific to your needs.

The public may access certain information relating to business entities including corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, general partnerships and limited liability partnerships of record with the District of Columbia Office of the Secretary, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) through the state’s online portal. https://corponline.dlcp.dc.gov/Home.aspx/Landing You will first need to register for an account on the DCRA website and log in to the platform. Searches are free of charge.

Examples of entity information that is publicly available in the District of Columbia includes:

• Corporate Information: The DCRA maintains a Corporate Registration Information System (CORIS) that provides information on registered corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), partnerships, and other types of businesses operating in the District of Columbia. This information includes the entity's name, registered agent, business address, and status.
• Business Licenses: The DCRA also maintains a Business License Verification System (BLVS) that provides information on business licenses issued by the District of Columbia. This information includes the entity's name, address, license type, and expiration date.
• Tax Information: The Office of Tax and Revenue (“OTR”) provides access to tax information for businesses operating in the District of Columbia. This information includes sales and use tax data, franchise tax data, and other tax-related information.
• Professional Licenses: The DCRA provides access to information on professional licenses issued to individuals and businesses operating in the District of Columbia. This information includes the licensee's name, license type, expiration date, and disciplinary history (if applicable).
  

Copies of documents filed with the District of Columbia Office of the Secretary, including but not limited to, incorporation, formation and registration, bylaws/operating agreements and amendments, periodic and annual reports, dissolution, business licenses, UCC filings, merger and withdrawal documents may be available and obtained through the DCRA online portal for a fee.

Yes, it is possible to obtain information on pending litigation against a company, its shareholders, or legal representatives in the United States, including the District of Columbia.

The District of Columbia has an online docket search system that is found at https://www.dccourts.gov/services/cases-online. The docket system provides access to court records, including case summaries, party information and court documents in a case. Cases can either be searched by case number, party name or attorney name.

You can also visit the Superior Court in the District of Columbia in person to obtain the same information that can be obtained online. The Clerk’s office at the Court maintains records and public access to pending litigation.

Federal Courts, including District of Columbia Federal Court, utilize a unified search system called Pacer (Public Access to Courts Electronic Records) via the website https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ In order to access public records, you will need to create an account.

Arbitration on the other hand is private and it is not possible to obtain information on pending arbitration.

You may want to consult with an attorney who specializes in litigation and is licensed in the District of Columbia for guidance on how to obtain information specific to your needs.

There is a limited amount of information about companies available to the public in Florida. The public may access certain information relating to business entities including corporations (for profit and not for profit), limited liability companies (LLC), limited partnerships (LP), general partnerships and limited liability partnerships (LLP) that have registered to do business with the Florida Secretary of State through the state’s online portal: www.sunbiz.org.

The following company information in Florida may be available:

1. Business Search: The Florida Secretary of State's website provides a Search Records feature, which allows the public to search for information on entities that are registered to do business in the State of Florida, whether domestic or foreign. Users can search for companies by name, officer or registered agent name, document number, or other identifying information.
2. Corporate and Business Filings: The Florida Secretary of State's office also maintains a database of basic annual corporate and business filings, such as the articles of incorporation, annual reports, name changes, and any amendments regarding officers. This information can be found using the same portal referenced above, www.sunbiz.org.
3. Starting a business: Sunbiz.org is also a resource for potential business owners to obtain basic information and forms for starting and running a business, including information about incorporation and taxes. The portal includes information on entity formation, licenses and permits, taxes, and other business-related topics.
4. All of the documents referenced above are available for free to anyone searching. However, if certified copies of information related to particular businesses are desired, the Secretary of State will charge a fee.
   

Copies of documents filed with the Florida Secretary of State, including but not limited to, articles of incorporation, annual reports, amendments, certificates of good standing, dissolution, merger and withdrawal documents may be obtained through the state’s online portal. As mentioned above, non-certified copies of these documents are freely available, but a fee is charged to obtain certified copies.

On Sunbiz.org, the public may also access information regarding fictitious names, trademark registrations, and judgment and federal liens. On www.floridaucc.com, which is the website for the Florida Secured Transaction Registry, the public can search for any UCC-1s (formally securing an interest in a company’s collateral) or judgment liens recorded against a company.

It is possible, although not easy, to obtain information on pending litigation against a company, its shareholders, or legal representatives in Florida. However, available information will depend on the type of case. Each Florida state court has a unique online search system to look up pending litigation against a company, its shareholders, or legal representatives. And, to locate cases against shareholders or other representatives, one would first have to know who those individuals are, so that a name search is possible, and that information is not fully publicly available. Here are some ways to access information on pending litigation:

• State Court Records: The courts in each county in Florida maintain records of court proceedings, including those related to civil litigation. Some counties have all filings (other than those redacted for privacy reasons) available online through their individual court clerk websites. Other counties may have the dockets (listings of filings done in a particular case) available online, but one must request the actual filings in person or by phone, and a per-page fee will most likely be charged for such documents. These court records may include pleadings, motions, orders, and other documents filed by the parties in the case. Unfortunately, there is not currently a way to search the records of all Florida state courts from one centralized online database at this time.
• Federal Court Records: It is much easier to search for information related to federal court litigation involving various companies, because one can do so via a unified search system called Pacer (Public Access to Courts Electronic Records), https://pacer.uscourts.gov/. Through this link, one can conduct a name search nationwide and in all federal courts for the company, or its known shareholders or other representatives. To access public records, one has to create an account, as those searches are not free. The per-search fee is small, and, for another per-page fee, one can also obtain court documents from cases through that system.

It is not possible to obtain information regarding pending arbitrations, because those proceedings are not public. Only when the prevailing party seeks to have a court confirm or vacate an arbitration award could it possibly found through a records search.

We always recommend that potential litigants consult attorneys licensed in the State of Florida for guidance and assistance specifically tailored to one’s individual needs.

Information about New York companies (business and not for profit corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and other miscellaneous businesses) can be found at the following website of the NY Department of State, Division of Corporations:

https://apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry/

The search tool, available in English, is easy and free to use, and the search can be done by entity name, Department of State company ID, Company’s assumed name (D/b/a) or Company’s assumed name ID.

The following information about a NY company are available to the public, at no charge:

• Entity Name, Type, Address and Assumed names (d/b/as) registered with the company
• Date of company formation/registration
• County
• Department of State ID
• Status (active, inactive or suspended)
• CEO name and address
• Number of shares issued

Other company information that are publicly available relates to

• State issued licensing (through, for instance, license specific websites such as the State Liquor Authority website https://lamp.sla.ny.gov),
• County/city specific business info, such as, for the City of New York, property tax information (https://www.nyc.gov/site/finance/taxes/property.page) or land/building specific information (https://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/bsqpm01.jsp)
• Trademark or other IP information can be obtained federally at www.uspto.gov

Yes, information about litigation, including pending ones, can be found at the website https://www.nycourts.gov/courts/.

Copies of any documents (Certificates of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Certificates of Amendment, etc.) filed with the New York State Division of Corporations can be obtained by submitting a written request to the New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231. The request can also be submitted via fax or also online at the https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov website. All the copies will be returned by mail, no copies will be provided online or via fax/email.

The fees are $5.00 for a plain copy of a document and $10.00 for a certified copy of any document. The fee can be paid by money order, MasterCard, Visa, or Amex.

A Certificate of Status (aka Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Existence) evidencing the existence of a business entity can be obtained following the same method described above. The fees to obtain such certificate are $25.

Expedited Process is available for all the documents mentioned above, at an additional fee:

$25.00 per document for processing within 24 hours $75.00 per document for processing within the same day $150.00 per document for processing within 2 hours