Sunbiz Search | Florida Business Records Lookup

Sunbiz is the public-facing name of Florida’s official business registry — the online system operated by the Florida Division of Corporations where every corporation, LLC, limited partnership, and trademark in the state is indexed. If you have ever needed to verify a Florida business, download a company’s filed documents, file an annual report, or check a name before registering your own, Sunbiz is the system behind it. This master guide walks through every corner of the portal: all ten search methods, how to read each record type, how to download filed documents, and how to use the filing side of the system — everything in one place.

Unlike most state registries, Sunbiz is genuinely free and open: no account, no paywall, no per-search fees. The database holds more than eight million records, updates daily, and stays online 24 hours a day. Whether you are a first-time visitor trying to verify one company or a professional running dozens of lookups weekly, understanding how the portal is organized saves hours. This guide is organized around the portal’s actual structure — searches, records, filings, and services — so you can jump to exactly what you need.

The Sunbiz Portal at a Glance

The portal spans several connected systems, each handling a different job. Knowing which system does what is the first step to efficient use:

Where Sunbiz Lives Online

Sunbiz operates at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz — the Division of Corporations’ home for information, filings, and services — with the records search running at search.sunbiz.org. Older links referencing www.sunbiz.org still resolve to the same systems. Bookmarking both addresses covers every use: the search portal for lookups, the main portal for filings and service orders.

What Sunbiz Does Not Do

Sunbiz indexes registration facts — not licenses, tax registrations, or litigation. A company with an Active Sunbiz record can still lack the professional license its trade requires, owe state or federal taxes, or face lawsuits invisible to the registry. Complementary checks — licensing boards, tax registrations, court records — cover those layers. Sunbiz answers “is this entity registered and in good standing,” and that answer anchors everything else.

All Ten Sunbiz Search Methods

The records search offers ten entry points, each designed for a different starting fact. This is the complete list — most guides cover three or four; the portal supports all ten:

1. Search by Entity Name

The workhorse search. Enter all or part of an entity’s name — partial matching works, punctuation is ignored. Results show name, document number, and status. Start here whenever you know the company’s name, then refine using distinctive words when common names return long lists.

2. Search by Officer or Registered Agent

Enter a person’s name to find every entity where they appear as an officer, director, manager, member, or registered agent. Ideal for tracing an individual’s business involvement across multiple registrations. Partial last names work; adding a first name narrows common surnames.

3. Search by Registered Agent Only

Narrows results to entities represented by one specific agent — the go-to method for process servers confirming service addresses, and for researchers mapping which entities share a commercial agent.

4. Search by Document Number

The precision instrument. A 6- or 12-digit document number returns its exact record instantly — no name-matching ambiguity. Use it whenever paperwork supplies the number: annual reports, contracts, official notices.

5. Search by FEI Number

Entities that filed federal tax IDs can be found through the FEI search. One FEI can link to multiple entities, often exposing related registrations under common ownership — useful for mapping corporate families.

6. Search by Trademark Name

Florida registers state-level trademarks and service marks alongside entities. The trademark search lists marks matching your query with their registration status — a quick screen for state-level brand conflicts.

7. Search by Trademark Owner

Finds every mark registered to a specific owner — useful for seeing a company’s full trademark portfolio or checking whether a competitor is building a brand family.

8. Search by ZIP Code

Lists entities registered with addresses in a specific ZIP code — the location-discovery method for market research, competitor mapping, and neighborhood business counts.

9. Search by Street Address

Pinpoint version of the ZIP search: every entity registered at a specific street address. Commercial buildings hosting dozens of registrations surface quickly — a pattern worth knowing before signing leases or judging an address’s credibility.

10. Search by FEI — Detail Searches

The detail search combines identifier-based lookup — document numbers and FEI numbers — for instant exact matches when identifiers are known. It is the fastest path whenever records, filings, or correspondence supply the numbers.

Reading Sunbiz Records Correctly

Every entity record follows the same layout, and each field carries specific meaning:

The Detail Page Layout

Records open with the identity block — document number, FEI, filing date, state of domicile, status, and effective date — followed by the most recent event with its date. Below sit the address block (principal and mailing), the registered agent block, and the officer/manager block for entity types that list them. The annual report summary closes the page. Filed documents link from the record as PDFs.

Status Values and Their Meanings

“Active” means filings are current — good standing with the state. “Inactive” flags lapsed filings or voluntary closure. “Delinquent” identifies missed annual reports specifically, still correctable within statutory windows. “Dissolved” and “Admin. Dissolved” mark ended entities, whose names may re-enter availability after waiting periods. Status can change the moment a filing processes — rely on the live record for material decisions.

