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 23, 2026

Washington County DBA search — how to look up a fictitious business name (TN)

A DBA—doing business as, also called a fictitious business name or assumed name—is not a legal entity. It is a filing that says “Person X or Company Y is using this other name in public.” When you encounter a Tennessee business using a DBA, you must look up the underlying entity to verify creditworthiness. A DBA filing alone tells you only the trade name and the person behind it · it does not tell you the entity’s registered status, officer roster, or tax standing. Washington County, Tennessee keeps these records at the county clerk level, and the filing is public, but it is not a substitute for a Secretary of State lookup of the actual entity.

What a DBA filing actually contains

When a sole proprietor, partnership, or LLC in Washington County registers a fictitious business name, the county clerk records the owner’s legal name, the DBA trade name, the business address, and the filing and expiration dates. That is the core of the record. Some filings include phone or email, but the point is simple: the document proves “Jane Smith is operating as Johnson City Appliance Repair” but does not prove Jane Smith is creditworthy, insured, or in good standing with the state.

The filing is public record, and the county clerk’s office in Johnson City maintains and indexes these records. If you are underwriting a piece of equipment or a line of credit and the applicant is operating under a DBA, you must first confirm the DBA exists and then verify the person or entity behind it through the state of Tennessee’s Secretary of State office.

Why DBA searches are not enough for credit

A DBA is a name only. It does not require the owner to obtain a business license, register as an LLC, or incorporate. A sole proprietor can file a DBA in Washington County and still have no legal structure, no tax ID beyond their SSN, and no public filings with the state. This creates a serious underwriting gap.

If you run a DBA search and confirm the name is registered, you have confirmed the owner filed paperwork with the county. You have not confirmed:

· Whether the owner is the person you are talking to (the owner can die, sell the business, or abandon the name, and records may not update immediately). · The entity’s actual legal status (registered, dissolved, revoked, in default). · Whether the owner has other liabilities, liens, or tax judgments. · The owner’s personal or business credit history. · Whether the owner is OFAC-cleared or on any sanctions list.

All of these require a state-level lookup of the underlying entity or individual, plus UCC and lien searches in the county. The DBA filing is just the first step.

How to search Washington County fictitious business names

The county clerk’s office in Johnson City handles DBA registrations for Washington County. You can visit the clerk’s office in person or call to ask if a specific fictitious business name is on file. Some counties maintain searchable online indexes; others require a direct request. Tennessee law requires DBAs to be renewed periodically, so an old filing may not reflect current business operations.

Once you confirm the DBA exists and identify the legal owner’s name and address, your next move is to look up that person or entity in Tennessee’s Secretary of State records. If the owner is an LLC or corporation, you will find the entity’s registered agent, officers, filing status, and date of formation. If the owner is a sole proprietor, you will not find them in the Secretary of State records · you will need to verify their identity through other means (SSN, driver’s license, credit report) and pull UCC and lien records from Washington County to assess risk.

The DBA-to-entity link is critical for underwriting

Many underwriters skip the DBA-to-entity step and treat the DBA as if it were a registered business. This is a common error. An applicant tells you “I am John Smith, doing business as Smith Excavation.” You pull the DBA, confirm John Smith filed it, and then you stop. But you have not checked whether Smith Excavation (the LLC or corporation) is in good standing with Tennessee, whether there are UCC liens against the company’s equipment, or whether John Smith has a track record of defaults.

Conversely, if the applicant says “Smith Excavation LLC is the company” and you pull the LLC record from Tennessee’s Secretary of State, you must also check for any DBAs the LLC is using. An LLC can file multiple DBAs, and a DBA filing may reveal a secondary trade name or a recent name change that is not yet reflected in the state record.

Pulling the full underwriting file on a Washington County DBA

Start with the county DBA search to confirm the fictitious name exists and to identify the owner. Then:

Pull the underlying entity (LLC, corporation, sole proprietor) from Tennessee’s Secretary of State or the federal EIN database if the owner is an individual.
Verify the entity’s filing status, registered agent, and officers.
Search UCC filings in Washington County and the state UCC system for liens, security interests, and prior defaults.
Search lien records (county tax, judgment, and federal tax liens) in Washington County.
Run a USDOT / FMCSA check if the business operates vehicles; verify MC number and safety rating.
Check OFAC and sanctions lists for the owner and officers.

A DBA filing is a data point. It is not a credit decision. The DBA tells you the business is using a trade name; the entity lookup, liens, and references tell you whether the business is viable.

Bottom line

A Washington County DBA search confirms a fictitious business name is registered and identifies the owner behind it. But a DBA is not a legal entity and carries none of the public financial or regulatory history you need to underwrite credit. Once you confirm the DBA exists, treat it as a signpost to the real entity · the LLC, corporation, or individual operating under that name. Look up the underlying entity in Tennessee’s Secretary of State, pull UCC and lien records, and verify any USDOT or license status. The DBA filing is step one; the entity verification is step two. Skipping either one is how underwriters miss red flags.