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 September 15, 2026

How to find out who owns an LLC in Washington

ownership llc washington

When you underwrite a credit request from a Washington LLC, you need to know who actually controls it. The Secretary of State’s public record will give you a registered agent · the person who accepts legal paperwork · but that’s not the owner. Finding the real owners takes a few more steps, and sometimes you hit a wall. Here’s what to expect and where to look.

The registered agent is not the owner

This is the most common mistake. A Washington LLC’s Secretary of State record shows a registered agent, and many underwriters stop there. The agent is a forwarding address, often a law firm or a registered-agent service. Knowing the agent’s name tells you nothing about who signed the loan application, who gets the profits, or who you can hold accountable.

The real owners are the members or managers. On some records, they’re listed plainly. On others, you have to dig.

What the Secretary of State record actually shows

Washington requires LLCs to file a Certificate of Formation (also called Articles of Organization). The free public record includes the business name, formation date, registered agent, and the state’s file number. Some records will list the managers or managing members in the “management” section.

If the LLC is manager-managed, the manager’s name may appear. If it’s member-managed, member names sometimes show up. But “sometimes” is the operative word. Many Washington LLCs are filed by lawyers or formation services that act as the initial manager, and the real members are not disclosed on the public Certificate.

This is not evasion · it’s just how the statute works. Washington does not mandate public disclosure of member names on the initial filing the way some states do.

The annual report route

Washington requires LLCs to file an annual report by the due date (typically mid-year). The annual report is where membership can sometimes be disclosed, and it’s another place to look.

Pull the LLC’s annual report filing from the Secretary of State’s records. Some businesses update the management section here when they would not have on the original filing. You may see member names, titles, and addresses. If the LLC has been active for three or more years, check filings across multiple years · ownership can change, and you want to see the current picture.

If the annual report is delinquent or missing, that’s a red flag on compliance. A business that doesn’t file annual reports on time is not someone you want to finance.

UCC filings and other paper trails

When an LLC borrows money or buys equipment on credit, that debt often gets recorded as a UCC-1 financing statement in Washington. The UCC record will name the debtor (the LLC) and sometimes the guarantors · often the owners.

Pull a UCC search on the LLC’s legal name and any DBAs (doing-business-as names) it uses. You’re looking for existing liens, but you’re also reading the guarantor lines. A personal guarantee by the LLC’s members or managers tells you who has skin in the game.

County records can also help. If the LLC owns real estate or has filed deed of trust documents, those records may name the members in the borrower or guarantor section.

When the owner will not disclose themselves

Some LLCs are intentionally opaque. A series LLC, a single-member LLC owned by another LLC, or an LLC owned by a trust can shield the beneficial owner from plain sight. This is legal, but it’s also a credit risk.

If you cannot find the beneficial owner after checking the Secretary of State record, the annual report, UCC filings, and any real estate or business loans filed in the county, ask for it directly. Request a copy of the LLC’s operating agreement, which will name the members and managers. Ask for a personal financial statement from the member(s). Ask who the beneficial owner is.

If the business refuses to disclose ownership, you have your answer about credit risk.

Cross-reference with business licenses and tax records

Washington cities and counties issue business licenses, and many of these records are searchable online. The license application often requires an owner name and address. Pull the business license for the LLC in the county where it operates. Does the owner name match who showed up on the Secretary of State record? If not, you have a discrepancy to resolve.

Some counties also require UBI (Unified Business Identifier) registration. The UBI record may carry additional ownership details. It’s one more layer to check before you say the ownership is verified.

Bottom line

Washington’s free public records do not always show who owns an LLC on the first look. The registered agent is a dead end. Start with the Secretary of State’s Certificate and annual reports, then move to UCC filings and county business records. If the owner is still obscured, ask for the operating agreement and a personal guarantee. A credible borrower with nothing to hide will disclose. When you need to pull all these pieces together across multiple records and states, a streamlined verification tool saves you hours and catches the gaps. Either way, never finance an LLC without knowing who actually owns it.