You can find Florida business entity information, including entity name, type, document number, and formation date, through the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations search portal, known as Sunbiz.

The database is free and publicly accessible, with no login, registration, or payment required. According to the Division FAQs, images of most documents filed since 1996 can be downloaded at no charge.

The portal covers corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and trademarks. Nine search options are available: entity name, officer or registered agent name, registered agent name, trademark name, trademark owner name, FEI/EIN number, document number, zip code, and street address.

Summary table: finding your Florida entity information

The table below shows where each data point lives in Florida's system and what it looks like.

How to search for Florida business entities

Go to Florida's business entity search to look up any registered business by name, document number, or any of the other criteria listed above.

Partial-match searching is supported for entity names. Per the state's corporation records guide, entering "Little Red Sch" returns "Little Red School House, Inc.," and punctuation is optional. Using your complete legal name as registered still gets you the most precise results.

Individual name searches, such as looking up a business by its registered agent, require the format "Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial." Partial entries such as "Doe, J" are accepted on the registered agent search.

Click your entity name in the results to view complete details.

What you'll see in search results

The results list itself shows only three columns before you click through: Corporate Name, Document Number, and Status. Opening the entity detail page reveals the rest, including the following:

• Legal entity name and entity type designation

• Document Number and FEI/EIN Number

• Date Filed, Status, and Effective Date (if different from the filing date)

• Last Event, Event Date Filed, and Event Effective Date

• Principal and mailing addresses, with change dates

• Registered agent name and address

• Officer, director, manager, or authorized person detail, with title codes such as PD (President/Director) and MGRM (Manager/Member)

• The year and filing date of the last three annual reports

• "View image in PDF format" links for downloadable filings

Status codes shown on the detail page include Active (good standing), Inactive, Inactive/UA (name held for the statutory period after dissolution or revocation), Inactive/MG (merger), Inactive/CV (conversion), Name HS (a previous entity name), and Cross Ref (the entity's home-state name for a foreign filer), per the Division's explanation of status terms.

How to find your entity number in Florida

Your Florida entity number is officially called your "Document Number." The state's annual report instructions define it as the 6- or 12-digit number assigned to your entity when it was filed or registered with the Division of Corporations.

Three sources show this number, starting with the fastest option below.

1. Florida business search (fastest method): shown in search results and on the entity detail page, labeled "Document Number."

2. Certificate of Formation, Organization, or Incorporation: appears on your formation certificate.

3. Sunbiz annual report filings and state correspondence: appears on all official Division of Corporations documents. It also serves as your account identifier; the online filing portal requires it to start an annual report.

Florida Document Number format

Document Numbers come in two lengths, and the pattern differs by age of the filing.

• Format: either 6 or 12 digits. The first character of a 12-digit number is a letter; every other character is numeric. Six-digit numbers are older, all-numeric legacy identifiers.

• Examples: L23000492338 (Florida LLC), P15000062030 (Florida profit corporation).

• Observed prefixes: L (Florida LLC), P (Florida profit corporation), N (Florida not-for-profit corporation), A (Florida limited partnership), B (foreign limited partnership), F (foreign profit corporation), M (foreign LLC), based on patterns in current Sunbiz records.

• Entry tip: type the numeral 0, not the letter O, in the document number search field; the letter O returns a "Record Not Found" error.

• Fictitious names differ: they use a separate "Registration Number" field, distinct from the Document Number system used for other entity types.

How to find your entity type in Florida

Florida lists your entity type using its official designations, such as "Florida Limited Liability Company," "Florida Profit Corporation," "Florida Non-Profit Corporation," and "Florida Limited or Limited Liability Limited Partnership."

1. Florida business search (most accessible): displayed at the top of the entity detail page, using Florida's specific designation.

2. Certificate of Formation, Organization, or Incorporation: listed on your formation document.

3. Annual reports: listed in the entity information section.

How to find your formation date in Florida

Your formation date appears in Sunbiz as "Date Filed," shown in both search results and the entity detail page. It also appears on your formation certificate. Florida annual reports are due by May 1 each year regardless of when you formed, per the state's annual report instructions.

Formation date vs. effective date

By default, the filing date and effective date are the same. Under Fla. Stat. Section 605.0207(1) for LLCs and Fla. Stat. Section 607.0123(1)(a) for corporations, a record becomes effective on the date and time it is accepted, unless the filing specifies otherwise.

Both statutes allow a delayed effective date of up to the 90th day after filing, or a prior effective date on initial articles of up to 5 business days before filing. For LLCs, Fla. Stat. Section 605.0201(4) adds one more condition: the company is formed only when the articles become effective and at least one person has become a member. If a delayed date was elected, the Sunbiz detail page shows an "Effective Date" separate from "Date Filed;" use the Effective Date as the commencement-of-existence date for due-diligence purposes.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Florida entity search free?

Yes. Sunbiz requires no login, registration, or payment, and images of most documents filed since 1996 download at no charge from the entity detail page.

What does a Florida Document Number look like?

It is either 6 or 12 digits. The 12-digit format begins with a letter followed by all-numeric characters; 6-digit numbers are older, all-numeric legacy identifiers. Enter the numeral 0, not the letter O, when searching by document number.

What is the difference between formation date and effective date in Florida?

By default, they are the same date. Under Fla. Stat. Section 605.0207(1) for LLCs and Fla. Stat. Section 607.0123(1)(a) for corporations, a filing takes effect when accepted unless a delayed or prior effective date is specified. If a delayed date was elected, Sunbiz shows a separate "Effective Date" field on the entity detail page.

What do Florida's entity status codes mean?

Active means the entity is in good standing. Inactive/UA means the name is held for a statutory period after dissolution or revocation. Inactive/MG and Inactive/CV indicate the entity became inactive through a merger or conversion. Name HS marks a previous entity name, and Cross Ref shows the entity's home-state name for a foreign filer. Full definitions are available on the Division's explanation of status terms.