Search and Verify a Florida Business Record
Use Florida Sunbiz to find the correct LLC, corporation or limited partnership, then verify its document number, status, registered agent, addresses, officers, managers and newest filings before you rely on the record.
This guide also explains Florida status codes, name availability, fictitious names, 2026 annual-report deadlines, reinstatement, certificates and the correct next action after the lookup.
What Are You Trying to Do?
Choose a task. The helper gives you the shortest useful route without pretending to search the state database on this page.
Find a company
- Search the distinctive part of the legal or advertised name.
- Compare the Florida document number and exact status.
- Open the detail record and match addresses and officials.
- Review the newest filing image before relying on the result.
Choose the Best Official Sunbiz Search Method
Florida provides nine public search routes. Use the method that matches what you know instead of forcing every lookup through the entity-name box.
Find an LLC, corporation or LP
Search a legal name, previous name, abbreviation or distinctive wording.
Best first route for most visitors.Find entities connected to a person
Search officers, directors, managers, authorised persons and registered agents by name.
Expect unrelated results when the name is common.Search a registered-agent company
Useful when you know the agent but not the business name.
Large agent companies can return many records.Search by federal tax identifier
Use the FEI/EIN when it is publicly displayed in the Florida record.
Do not enter a Social Security number.Open one exact Florida record
Use the six- or 12-digit Florida document number from a filing, notice or existing profile.
This is the most precise Sunbiz lookup.Find businesses at an address
Search a reported street address when the company name is unknown or changed.
Virtual offices and agent addresses can produce many matches.Research records in a ZIP code
Use for broad local research rather than one exact company.
Combine with names or addresses for reliable identification.Search Florida marks
Use the separate trademark search for marks registered with Florida.
This is not a complete federal trademark clearance.Find marks held by an owner
Search Florida trademark or service-mark records by owner name.
Entity registration and trademark ownership are separate records.Complete a Florida Entity Lookup Step by Step
Use this sequence to avoid confusing a similar company, an old name or an inactive predecessor with the current legal entity.
Identify the source of the name
Copy the wording from a signed contract, invoice, W-9, licence record, official notice or website footer. A logo name may be a fictitious name rather than the legal entity.
Select the matching search route
Use entity name for a company, officer/agent for a person, document number for an exact record, or address when the name is uncertain.
Begin with the distinctive wording
Remove entity suffixes and punctuation if a full-name search produces no match. Try previous names when the paperwork is old.
Compare the result list
Match the entity name, Florida document number and status. Do not choose the first record merely because the spelling is similar.
Open the detail record
Check the date filed, state of domicile, effective date, principal address, mailing address, registered agent and officers or managers.
Read the last event
The last event may be an annual report, amendment, merger, conversion, dissolution or reinstatement. Compare its filing and effective dates.
Open filing images
Review the newest annual report and any document tied to the issue you are checking. Most filing images from 1996 onward are available to download without charge.
After choosing the correct route and understanding what to compare, use the official Sunbiz search portal.
What Sunbiz Includes—and What It Cannot Verify
Sunbiz is Florida’s official business entity index, not a universal licence, tax, insurance, lawsuit or ownership database.
Usually found in Sunbiz
- Florida corporations and nonprofit corporations
- Florida limited liability companies
- Limited partnerships and LLLPs
- Foreign entities registered in Florida
- Registered-agent information
- Officers, directors, managers and authorised persons reported in filings
- Annual reports and many filing images
- Florida fictitious-name registrations
- Florida trademark and service-mark registrations
Not proven by an active Sunbiz record
- Professional or occupational licence status
- Insurance coverage
- State or federal tax compliance
- Financial solvency
- Consumer reputation or complaint history
- Absence of liens, judgments or lawsuits
- Authority of the person contacting you
- Complete beneficial ownership
- Ownership of a federal trademark
Read a Sunbiz Detail Record in the Right Order
Start with identity, then status, addresses, people and filing history. This avoids treating one public field as complete verification.
