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 August 02, 2026

Salt Lake County DBA search — how to look up a fictitious business name (UT)

A fictitious business name (FBN) filing, or DBA, is not an LLC or corporation. It’s a person or entity operating under a trade name · and it shows up in county records, not the state. If you’re underwriting a small business in Salt Lake County, Utah, and the applicant operates under a name that doesn’t match their registered entity, you need to pull that DBA record. It will tell you the legal owner, the filing date, and whether the name is current · but it will not tell you what you need to know about the business’s legal standing or formation.

What a Salt Lake County DBA actually shows

When someone files a fictitious business name with Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office, they are registering a trade name under which they will do business. The filing includes the true legal name of the person(s) or entity running it, the DBA name they are trading under, the address, and the date the name was first used. Utah law requires the DBA to be renewed every five years. The record is public and searchable.

This is critical: the DBA filing does not create a legal entity. It does not form a company. It does not shield personal liability. If you see a DBA, you are looking at a sole proprietor, a partnership, or an existing LLC/corporation choosing to operate under an assumed name. The DBA is the alias, not the foundation.

Where to search and what you’ll find

The Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office maintains a searchable index of fictitious business names filed in the county. You can access this through the county’s official records portal. Search by the DBA name, the legal owner’s name, or the filing number if you have it.

When you pull a result, you will see the filing date, the legal owner(s), the DBA name, the business address, the primary business activity, and the expiration date. Renewals extend the registration for another five years. An expired DBA means the business is no longer operating under that name · it does not mean the underlying person or entity is closed.

Why a DBA is not enough for underwriting

Here’s where many credit officers stumble: finding a current DBA does not tell you whether the underlying business is legitimate or solvent. A DBA registration is a filing, not a balance sheet. It does not show whether the business has a bank account, employees, revenue, or debt. It does not show UCC liens, tax liens, or civil judgments against the person or entity behind it.

If the applicant is a sole proprietor operating under a DBA, you cannot verify the business through the state Secretary of State because there is no state-level entity on file. The DBA is the only public record of the trade name. But the person running it is liable as an individual. You will need to pull their personal credit report, their tax returns, and UCC searches against their individual name and the DBA name.

If the DBA is filed by an LLC or corporation, you still need to verify the underlying entity at the state level. Check the company’s standing in the Secretary of State database. Confirm the registered agent, the members or officers, and whether the entity is in good standing and up to date on annual filings.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the DBA owner as the borrower without checking their personal credit. A person filing a DBA is personally liable for all debts incurred under that name. You must pull their credit report, not just the DBA record.

Assuming an expired DBA means the business is closed. It may be. Or the owner may have simply let the registration lapse or moved to operating as a partnership or LLC without bothering to renew. Expiration is a red flag, not proof of closure.

Pulling only the DBA and skipping the state-level entity check. If the DBA is filed by a corporation or LLC, the DBA record does not show you the company’s formation, officers, or financial standing. You must check the Secretary of State separately.

Confusing a DBA with a business license. They are different. A DBA is a name registration. A business license is a permit issued by the city or county to operate a specific type of business. Some businesses need both.

How to verify the full entity behind a DBA

Start with the DBA record. Identify the legal owner or entity named on the filing. If the owner is an individual, pull their personal credit report and check for UCC liens, judgments, and tax liens under their name and the DBA name. If the owner is a corporation or LLC, go to the Utah Secretary of State and pull the full entity record. Check the formation date, registered agent, members or officers, and current status. Then search UCC filings statewide against both the entity name and the DBA name. A single DBA search is the beginning, not the end.

Bottom line

A Salt Lake County fictitious business name search will tell you the legal owner, the filing date, and whether the DBA is current. It will not tell you whether the business is solvent, creditworthy, or backed by a real entity in good standing. Treat the DBA as a red flag or a lead · not as proof of identity or legitimacy. If you are underwriting across multiple states and counties, pulling DBAs by hand and cross-checking them against state records and UCC filings becomes a bottleneck fast. Automating the pull of DBA, entity, and UCC data into a single report saves time and catches the details that sink deals.