United States company register search
Source-cited registry guidance — access and document fees vary by source.
Search Company Records in United States
Free basic search · no sign-up required.
How do I search the company register in United States?
Start with SEC EDGAR (https://www.sec.gov/edgar) for United States company records. Use the supported legal-name or identifier search and inspect available fields, such as Company name and EIN, State of incorporation. Official searches, documents and APIs have separate access rules; LemReveal's free lookup does not remove those conditions.
Step-by-step
- 1
Know which register holds the record
In United States, company records sit on SEC EDGAR. Trade directories and aggregator sites are copies — the register is the source of truth.
https://www.sec.gov/edgar - 2
Search by name or registration number
Use the exact identifier with its issuing register or jurisdiction. Name searches can return several candidates; a number is not a guarantee that the source is available or covers the record.
- 3
Read the register entry, not the marketing page
The register entry shows Company name and EIN, State of incorporation. That is what a bank, auditor or counterparty will check.
- 4
Keep a dated copy
Register entries change. Save the record with the date you retrieved it, or set up monitoring so you are told when the entry changes.
United States: choosing and checking the right record
- Choose the correct source
- Search the formation state's business register for an LLC or corporation. SEC EDGAR is a securities-disclosure system, not a national list of all US companies. Use the state links on this page to select the right register.
- Confirm the entity
- Save the state and entity/file number together. The same name can exist in multiple states. A foreign qualification is permission to register outside the formation state, not a separate original incorporation.
Check current access and document options on the official United States company sources site. For search limitations and missing-result guidance, see the United States registry guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the United States company register free to search?
Check SEC EDGAR's current terms for basic searches, profiles, documents and APIs. Not all are necessarily free or available without an account.
Which register is the official one in United States?
Start with SEC EDGAR, at https://www.sec.gov/edgar. Coverage can depend on entity type or jurisdiction; other official sources may answer different questions.
What does a United States register entry show?
Company name and EIN, State of incorporation. Availability of each field depends on what SEC EDGAR publishes.
Do register entries stay accurate?
Only until the company files its next change. Directors, addresses and status can change without notice, which is why a dated copy — or automatic monitoring of the entry — matters for anything contractual.
How do I look up a US company?
For public companies, search SEC EDGAR by company name to find filings like 10-K annual reports and 8-K material events. For private companies, you'll need to search the specific state's Secretary of State website where the company is incorporated.
People also ask about search the company register in United States
The exact questions searchers type into Google — answered from the primary source.
Is the United States company register free to search?
Yes. Basic company lookups on the United States company sources are free — you can search by company name or registration number, view legal status, registered address and (usually) directors at no cost. Some jurisdictions charge a small fee only for downloading full filed documents.
What is the official United States business registry?
The United States company sources is the official public register of companies incorporated in United States. It is operated by the government and is the primary source cited on this page — https://www.sec.gov/edgar.
Related guides and tools
More United States guides
- Search companies by name
Find any registered company from a partial name — free, no signup.
- Search the business registry
Match a trading name to the registered legal entity behind it.
- Find the right entity
Tell apart several entities registered under near-identical names.
- Look up a company by number
Match the identifier and issuing jurisdiction, then confirm the returned entity.
United States data
- United States company search
Search every United States company sources record.
- SEC EDGAR guide
SEC Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval