How to Look Up a Business and Who Runs It
Search the official company register where the business is registered. In the US that's the Secretary of State's business search for its state, plus SEC EDGAR for public companies. In Canada, Corporations Canada's federal search (or the provincial registry) shows directors and, for federal companies, individuals with significant control. In the UK, Companies House is free and shows officers and people with significant control.
Free methods, step by step
- Get the exact legal name and where it's registered. Look at the website footer, the terms page, an invoice or a contract. You want something like "Example Trading Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 01234567". Trading names often differ from the registered name.
- Search the official register.
- UK: on Companies House's Find and update company information, type the company name or number into Enter company name, number or officer name. Open the company and read the Overview, Filing history, People and Charges tabs.
- Canada (federal): on Corporations Canada's Search for a Federal Corporation, search by Corporate name, Corporation number or Business number (BN). Provincial corporations aren't in this database, so use the provincial registry or Canada's Business Registries.
- US: use the Secretary of State's business search for the state where the company is registered. Public companies are also in SEC EDGAR, which is free.
- Read status and dates. Look for "Active" (or "Dissolved"), the date it was incorporated, and the registered office. A company claiming decades of trading that was incorporated last month is a red flag.
- Read the people. Directors and officers, and in the UK people with significant control, usually anyone with more than 25% of shares or votes. Click an officer's name on Companies House to see their other appointments.
- Check that filings are up to date. Overdue accounts or confirmation statements show up on Companies House. SEC filings show how a US public company is doing.
- Search outside the register. Search the name with "complaint", "scam" or "review", and check court records for lawsuits.
Example walkthrough
Checking a supplier before a first order
Illustrative example. The names, numbers and details are invented placeholders, not a real person or case.
A new supplier, "Placeholder Supplies Ltd", sends an invoice with a UK company number. On Companies House, the number opens a company that's "Active", was incorporated eight years ago, and has accounts filed on time. Its registered office matches the invoice. One director has held the role since incorporation. That's reassuring. If the company had been incorporated two months earlier, with a different name and address from the invoice, you'd phone the supplier on a number from its website before paying.
United States
Businesses register with a state, usually through the Secretary of State. Each state has its own free search, showing status and a registered agent. Many states don't list the owners of LLCs. Public companies file with the SEC, and EDGAR is free. There's no public IRS lookup for an ordinary business's EIN; the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search covers tax-exempt organizations only, by name or EIN.
Canada
Federal corporations show up in Corporations Canada's search, with the registered office and directors' names and addresses. Since January 22, 2024, federal (CBCA) corporations must file information on individuals with significant control, and part of it is public. You search by company, not by a person's name. Provincially incorporated businesses are in the provincial registry instead.
United Kingdom
Companies House gives some company details free, including the registered address, current and resigned officers, filed documents, charges and insolvency information. It also lists people with significant control (PSC), usually anyone with more than 25% of shares or voting rights. Sole traders aren't on it.
Common dead ends, and why they fail
- Searching a trading name. Registers hold legal names. If a search finds nothing, look for the legal name in the website's terms or on an invoice.
- Sole traders and partnerships. Unincorporated businesses aren't on Companies House or Corporations Canada. Look for a licence, a trade body membership or a local business registration instead.
- LLC owners in the US. Many states show only a registered agent, not the members.
- EIN lookups. The IRS doesn't offer a public lookup for an ordinary business's EIN. Its TEOS tool covers tax-exempt organizations only.
- Trusting that a listing means it's checked. Companies House itself says it doesn't check the accuracy of what's filed. A listing confirms that the company exists, not that it's honest.
What if nothing works
- Ask the business for its registration number and the jurisdiction it's registered in. A legitimate company can tell you straight away.
- Pay by a method with buyer protection, such as a credit card, until you're satisfied.
- If you think it's a scam, report it: ReportFraud.ftc.gov (US), the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (Canada), or Report Fraud, formerly Action Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101).
What people search for on this topic
Tax identifiers dominate: EIN, "tax id number", and "by their EIN". The IRS doesn't publish business EINs, so these searchers need a frank answer and an alternative (state filings, EDGAR, or asking the business).
Canada-flavoured suggestions are about the business number and HST number, and Ontario registration. Bing leans on licences ("business license", "in ca") and states.
"Better Business Bureau" appears, a sign that some people are checking reputation rather than registration.
Google's top suggestions for how to look up a business (US, captured October 12, 2026):
- how to look up a business license
- how to look up a business ein number
- how to look up a business
- how to look up a business name
- how to look up a business tax id number
Autocomplete shows what people commonly type, not how many. There are no search volumes here. The method and the full capture are on our search demand page.
FAQ
How do I find who owns an LLC?
Start with the state business search. Many states only list a registered agent, so you may need filings, court records or the LLC's own documents.
Is Companies House free?
The basic details are: registered address, officers, filed documents and insolvency information can be viewed free on GOV.UK.
Can I search Canada's significant-control information by a person's name?
No. Corporations Canada only lets you search by corporate name, corporation number or business number.
How do I check a business is legitimate?
Confirm it's registered and active, check the address, read recent filings and search for complaints and lawsuits.
Does Companies House check the information companies file?
No. Companies House says on its search service that it doesn't check the accuracy of the information filed. A record shows what was filed, so check important details elsewhere.
Can I search Companies House by a person's name?
Yes. The search box accepts an officer's name as well as a company name or number, and the officer page lists their appointments.
Related guides
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Sources
Facts checked October 12, 2026 against the official sources linked on this page. Laws and fees change; check the source before you rely on a detail.