| Record field | What it means | Common mistake | Useful next check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity name | The current legal name shown in the Florida business index. | Using a brand or invoice name as the legal contracting party. | Search fictitious-name records and previous filings. |
| Document number | The six- or 12-digit identifier assigned by the Florida Division of Corporations. | Confusing it with an FEI/EIN. | Use it for exact searches, filings and support questions. |
| FEI/EIN | The federal employer identification number when reported and displayed. | Assuming every entity profile must publicly display one. | Use authorised IRS or company records when formal proof is needed. |
| Date filed | The date the Florida filing entered the Division’s records. | Treating it as the date business operations began. | Compare the effective date and formation jurisdiction. |
| Effective date | The date a filing or entity action became effective when a separate date applies. | Assuming it always matches the filing date. | Read the corresponding filing image. |
| State of domicile | The formation jurisdiction for the entity. | Assuming every Sunbiz record was formed in Florida. | For a foreign entity, check its home-state record when needed. |
| Status | Florida’s current index status for the entity or registration. | Treating ACTIVE as proof of licences, taxes or good reputation. | Read the status decoder and last event. |
| Last event | The latest indexed filing event, such as an annual report, amendment, dissolution or reinstatement. | Ignoring an event that changed the legal identity or status. | Open the event image and compare dates. |
| Principal address | The principal office reported to the Division. | Assuming it is open to customers or matches a worksite. | Compare the website, contract and latest annual report. |
| Mailing address | The address designated for correspondence. | Treating a P.O. box or mail service as the operating location. | Compare the principal and registered-office addresses. |
| Registered agent | The person or eligible entity that accepts service of process. | Assuming the agent owns or manages the company. | Review officer, director, manager or authorised-person fields. |
| Officer/manager detail | People and titles reported in the entity’s filings. | Treating the list as complete beneficial-ownership proof. | Open the latest annual report and relevant internal documents. |
What you can often do from or after the detail record
Open filing images
Review annual reports, amendments, mergers, conversions, dissolutions and other indexed filings.
File an annual report
Use the document number to start the correct entity’s annual-report filing.
File an amended report
Correct information after the current report has already been filed.
Order a certificate
Request a Certificate of Status when an official status document is required.
Request a certified copy
Obtain an officially certified copy of a particular filing.
Check processing dates
See which receipt dates the Division is currently processing when a filing is missing.
Verify a Florida Business Before You Pay
Use Sunbiz to establish the legal identity behind an invoice, proposal, lease, donation request or service agreement. Then verify any licence or payment issue in the correct separate system.
Match these items
- Legal entity name on the contract
- Florida document number
- Entity type and state of domicile
- Exact Sunbiz status
- Principal address and contact location
- Registered fictitious name when a brand is used
- Newest annual report and last event
- Separate professional licence when required
- Requested payee name and payment destination
Red flags that require another check
- Invoice uses a name unrelated to the entity or DBA
- Payment goes to an unrelated individual
- Address and officer details conflict with the contract
- Record is inactive but the business claims current authority
- Professional service is offered without a verifiable licence
- Recent “urgent” bank-account change cannot be independently confirmed
- The sender refuses to provide the legal entity or document number
What Florida Sunbiz Status Codes Mean
Status wording affects entity verification and whether a similar name may be available. Read the exact code rather than reducing every record to “active” or “inactive.”
