VerifyBiz
Verify a business
Quick answer. To verify a business, match its legal name to a secretary of state file number and read the status. Reviews, a polished site, and a social profile can be copied. The file number is the fact you can re-open.
Official office
USA.gov — State governments
Steps
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Get the legal name from the business
Invoices and contracts beat the website header.
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Search that state’s entity index
Open the official detail page.
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Compare status to the claim
“We’ve been active for ten years” should match formation and status dates.
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Add license or sanctions only if the question needs them
Do not bury them inside the entity paragraph.
Proof is a file number
Online business verification fails when people stop at the homepage. Open the state search, search the legal name, and read the detail page. Copy the number. If several entities share the name, use the state and the number the customer gave you, not the first hit.
A professional license is a different verification. A contractor can be a valid LLC and still lack a license. Check the license board when the work requires one. We keep that as its own step so the entity result is not mistaken for a license.
Common mistakes
- Verifying from reviews.
- Picking the wrong entity with the same name.
- Treating a domain name as a legal name.
- Issuing a homemade “verified” badge.
Questions
How do I verify a business is real?
Find it on the secretary of state site for its formation state and save the file number and status.
Does an EIN prove the business is active?
An EIN shows the IRS issued a number. Status comes from the state, and a TIN match is a separate IRS process.
What about online reviews?
Useful for reputation, useless as proof the legal entity exists.