VerifySOS is a 50-state business-verification tool for credit and underwriting in trucking and commercial finance. One search merges Secretary of State registration, FMCSA/USDOT authority, OFAC sanctions, ownership, and county DBA filings into a single PDF packet.

How do I look up a business across all 50 states?

Enter the company name and its 2-letter state code (or a USDOT number) on verifysos.com. It searches the Secretary of State and FMCSA SAFER side by side, screens OFAC, and generates a verification packet PDF.

How much does VerifySOS cost?

There is a free tier and a Pro plan at $14.99/month with unlimited searches.

Does VerifySOS show business ownership and officers?

Yes. Where a state publishes officers, members, or managers in its free public records, VerifySOS pulls them into the packet, separate from the registered agent, which is not the owner.

← All posts July 04, 2026

Genesee County DBA search — how to look up a fictitious business name (MI)

A DBA or assumed name in Genesee County is not a separate legal entity · it is a registration that lets a person or existing business operate under an alternate name. When you pull a DBA record, you learn who filed it and when it expires, but you do not learn whether the person behind it is creditworthy, whether they have other liens, or whether the entity filing the name even exists at the state level. For credit underwriting, a DBA lookup is always a first step, never the whole picture.

What a Genesee County DBA filing actually tells you

A fictitious business name filing in Genesee County shows the assumed name, the owner or business entity operating under that name, the filing date, and the expiration date. Michigan requires DBAs to be renewed every five years. If you search a DBA and find an active filing, you know someone registered that name with the county · nothing more. You do not know if the person is a real credit risk, if they have state-level business filings that match, or if the address on the DBA is legitimate. The filing is a yellow light to dig deeper, not a green light to fund.

How to search DBAs in Genesee County

The Genesee County Clerk’s office maintains a public database of assumed names filed with the county. You can access this database through the county’s official records portal. Search by business name, owner name, or filing number. If you find a match, the record will show the name filed, the owner or registered business, the principal place of business address, the date filed, and the expiration date. Print or download the record for your file.

Start by searching the exact business name as given to you. If you get no results, try partial names or variations · owners sometimes file “ABC Solutions LLC” and operate as “ABC Solutions” or “ABC.” If the search returns multiple results, review the filing dates and expiration dates to identify the active registration.

DBA does not mean the entity is real at the state level

This is where underwriters stumble. A person can file a DBA in Genesee County without filing an LLC, corporation, or any entity with the Michigan Secretary of State. A sole proprietor can walk into the county clerk and file an assumed name, pay the fee, and legally operate under a different name. The DBA proves the name is registered locally · it does not prove the person has incorporated, formed an LLC, or exists as a legal business entity in Michigan’s state records. You must always run a separate Secretary of State search to verify that the entity filing the DBA is itself a registered business or that the individual is authorized to do business in Michigan.

Cross-check the owner against state records

Once you have the DBA, look up the owner’s name or the entity name in the Michigan Secretary of State business database. If the DBA owner is an LLC, that LLC should appear in the SOS records with an active status, a registered agent, and filing officers or managers. If the DBA is filed by a sole proprietor, verify the person’s identity through other means · a DBA owner name alone is not enough to confirm who they are. If you cannot find a matching entity or person at the state level, the DBA is unmoored · it belongs to someone you have not verified.

Check the expiration date and renewal status

Michigan DBAs expire five years after filing. If a DBA is within six months of expiration and your credit decision extends beyond that date, you have a problem. The business cannot legally operate under that name after the expiration date unless it files a renewal. If the DBA has already expired and the owner is still operating under the name, they are in violation of county registration requirements. Pull the filing date from the DBA record and add five years · if today’s date is past that, the registration is stale or the owner did not renew.

Why a DBA is not enough for a credit file

A DBA tells you a name is registered and who claimed to register it. It does not tell you whether that person has a clean record, whether they have tax liens, UCC filings against them, or prior bankruptcies. It does not tell you the structure of their business, whether they are authorized to sign for debt, or whether the address on the DBA is accurate. For equipment finance or a line of credit, a DBA lookup is a hygiene check · you run it to confirm the business name exists locally, then you pull the state entity records, UCC filings, and beneficial-owner information to decide whether to move forward. Skipping from a DBA to a credit decision is the underwriting equivalent of checking a single reference and hiring someone.

Bottom line

A Genesee County DBA search is a necessary starting point for any business operating under an assumed name in the county, but it is only a starting point. Verify the owner at the state level, confirm the entity is active and registered in Michigan, check the expiration date, and run UCC and lien searches before approving credit. A name registered locally is not the same as a business verified across state records, tax liens, and prior filings.