| Status or code | Practical meaning | If you are checking the business | If it is your business |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE | The entity or registration is active in the Florida index. | Continue with licence, filing and identity checks. | Keep addresses, agent and annual reports current. |
| INACTIVE | The record is inactive. | Open the last event to learn whether it dissolved, withdrew or otherwise ended. | Determine whether reinstatement or a new filing is available. |
| INACT/UA | Inactive, but the name remains unavailable during Florida’s statutory holding period. | Do not assume the name can immediately be reused. | Review the dissolution or revocation date and reinstatement options. |
| NAME HS | A previous name associated with the entity. | Follow it to the current legal record. | Use the current legal name for new transactions. |
| CROSS REF | A cross-reference or home-state name associated with a foreign entity. | Compare the Florida and home-jurisdiction names. | Use the authorised Florida name when required. |
| INACTIVE/MG | Inactive because of a merger. | Open the merger filing and identify the surviving entity. | Use the surviving record for current compliance. |
| INACTIVE/CV | Inactive because of a conversion to another entity type. | Follow the conversion filing to the resulting entity. | Use the new entity record for future filings. |
| ADMIN DISSOLVED / REVOKED | The entity lost active status through the administrative process, commonly after annual-report noncompliance. | Request proof of reinstatement before relying on active authority. | File reinstatement and resolve delinquent reports and fees. |
No Result? Use This Search-Recovery Order
Work from simple name corrections to alternate record types before concluding that no Florida record exists.
The Division publishes current document-processing dates by filing type. Check that table before assuming a recent submission was lost.
Check Whether a Florida Business Name Is Available
Search results are a preliminary screen. Florida’s filing review controls final availability, and some inactive names remain unavailable during a statutory holding period.
Name is in active use and unavailable for a conflicting new entity.
Inactive, but the name is still unavailable during the holding period.
The official availability chart generally treats a simple inactive name as available, subject to filing review.
Previous-name record; inspect the current entity before judging availability.
Search these variations
- Full proposed legal name
- Distinctive words without suffix
- Singular and plural forms
- Common spelling and spacing variations
- Abbreviations and word-order changes
- Florida fictitious names
- State and federal trademark records
Do not assume this
- No exact result guarantees filing acceptance
- An inactive name is always immediately available
- A Sunbiz name creates federal trademark rights
- A domain purchase reserves the legal name
- A fictitious-name filing creates exclusive rights
Florida holding periods and reservations
- An administratively dissolved or revoked name marked INACT/UA is generally held for one year.
- A voluntarily dissolved name marked INACT/UA is generally held for 120 days.
- A standard name reservation lasts 120 days.
- Current listed reservation fees are $25 for an LLC, $35 for a corporation and $52.50 for a limited partnership.
Use the official search and entity-specific forms only after completing the broader similarity and trademark checks above.
Find a Florida DBA or Fictitious-Name Owner
Florida calls a DBA or trade name a fictitious name. The record can connect an advertised name to its current owner or owners, but it does not create a separate legal entity.
Search the fictitious name
Use the name displayed on the storefront, advertisement, receipt or website.
Identify current owners
Read the owner name, address, FEI when shown, status and 12-digit fictitious-name document number.
Search the legal owner
If the owner is an LLC or corporation, open that entity’s Sunbiz record and verify its status and filings.
| Rule or cost | Florida requirement | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Registration period | Valid for five years and expires December 31 of the final year. | An expired registration cannot simply be treated as current. |
| Registration or renewal fee | $50. | Confirm the official checkout before paying a private service. |
| Certificate of Status | Optional $10. | Order only when someone requires official status evidence. |
| Certified copy | Optional $30. | Different from a free online record view. |
| Newspaper advertisement | The applicant certifies the name was advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of the principal place of business. | Complete the publication step before registration. |
| Expired registration | An expired fictitious name cannot be renewed or reinstated; a new registration is required. | Do not use the renewal path after expiration. |
| Name rights | Registration is public notice and does not create exclusive ownership. | Search trademarks and existing business use separately. |
After identifying the owner relationship and expiration status above, use the official search or filing service.
Handle the 2026 Florida Annual Report Correctly
The annual report keeps an entity’s public record current. It is not a financial report or income-tax return, and it is required even when no information changed.
Eligible entities can begin filing the 2026 annual report.
Profit corporations, LLCs, LPs and LLLPs avoid the $400 late fee by filing on time.
Official 2026 guidance identifies this as the final check-payment date before the administrative action timetable.
