How to check company registration in the USA?

In today’s world, where global economic relations are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected, it is important to have reliable baseline data on enterprises. American business, as one of the key participants in the global economy, attracts the attention of entrepreneurs, investors and researchers from around the world. In this context, access to accurate and up-to-date information about companies registered in the United States is of particular importance. However, it may be difficult to find the information you are interested in only due to the fact that each state has its own rules and laws. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the staff, so further actions will depend on this. Our experts will help you find and verify the information you need quickly and easily.

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Step-by-step guide to check company registration: efficient verification and its importance

Checking a business in America will provide information about the following:

• status of a legal entity (active, liquidated, absorbed, bankrupt, etc.);
• management and founders; about the type of activity;
• trademark presence and its peculiarities;
• presence/absence of debt to tax authorities, counterparties, local departments;
• absence of violations in the deadlines for paying taxes and submitting reports;
• on financial and tax reporting;
• presence of open/closed court cases; name and address of the registered agent.

So, now let’s talk about the register of companies in the USA. Conventionally, sources of information can be divided into regional and state. The choice of registry for company verification depends on the purpose of the verification. If you want to obtain information about a company’s financial performance, you should use the EDGAR or NCDB search engine. If you want to obtain company registration information, you should use the US government registry of companies. If you want to obtain information about the owners of shares in a company, you should use the Shareholder Register.

Each state maintains its own US Trade Registry of Companies. Local chambers of commerce and regional organizations can provide access to local businesses and their activities. There are also special registration organizations for the provision of commercial information. Their database contains information about millions of companies, including financial data, credit reports, and other important aspects.

How to verify your company in the USA?

The verification requirements for US companies are different for each type of company. You must always enter your Social Security Number (SSN) in addition to your company’s supporting documents. Entering your SSN is a completely secure, one-time verification process that meets US regulatory requirements.

All business documentation must be stamped and/or signed by a government agency in order for us to accept and verify it. For each business, you can also obtain information about commercial corporate accounts used to conduct business. The account holder is usually a director, shareholder or employee who manages the finances of the business.

In order to be further verified as a registered and legally operating business entity, the following types of US businesses must provide the following information.

1. Legal name of the organization.
2. The company’s actual place of business and American address (as a rule, PO Box data is not accepted as a residential address).
3. Employer/taxpayer number.
4. A list of shareholders who own 25 percent or more of the business, including their full name, country of residence, date of birth and the exact percentage of shares they own.
5. List of directors including full name, country of residence and date of birth.
6. Company details: website and a brief description of the company’s activities.
7. If the shareholder owning 25% or more of the business is another business, then information about the owners of that business will be needed: full name, date of birth and country of residence.

For a limited partnership (LLP), you must provide detailed information about the company’s managing partner: full name, date of birth and country of residence. For unlimited liability companies, a general partnership agreement is also required, which specifies the partners and their powers, and a receipt of acceptance of the application, if the above documents are not certified (they do not have the stamp of official authorities). Private firms need personal data of owners and any involved persons.

To check, you must first obtain at least a minimum of information about the company.

1. Information about a USA counterparty can be obtained from a business card, cover letter, or draft agreement. Usually there is a contact person, name and address of the legal entity, email, and contact numbers. If you have a name, registered address, and identification number, you can search for a legal entity in state trade registries.
2. Typically, legal entities in America are registered where they plan to work. Since it is often very difficult and expensive to open additional branches in other states. The business registration address makes it possible to find out in which state its owners (residents) live and limit the scope of searches. Also, we should not forget about the US offshores: Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands.
3. To check an American company, you need to visit the website of the Secretary of State of the state and then search using the information already available. There are links not only to trade registers of state registrars and important public data sources.
4. It is also necessary to check the company in the USA for the presence of assets. In particular, information about real estate can be found on the website of the local revenue service, on the website of the local Registrar of Deeds, on websites for collecting information about real estate and in some other web sources and portals. These registries in the USA will make it possible to find out who owns the property, its parameters, value, etc. Typically, in each state there are specialized firms that have their own databases or access to real estate databases and, for a fee, search for information about a specific property.
5. Check the business structure for patents or other intellectual property. Information about such objects is stored on the USPTO website. You can also obtain information about a legal entity from your local licensing and permitting office.
6. Verification in the court register. Each county in the state has its own court and registry. To check an American company in the USA, it is recommended to also search for information there. First, you need to decide on the district where the legal entity is registered.

Depending on your state, you may be able to verify your business structure by providing the next-mentioned information.

1. Registration date.
2. Company registration number.
3. Legal address.
4. Registered agent.
5. Information about the legal status of the company.
6. Date of termination of activity.
7. Composition of the founders (this item depends on the state).
8. History of any company change implemented.

The amount of information depends on the state of the registered company.

Our team is ready to provide you with comprehensive support in verifying a company in the USA. We have enormous experience and extensive knowledge, which helps us carry out any operations as efficiently as possible. Contact us now for an initial consultation.

Article’s author is Denys Chernyshov – founder and CEO of the globally-famous organization Eternity Law International.