How to Do a Florida Business Entity Search (Sunbiz)

Whether you are checking if a company name is free before you file, or researching an existing Florida business before you sign a contract, the answer lives in one free government database: Sunbiz. This guide walks you through every search type, what each status label means, the fees you will run into, and a dedicated section for non-US founders who want to form a Florida LLC without ever setting foot in the state.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the country for new companies, and for good reason: a huge consumer market, no personal state income tax, and a registry that anyone can search in seconds. Below we show you exactly how to use it.

Key Florida business search terms

Before you start searching, it helps to know the vocabulary. Florida uses its own labels, and they are not always identical to other states.

What is the Florida business entity search tool (Sunbiz)?

The official tool is run by the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, and the public knows it by the nickname of its website: Sunbiz. The name-search portal lives at search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ByName.

It is completely free, and you do not need to register or create an account to search. Sunbiz is the system of record for every corporation, LLC, limited partnership, and fictitious name in the state, and it is updated as filings are processed. That makes it the authoritative source , far more reliable than any third-party data aggregator that scrapes and resells the same information.

Sunbiz offers several distinct search types: by entity name, by officer or registered agent name, by FEI/EIN number, and by document number. There is also an address/ZIP lookup. Each is suited to a different question, which we cover next.

When to use a Florida business entity search

There are five common reasons people open Sunbiz:

1. Checking name availability before forming an LLC or corporation, so your Articles of Organization are not rejected.

2. Verifying a company's status , confirming a vendor, client, or partner is Active and not dissolved before you do business with them.

3. Looking up a registered agent or officer , finding who is officially behind a company, or what other entities a person is tied to.

4. Due diligence ahead of an acquisition, investment, partnership, or lease.

5. Finding an entity's document or FEI number for your own filings, banking, or legal paperwork.

If you are about to form a company, the name-availability check is the one you cannot skip , Florida will reject a filing if your name is not distinguishable from an existing record.

Step-by-step: how to search Sunbiz

Step 1 , Open the official portal. Go to search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ByName. Confirm you are on the genuine sunbiz.org domain , only state .org pages are official.

Step 2 , Choose your search method. Use the menu to pick the right type: Entity Name (the default), Officer/Registered Agent Name, FEI/EIN Number, or Document Number. If you know the document number, that returns the single exact record fastest.

Step 3 , Apply Florida-specific search tips. Sunbiz matches from the beginning of the name, so type the distinctive core of the name rather than a full legal string. Drop entity designators like "LLC," "Inc," or "Corp" , they are excluded from the distinguishability test anyway. Try a short, unique fragment first and widen if you get too few results.

Step 4 , Read your results list. You will see a list of matching entities with their status (Active or Inactive) shown alongside each name. Click any entity to open its detail record.

Step 5 , Open the detail record and download documents. The detail page shows the principal address, registered agent, officers/managers, document number, FEI/EIN, filing date, and the entity's full filing history. From here you can view and download filed documents and, for your own entity, order a Certificate of Status.

Florida entity status definitions

Florida keeps its labels simpler than many states, but the nuance matters:

• Active , In good standing and current on filings. This is what you want a partner (or your own company) to show.

• Inactive , A catch-all for entities no longer in good standing. The detail page specifies why: voluntarily dissolved, administratively dissolved (usually for a missed annual report), withdrawn, or revoked.

• Administratively Dissolved , The state shut the entity down for non-compliance, most often a missed annual report. This can be cured through reinstatement.

• Dissolved / Withdrawn , The entity has been wound down (dissolved) or, in the case of an out-of-state company, ended its Florida registration (withdrawn).

If a name you want is held by an Inactive entity, it may become available , but treat that carefully, since reinstatement rights and timing can affect whether you can use it.

Florida-specific quirks and tips

This is where Florida differs from every other state, and where most generic guides fall short:

• No personal state income tax. Florida levies no individual state income tax, and a standard LLC is a pass-through entity , a major reason founders, especially those running e-commerce or real estate, choose it.

• The May 1 annual report deadline is brutal. Your annual report ($138.75) must be received by 11:59 PM ET on May 1. There is no grace period: on May 2, a flat $400 late fee is added automatically, pushing the total to $538.75. Mark this date.

• Miss it long enough and you are dissolved. If the report still is not filed, the state administratively dissolves the entity around the third Friday of September. Reinstatement then costs $100 plus the outstanding report fees.

• Florida calls good-standing a "Certificate of Status." If a bank or another state asks for a "certificate of good standing," order the Certificate of Status from Sunbiz , same thing, Florida's name for it.

• Document number vs. FEI/EIN are different IDs. The document number is assigned by Florida; the FEI/EIN comes from the IRS. Sunbiz lets you search by either, but do not confuse them on paperwork.

• DBAs are "Fictitious Names." If you trade under a different name, register a Fictitious Name separately , it is a distinct filing from your entity.

• Member privacy is limited. Florida records list the registered agent and managers/managing members publicly, so plan your structure accordingly if privacy matters to you.

Florida business entity search for non-US founders

Florida is a standout choice for international founders, and the search process is identical no matter where you live. Non-residents of any nationality can own a Florida LLC, and you do not need to visit the US or hold a visa to form one. The state is especially popular with founders from Latin America and the Caribbean, and with anyone building an e-commerce or US real estate business who wants access to the American market without a state income tax.

A few things to know if you are forming from abroad:

• You still need a registered agent with a physical Florida address , you cannot use a foreign address for this role.

• You do not need a Social Security Number to get an EIN; it can be obtained for non-residents, and the IRS issues a confirmation letter (the CP-575) as proof.

• A US business address and a US bank account make operating far easier , both are things you will want lined up before you launch.

This is exactly what Bastion handles end to end, which we cover below.

What to do after your Florida name search

If the name is available: you can move straight to forming. Reserving a name is optional in Florida , most founders simply file the Articles of Organization (state fee $125) to lock the name in by creating the entity. If you are not ready to file, the practical move is to file soon, since Florida does not offer a long, robust reservation window the way some states do.

If the name is taken: you have options. Modify it so it is distinguishable (a different distinctive word, not just adding "LLC"); check whether the holder is Inactive and the name may free up; register a Fictitious Name (DBA) to trade under a different name; or choose a different entity type or spelling. When in doubt, run a fresh Sunbiz search on each variation before committing.

Forming a Florida LLC? Bastion handles all of it

If your name is clear, the next step is forming. Bastion forms your Florida LLC from anywhere in the world, starting at $450 + the state fee. Our package includes the name check, Articles of Organization filing, your EIN with the official CP-575 letter (for non-residents without an SSN), a registered agent for year one, a US mailing address with mail scanning for year one, an operating agreement, and US bank account assistance.

Form your Florida LLC from $450 → · Questions? Message us on WhatsApp. (Registered agent renews at $99/yr.)

Related Bastion guides

• Florida LLC formation hub

• Florida LLC name search

• Florida Certificate of Good Standing

Business entity search guides for other states:

• Wyoming Business Entity Search

• Delaware Business Entity Search

• Texas Business Entity Search

Image alt text suggestion: "Florida Sunbiz business entity search results page showing an Active LLC status on the Division of Corporations website."