Florida Entity Search
Sunbiz search
Quick answer. A Sunbiz search is the free Florida business entity search run by the Department of State, Division of Corporations. Open the official name search, enter the legal name or document number, and read status, agent, and filing history on the detail page. Sunbiz is not a fictitious-name registry and it does not reserve a name.
Official office
Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations
Phone: (850) 245-6052
The Centre of Tallahassee, 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303
The Sunbiz name search is online. Division phone lines are staffed on state business days.
Steps
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Open the official name search
Start at the Division of Corporations name search. That is the Florida Secretary of State business search people mean when they say Sunbiz. The Division’s own site is dos.fl.gov/sunbiz.
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Search the legal name, then a shorter stem
Type the name as filed, without inventing punctuation. If the list is empty, drop the ending such as LLC or Inc and search the distinctive words. An FL SOS business search matches the index the Division keeps, not a trademark register.
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Open the detail page, not just the hit list
The result list can show several entities with similar names. Open the one whose document number and filing date match the company you mean. The detail page is the Florida business entity search record.
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Read status before you rely on it
Active means the entity has met the Division’s filing requirements as of the page you are viewing. Administratively dissolved or revoked usually means a missed annual report. Reinstatement is a separate filing with its own fee.
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Save the document number
The document number is the durable identifier. LLC numbers commonly begin with L. Use it for the annual report, a registered-agent change, or a request for copies. See the document number guide.
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Download the imaged filings
Sunbiz posts images of filed documents, including the latest annual report, at no charge once they are processed. A credit-card annual report posts immediately; a check posts in the order received, according to the Division’s filing page.
What a Florida corporation search shows
The same portal covers profit and nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and trademarks. A Florida corporation search and a Florida LLC search are two filters on one index, not two agencies. The detail page typically lists the entity name, document number, filing date, status, principal address, mailing address, registered agent, and the officers, directors, or authorized members last reported.
Federal employer identification numbers appear only if someone included them on a filing. Sunbiz does not show owners who were never named in a public document, and it does not show bank accounts, sales tax accounts, or local business-tax receipts.
Sunbiz entity search versus a name reservation
A sunbiz entity search tells you which names are already on file. It does not hold a name for you, and it is not a guarantee that a new name is distinguishable under Florida statute. People checking availability should still read the Division’s name standards and, if they need the name locked, file a name reservation using the current form and fee on the fee schedule.
Fictitious names, sometimes called a DBA, are a separate Sunbiz filing from the entity record. This guide stays on corporations, LLCs, and other entities filed with the Division. Use the Division’s own fictitious-name search when that is the record you need.
Fees that sit next to the search
Searching is free. The filing fees people meet after a search are published by the Division. As of the annual-report page checked on October 12, 2026, a profit corporation annual report is $150, a nonprofit annual report is $61.25, an LLC annual report is $138.75, and a limited partnership or LLLP annual report is $500. A $400 late fee applies to profit corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships after 11:59 p.m. Eastern on May 1. Confirm the figure on the annual report page before you pay.
Common mistakes
- Treating a similar name in the hit list as the company you were asked to verify. Match the document number.
- Calling the office in Tallahassee a “secretary of state corporation search” and then filing with the Department of Revenue instead. Entity status lives at the Division of Corporations.
- Using a post office box as the only registered office. The registered agent’s Florida address has to be a street address where the agent can be found.
Questions
Is Sunbiz the official Florida business entity search?
Yes. Sunbiz is the public site of the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. A Florida secretary of state business search and an FL SOS business search both land on that index.
Can I search a Florida LLC by document number?
Yes. The search page accepts a document number as well as a name. LLC document numbers commonly start with the letter L. Copy the number from the detail page, including the letter.
Does a Sunbiz business search show the annual report?
The detail page links imaged filings, including annual reports that have been processed. The report itself is filed on the Division’s e-file system, not by typing into the public search box.
Who do I call if the record looks wrong?
New profit and nonprofit filings are handled at 850-245-6052. Annual reports and reinstatements use 850-245-6059. The street address is 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Email addresses are listed on the Division’s contact page.