Administrative dissolution or revocation is recorded at close of business on the fourth Friday of September.
| Entity type | On-time fee | After May 1 | Important note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit corporation | $150 | $550 | Includes the $400 statutory late fee. |
| Nonprofit corporation | $61.25 | No $400 statutory late fee | The report is still required to maintain the record. |
| LLC | $138.75 | $538.75 | An amended annual report is separately listed at $50. |
| Limited partnership / LLLP | $500 | $900 | Entity-specific reinstatement fees can be much higher. |
What the annual report can update
- Principal-office and mailing addresses
- Email address
- FEI/FEIN information
- Officer, director, manager or authorised-person information
- Registered agent and registered office when acceptance requirements are completed
What requires a different filing or process
- Changing the legal entity name
- Changing articles or organisational provisions
- Some general-partner changes
- Updating an entity formed in the current year before its first report is due
- Updating another agency such as Florida Revenue or DBPR
Registered-agent rules during the report
- The business entity cannot serve as its own registered agent.
- An individual or principal associated with it may serve.
- The agent must have a physical Florida street address; a P.O. box is not enough.
- A newly designated agent must accept the appointment as required by the filing process.
Use the official annual-report page only after confirming the document number, entity type, filing year and status above.
Update or Reinstate a Florida Business Record
Use the action that matches the problem. An annual report is not the correct tool for every legal-name change, agent change, current-year entity update or inactive status.
UPDATE
Email, FEIN or address update
Florida provides online update paths for current email, FEIN, principal or mailing address and certain officer/manager addresses.
REPORT
Correct a filed annual report
Use an amended annual report when the current report has already been filed and report information must be corrected.
AMENDMENT
Change the entity name or articles
A legal-name or organisational change generally requires the applicable amendment and fee.
REINSTATE
Restore an administratively dissolved or revoked entity
Eligible corporations, LLCs, LPs and LLLPs can use Florida’s online reinstatement application.
Reinstatement checklist
- Open the exact entity record and read the last event.
- Confirm the entity name is still available under Florida law.
- Prepare every delinquent annual report.
- Add the entity-specific reinstatement and report fees.
- Update the registered agent, office, addresses and officials when permitted.
- Save the payment confirmation and recheck the profile status.
Certificate of Status or Certified Copy?
Ask what the receiving bank, agency, lender or transaction partner actually requires. A free online image, certified copy and Certificate of Status serve different purposes.
Use for current public information and preliminary verification.
Use when the image is available and certification is not required.
Use when someone requires an officially certified version of a selected document.
Use when official evidence of the entity’s Florida status is requested.
| Record type | Certificate of Status | Certified copy | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporation | $8.75 | $8.75, with any applicable page charges | Confirm the current order screen and delivery method. |
| LLC | $5 | $30 | Do not pay a private service before comparing the government fee. |
| General partnership / LLP / LP / LLLP | Generally $8.75 | Entity-specific, often $52.50 plus applicable page charges | Use the partnership fee schedule for the exact record type. |
| Fictitious name | $10 | $30 | This proves the registration, not exclusive rights to the name. |
Electronic Certificates of Status are delivered as PDF files after successful payment and can be validated through Florida’s certificate-validation service.
Registered Agent, Officer, Manager or Owner?
Sunbiz reports roles supplied through filings. The role label tells you why a name appears, not necessarily who ultimately owns or controls the business.
Registered agent
Accepts service of process at a Florida street address.
Not automatic ownership proofCorporate officer
Holds a reported office such as president, secretary or treasurer.
Can serve without owning sharesDirector
Serves on the corporation’s board when reported.
Role does not show share percentageLLC manager
Manages a manager-managed LLC.
May not be a memberLLC authorised person
Has authority connected with filing or company action.
Not necessarily beneficial ownerFictitious-name owner
Is reported as an owner using the registered trade name.
Useful ownership clueProtect and Monitor Your Florida Public Record
Sunbiz filings are public. Use business contact information deliberately, check your record regularly and verify unexpected renewal or certificate requests before paying.