Download Filed Documents

Every document attached to a record — articles, amendments, annual reports, reinstatements — downloads as a PDF directly from the detail page, free of charge. Electronic filings image within about three business days; paper filings within about five. These PDFs are the same documents banks, title companies, and courts request — the record makes them self-service.

Filing Through Sunbiz

The portal’s filing side handles the transactions business owners actually need — most entirely online:

Annual Reports

Every entity files an annual report each year between January 1 and May 1. The report updates the record — addresses, agents, officers, members — and keeps the entity Active. Filing runs online at the Division’s annual report portal; the fee is $138.75 for LLCs and $150 for corporations. Missing the deadline adds a $400 late fee, and continued non-filing moves the entity toward administrative dissolution.

New Entity Formation

New LLCs file articles of organization ($125); corporations file articles of incorporation ($70). Electronic filings process within days, and the new record appears in the searchable database as soon as processing completes. Name availability should be confirmed before filing — a rejected name costs the filing fee and the delay.

Amendments and Agent Changes

Changes to an existing entity — name changes, officer updates, agent changes, address moves — file as amendments or restatements through the portal. Filing promptly keeps the public record accurate, which matters because service of process goes to the agent on file and stale records mean missed legal notices.

Reinstatements

Delinquent and administratively dissolved entities return to Active standing by filing outstanding annual reports and paying reinstatement fees. The portal handles reinstatement filings online, and the record reflects the status change as soon as processing completes.

Sunbiz Services Beyond Search and Filing

The portal wraps several supporting services around its core functions:

Certified Copies and Certificates of Status

When a third party needs proof — a bank, a foreign regulator, a court — certified copies of filed documents and certificates of status are ordered through the Division. Orders run online, and the certificate of status (sometimes called a good standing certificate) confirms an entity’s standing as of the issue date. These are the documents to order rather than screenshots when official proof is required.

Apostilles for International Use

Florida entity documents used abroad often need an apostille — the state authentication attached under the Hague Convention. The Division processes apostille requests for corporate documents, and international transactions routinely require them. Plan lead time: apostilles add processing days to document requests.

Substitute Service of Process

When a registered entity cannot be served through its agent, the Division accepts substitute service under statutory conditions — part of the registry’s legal infrastructure. Researchers and attorneys find the details on the Division’s service pages; the mechanism exists because the registry itself is the authoritative address record for every entity.

Sunbiz Search Tips for Better Results

Practical techniques that improve search outcomes across every method:

Search Distinctive Words, Not Full Names

Long exact phrases fail on small differences; the distinctive core word succeeds. “Acme Plumbing of South Florida LLC” is found faster by searching “acme plumbing” — then scanning the list for the right document number.

Try Abbreviations and Phonetics

Real registrations abbreviate: “Intl,” “Bros,” “Mfg,” “Svc.” Phonetic spellings appear too — “Kwik,” “Xpress,” “Trak.” When the obvious spelling misses, variant spellings usually find the record.

Cross-Reference Multiple Methods

A name that misses may hit through its officer, its agent, its address, or its document number. The ten search methods cover the same records from ten angles — one failure is never the end. Professionals cross-reference two or three methods routinely.

Verify Freshness on the Live Portal

Third-party copies of Sunbiz data lag days or months behind. When standing matters — before payments, contracts, or filings — confirm on the live portal itself. The record you see in person is the one the state maintains now.

Sunbiz Help and Official Support

The Division of Corporations staffs its Tallahassee office for filing and records help: general inquiries at CorpHelp@dos.fl.gov or 850.245.6000, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM EST. Walk-in service processes most requests while you wait at The Centre of Tallahassee, 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810. The database itself needs no support line — it is open around the clock at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz.

Name Reservations Before Formation

Businesses that know their name but are not ready to file can reserve it through the portal: an available corporate name holds for 120 days for a small fee, blocking other registrations while formation documents prepare. Reservations suit pre-formation planning, partnership formation delays, and financing timing. The reserved name releases automatically at expiry, so plan formation filings before the window closes.

Annual Report Reminders and Compliance Calendar

The portal’s annual report filing runs January 1 through May 1 every year, but the calendar matters year-round: records updated at filing time — agent changes, address moves, officer refreshes — take effect when the report processes. Owners who treat the annual report as a data-refresh exercise rather than a rubber stamp keep their public records accurate for free; the filing fee covers the update, and the record stays truthful for every future lookup.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sunbiz Search