A California business entity search tells you two things: whether the name you want is available, and the official public record of any company already registered in the state. Both run on the same free government portal, and neither needs an account.
This guide covers where the search lives, how to read what it returns, and the one California detail that changes the whole decision for most founders. We also cover what the official search does not show you, which is the part most guides skip.
Where the official California business search lives
The official tool is bizfileOnline, run by the California Secretary of State:
https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business
It is free, needs no login, and covers LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships and registered foreign entities. You can search by entity name or by the state-issued entity number. Ignore third-party sites that charge for this data. It is public and free at the source.
What the official search will not tell you
This is worth knowing before you spend time on the portal. The California business search shows entity name, status, formation date, jurisdiction, agent for service of process, and filing history. It does not show:
- Who owns the company. Members and managers do not appear in the search result. Some ownership detail appears on the Statement of Information filing, which is a separate document.
- Whether the name clears trademark. Distinguishability against the state register is not a trademark search. Those are separate and independent.
- Whether the entity owes the Franchise Tax Board. An entity can appear Active in the Secretary of State record while carrying an unpaid franchise tax balance. Status with the FTB is tracked separately.
- Whether a similar name exists in another state. The register is California only.
Key California business search terms
| Term | What it means in California |
|---|---|
| Active | The entity is registered and has not been suspended, dissolved or cancelled. |
| FTB Suspended | The Franchise Tax Board has suspended the entity, almost always for unpaid tax or an unfiled return. The entity loses the right to do business and to defend a lawsuit. |
| SOS Suspended | The Secretary of State has suspended the entity, usually for a missing Statement of Information. |
| Dissolved / Cancelled | The entity has been formally closed. |
| Entity Number | The state identifier assigned at registration. Not the same as an EIN. |
| Agent for Service of Process | California's term for the registered agent. |
| Articles of Organization (LLC-1) | The document that forms a California LLC. |
| Statement of Information (LLC-12) | Due within 90 days of formation and every two years after. $20. |
| Minimum Franchise Tax | $800 per year, owed regardless of revenue or activity. |
Step by step
Step 1. Open bizfileOnline
Go to bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business. No account is required to search.
Step 2. Search the distinctive words, not the full name
Type the core of your proposed name rather than the whole legal string with "LLC" attached. The designator does not make a name distinguishable on its own, so searching the full string will miss close matches that would block your filing.
Step 3. Try variants
Run singular and plural, common misspellings, and the same words in a different order. California evaluates whether names are confusingly similar, not identical only.
Step 4. Read the status carefully
California has more status states than most, and the difference matters. See the decoder below.
Step 5. Open the entity detail
Click an entity to see formation date, agent for service of process, jurisdiction and filing history. Certified copies are ordered separately from the Secretary of State.
California entity status decoder
- Active. Registered and not suspended. This is the status you want.
- FTB Suspended. The Franchise Tax Board suspended the entity. This is the most common problem status in California and usually means unpaid franchise tax or an unfiled return. A suspended entity cannot legally do business in California, cannot enforce its contracts in court, and cannot defend a lawsuit. Revivor requires clearing the balance with the FTB.
- SOS Suspended. Suspended by the Secretary of State, normally for a missed Statement of Information.
- Dissolved / Cancelled. Formally closed, voluntarily or otherwise.
- Surrendered. A foreign entity that withdrew its California registration.
If you are checking a counterparty, "Active" is the only status you should be comfortable transacting with. Treat any suspension as a stop sign until it is explained.
The California detail that changes the decision
California charges an $800 minimum annual franchise tax on every LLC, due whether the company earned $1,000,000 or nothing at all. The filing fee to form is only $70, which is why California looks cheap in comparison tables that stop at the filing fee.
Over five years that is roughly $4,070 in state costs. Wyoming over the same period is roughly $340.
This matters in one specific way. If you live and operate in California, you generally have to register there regardless, and forming elsewhere just adds a second set of fees on top. If you do not operate in California, there is usually no reason to form there.
| California | Wyoming | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing fee | $70 | $100 |
| Annual state cost | $800 franchise tax | $60 annual report |
| Biennial Statement of Information | $20 | not applicable |
| Owner names public | Partly, via Statement of Information | No |
| 5-year state cost | about $4,070 | about $340 |
If the name is available, or taken
Available. You can reserve it for 60 days with the Secretary of State, or simply file and secure it at the moment of registration.
Taken. Check the existing entity's status first. A Dissolved or Cancelled entity may free the name eventually, though nothing is guaranteed. Otherwise change a distinctive word so the name becomes distinguishable. Adding or removing "LLC" will not do it.
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California business entity search for non-US founders
The search itself is public and works identically from anywhere in the world. No US citizenship, residency or visit is required to search, reserve a name, or register a company.
The harder question for non-residents is whether California is the right state at all. In most cases it is not. If you have no California office, no California staff and no property there, you are choosing an $800 annual bill for no operational benefit. Wyoming or New Mexico usually serve the same purpose for a fraction of the cost.
The exception is real presence. If you have a California office, employees or inventory in the state, you are required to register there and the question answers itself.
Bastion Formations forms US LLCs for founders anywhere in the world from $249 + state fee, including the name check, filing, EIN with CP-575 for applicants without an SSN, registered agent for year one, US business address with mail scanning, operating agreement and bank account help.
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Next steps
Forming a new company:
- Confirm the name is available on bizfileOnline.
- Decide whether California is genuinely the right state for you.
- File the Articles of Organization (LLC-1), $70.
- File the Statement of Information (LLC-12) within 90 days, $20.
- Get your EIN from the IRS.
- Budget the $800 annual franchise tax from year one.
Researching an existing business:
- Confirm the status is Active, not FTB Suspended.
- Note the agent for service of process and formation date.
- Review the filing history and the most recent Statement of Information.
- Order a Certificate of Status if you need official proof.