California entity search: How to find your business information

California business entity information for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships, including entity name, type, number, and formation date, is available through the California Secretary of State's bizfile Online portal.

Below is how to search the database, where each of those four data points sits, and what format each takes.

Summary table: finding your California entity information

Check California Secretary of State records and your formation documents when gathering these details.

How to search for California business entities

California maintains records for registered corporations, LLCs, and LPs, which are associated with entity names and Secretary of State file numbers. You can look these up through the California business entity search.

Enter your business name in the search field. The current Business Search — Search Tips page describes three search modes: Keyword, Exact, and Begins with. A keyword search for "Acme" returns "Acme Industries LLC," "Super Acme Corp," and similar matches.

For more precise results, use your complete legal name exactly as it appears, including "LLC," "Inc.," or other designators. Leaving them off widens the result set.

Entity number searches work differently depending on the age of the number. For older corporation numbers, keep the "C" prefix and enter it together with the seven-digit number, for example C0254285; the digits alone will not return a result. For entities issued the newer 12-character alphanumeric ID beginning with "B," include the "B" as part of the search term.

Note: Advanced Search offers additional filters beyond the basic keyword, exact, and begins-with modes, so use it if a basic search doesn't return the entity you're looking for.

The search does not cover every entity type. According to the SOS Service of Process page, information for limited liability partnerships, general partnerships, associations, and other entity types "are not contained in the Business Search."

Use the search results to identify the correct entity record before pulling the entity number, type, and formation date details that follow.

What you'll see in search results

A California business search result typically displays information such as the entity name and number, filing date, status, entity type, jurisdiction, and agent for service of process, though exact column labels can shift as the Secretary of State updates the bizfile Online interface.

How to find your entity number in California

The Secretary of State assigned your California entity number when your business registered.

California entity number format

The number takes one of two common formats:

• Older corporations: a 7-digit number with a "C" prefix, entered together, for example C0254285

• Corporations, LLCs, and LPs registered under the updated numbering system: a 12-character, alphanumeric ID beginning with "B"

Entities with preexisting numbers keep their original format. The Franchise Tax Board's March 2026 Tax News Flash confirms that, since 2025, the Secretary of State has been issuing this 12-character alphanumeric ID to newly formed corporations, LLCs, and LPs. That FTB guidance is about tax-return and payment software specifically: it instructs filers to enter only the numeric digits of a "B"-prefixed ID when filing electronically. It does not change how you search bizfile Online, where the "B" should still be included.

Where to locate your California entity number

1. bizfile Online business search (fastest method)

• Shown in the bizfile Online business search

• Labeled "Entity Number," the identification number the Secretary of State assigns at registration

• Format: a "C"-prefixed 7-digit number, or a "B"-prefixed 12-character alphanumeric ID, depending on registration date

2. Articles of Incorporation or Organization (formation certificate)

• Assigned by the Secretary of State when the articles were filed

3. California annual report filings and state correspondence

• The Franchise Tax Board also references this number, calling it the Entity ID or California Corporation Number in its own filings. FTB's identification-number help distinguish several ID types (Corporation, LLC, Partnership, SOS-issued ID, FTB-issued ID, and FEIN), so confirm which one a given FTB form is asking for rather than assuming the SOS number always applies. A partnership that registers with the FTB using an FTB-issued ID, rather than an SOS number, is generally assigned a separate 9-digit ID; other FTB self-service tools accept entity IDs of varying length (7, 10, 11, or 12 digits) depending on the entity and identifier type.

What your entity number is not

Your California entity number is different from:

• Federal EIN (Employer Identification Number), a 9-digit number formatted like 12-3456789 and issued by the IRS for tax filing and reporting, per the IRS Form SS-4 page

• California tax account numbers (sales tax permit number, FTB-issued ID)

• Business license numbers (city or county), which the Secretary of State does not issue

• California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) seller's permit and account numbers

How to find your entity type in California

The Secretary of State's Business Entities Section registers corporations (stock and nonprofit), LLCs, LPs, LLPs, and other specialized entity types, and the entity type for any searchable entity appears in the "Entity Type" column of its results row. General partnerships are typically not required to register with the Secretary of State, and the SOS Service of Process page confirms the business search itself does not cover them.

Where to find your California entity type

1. bizfile Online business search (most accessible)

• Displayed: In the "Entity Type" column of search results

• Distinguishes: Domestic from foreign entities, and stock from nonprofit corporations. The SOS Business Search FAQ describes the covered entities as "domestic stock, domestic nonprofit and qualified foreign corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships that have filed with this office"

• Filterable: Advanced Search lets you refine results by entity type or grouping

2. Articles of Incorporation or Organization (formation certificate)

• Names the type you registered as, in the wording used on the SOS form

How to find your formation date in California

Use the SOS record's formation, registration, or conversion date to identify the original California filing. Current SOS materials describe this as the "formation, registration or conversion date" of an entity, and it can differ from a later legal effective date where the applicable statute permits a delayed effective date.

Where your California formation date appears

1. bizfile Online business search (easiest access)

• California records the formation, registration, or conversion date within the entity's search result; verify the current field label directly in the portal, since SOS terminology for this field has varied over time.

2. Articles of Incorporation or Organization (formation certificate)

• Carries the file date the Secretary of State recorded

3. Statement of Information confirmations

Your Statement of Information schedule runs off this same date. Corporations file within 90 days of their original articles and annually thereafter under section 1502(a), LLCs within 90 days and biennially thereafter under section 17702.09(a); the filing period is the calendar month of the original filing plus the five preceding months.

Formation date vs. effective date

Use your formation date (file date) as the default. Section 110(c) of the Corporations Code allows a corporate instrument to take effect up to 90 days after its filing date; how that delayed-effective-date option interacts with an entity's original articles specifically is a question worth confirming with counsel rather than assuming. A parallel provision for LLCs appears in section 17702.05(c).

• Formation date (file date): when the Secretary of State processed your original articles

• Effective date: a later date that may appear on subsequent filings if you elected one

Automate California Statement of Information filings with Discern

With your California entity name, type, number, and formation date in hand, the next step is keeping the record current. California entities generally must designate an agent for service of process, as confirmed by the SOS Service of Process page. Discern's registered agent service covers all 51 jurisdictions and tracks each California entity's Statement of Information on its own schedule, annual for corporations and biennial for LLCs.

Customers managing 200+ state registrations spend just 5 to 10 minutes a year on this kind of compliance work, because Discern centralizes registered agent coverage and filing deadlines across an entity portfolio instead of tracking them one state at a time.

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Frequently asked questions about California business entity search

These questions cover the search issues that come up most often when looking up a California entity.

Why doesn't my California LLC show up in the business search?

Search results are returned regardless of an entity's current status, so a suspended or dissolved entity should still appear. If you're not finding a match, try the full legal name with its designator ("LLC," "Inc."), or double-check the entity number format: a "C" prefix stays attached to older corporation numbers, and a "B" prefix stays attached to the newer 12-character alphanumeric IDs.

Can I look up a general partnership in bizfile Online?

No. The Secretary of State's Service of Process page states that information for limited liability partnerships, general partnerships, and associations "are not contained in the Business Search," which covers corporations, LLCs, and LPs.

Where do I find my California entity number if I only have my formation certificate?

It's printed directly on the Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization the Secretary of State returned when your original filing was processed. It's also visible in your bizfile Online search result.

How often does a California entity need to file a Statement of Information?

Corporations file within 90 days of their original articles and annually thereafter; LLCs file within 90 days and biennially thereafter. Both run on a filing period tied to the calendar month of the original filing plus the five preceding months.