Record-maintenance habits
- Keep the entity email current.
- Check the record after every filing.
- Download confirmation pages and filing images.
- Verify the registered agent and Florida street address.
- Review officer and manager addresses for accuracy.
- Watch for unexpected amendments or agent changes.
- Use the official processing-date page before refiling.
Information and payment risks
- Personal email addresses become public records.
- Home addresses may appear in filings and images.
- Private renewal notices can resemble government mail.
- Certificate offers may add unnecessary service fees.
- Repeated filing can create duplicate charges or confusion.
- Social Security numbers should never be entered in FEI fields.
Florida’s “Mind Your Sunbizness!” resources explain business-identity and filing-fraud precautions after you understand the risks above.
Use the Correct Florida Government Tool
Sunbiz answers entity and commercial-record questions. Use another agency when the task concerns professional licensing, taxes, UCC filings, charity registration or federal identifiers.
Contact the Correct Florida Division Section
Use the phone line that matches the filing type. Provide the document number, entity name, filing date and payment or tracking information.
Prepare before calling
- Exact legal or fictitious name
- Florida document number
- Entity type and current status
- Search routes and name variations tried
- Filing type and submission date
- Payment method and confirmation number
- Check-voucher or tracking information
- Error message or screenshot with payment data removed
- The exact action you need from the Division
Final Florida Business Verification Checklist
Complete this pass before signing, paying, filing or representing that a Florida business has been correctly identified.
Florida Sunbiz Business Search FAQs
Is the Florida Sunbiz business search free?
Yes. The public entity, officer, registered-agent, document-number, address and other Sunbiz searches are free. Filing annual reports, reinstatements, fictitious names, certificates and certified copies requires the applicable fee.
What is a Florida document number?
It is the six- or 12-digit identifier assigned by the Florida Division of Corporations to an entity or registration. It is different from a federal EIN and is the most precise way to reopen one Sunbiz record.
Can I search Sunbiz by an owner’s or officer’s name?
You can search officer and registered-agent names. Results may show officers, directors, managers, authorised persons and agents connected with filed records, but the list is not guaranteed to be complete beneficial-ownership proof.
Is the registered agent the business owner?
Not necessarily. A registered agent accepts service of process at a Florida street address. An owner can serve as agent, but attorneys and professional registered-agent companies can represent many unrelated businesses.
What does INACT/UA mean on Sunbiz?
INACT/UA means the record is inactive but its name remains unavailable during a statutory holding period. Administratively dissolved or revoked names are generally held for one year, while voluntarily dissolved names are generally held for 120 days.
Can I use a Florida business name marked inactive?
A simple inactive result may be treated as available under the official availability chart, but INACT/UA remains unavailable during its holding period. Final availability is determined during the filing review, so search similar names and trademarks before submitting.
Why is a Florida business not appearing in Sunbiz?
The search may be too exact, the entity may have changed names, the public name may be a fictitious name, the filing may still be processing, or the business may be a sole proprietorship without a separate LLC or corporation record. Try document-number, officer, agent, address and fictitious-name searches.
How do I find the owner of a Florida DBA?
Search Florida fictitious-name records, open the registration and read the current owner or owners. If an owner is an LLC or corporation, search that legal entity separately and confirm its document number, status and filings.
When is the 2026 Florida annual report due?
The 2026 filing period runs from January 1 through May 1. Profit corporations, LLCs, LPs and LLLPs filed after 11:59 p.m. Eastern on May 1 incur the statutory $400 late fee. Nonprofit corporations are not subject to that $400 late fee.
What is the difference between a Certificate of Status and a certified copy?
A Certificate of Status provides official evidence of the entity’s Florida status. A certified copy authenticates a particular filed document. A free online filing image is useful for research but is not the same as either certified document.
Freshness note: official search screens, filing fees, processing dates and rules can change. This guide brings the substantive Florida workflow into the article; use the linked official action page only to complete the live search, verify the final amount or submit the filing.