Verify any California business in seconds.
California SOS entity data + USDOT/FMCSA carrier records + OFAC SDN screening — all in one verification packet. Real-time pull from the official CA SOS, normalized into a clean credit-file PDF.
What you get with a California lookup
- California SOS entity record — name, status, entity type, formation date, registered agent + address, principal office, and officers/managers where the state exposes them.
- USDOT / FMCSA carrier verification — for trucking deals, we pull the carrier's authority status, MC#, fleet size, MCS-150 history, and BASIC scores. Auto-matched to the SOS legal name when applicable.
- OFAC SDN screening — every search runs the company name against the Treasury sanctions list. Clear-result PDFs are signed.
- DBA / Fictitious Name registries — surfaces the county/town clerk where this entity would file a DBA in California, plus the statewide registry when one exists.
- One merged PDF — cover sheet + SOS record + USDOT snapshot + supporting docs, all in a credit-file-ready packet.
How California files business entities
California files LLCs and corporations through the bizfile Online portal, a React SPA that replaced the legacy 1995-era system in 2022. California carries more active business entities than any other state — well into the millions.
Official portal: California Secretary of State (bizfile Online) ↗
How DBAs work in California
California Fictitious Business Names (FBNs) file at the COUNTY level — typically the County Clerk or Registrar-Recorder where the business operates. Los Angeles County alone processes more FBN filings than most full states; cross-county DBA searches require querying each county portal separately.
Credit-underwriting gotchas in California
California requires a Statement of Information re-filing every 2 years for LLCs (every year for corporations). Missing this triggers an automatic $250 penalty and eventual 'Suspended' status — meaning the entity cannot sign contracts, defend lawsuits, or transact business. A 'Suspended' California entity can technically still appear active on third-party data, so always check the Standing column on bizfile directly.
Practical California reference
Filing fees: $70 LLC formation fee + $800/year minimum franchise tax (owed even if dormant) + $20 Statement of Information filing every 2 years
Officer visibility: Officers and managers ARE visible on the public bizfile detail page, but the actual Statement of Information PDF requires clicking through to fetch. The free download has been a public option since the 2022 platform refresh.
California county DBA registries
We've indexed 30 California county clerk DBA portals with deep-links straight to each one's search form — no landing pages, no clicking around. Members can paste any California address and we'll tell them exactly which county clerk to search.
Open the California county registry →✓ California is fully automated
VerifySOS pulls the California SOS record directly in real-time. Most CA lookups complete in seconds — no manual lookup, no PDF upload required. Owners/officers are included wherever California publishes them on the free public record.
Verify a California business now
Paste a company name above — your first three lookups are free. No card, no signup, just real California SOS data in seconds.
Or browse all 50 state pages to see what we cover.