Quick Answer
Use the Florida Division of Corporations Sunbiz portal to run a Florida entity search by business name, officer, registered agent, FEI/EIN, or other criteria. The search returns basic filing details for public entities, but it is not a formal name availability approval or certified record.
How to Search Florida Business Entity Records
The Florida Division of Corporations maintains an online portal called Sunbiz at search.sunbiz.org. The public entity search tool allows you to query business entities by name, officer, registered agent, trademark, FEI/EIN, document number, and address. The system returns basic filing information for active and historical Florida entities.
Visit the Florida Division of Corporations Portal
Navigate directly to the Florida Division of Corporations Sunbiz portal at https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ByName. This portal serves as the official public search tool for Florida business entities.
Use the Business Entity Search Tool
You can perform a query using various criteria listed at the bottom of the page. Select “Entity Name” to search for a specific business name. The available search criteria include:
- Entity Name
- Officer/Registered Agent
- Registered Agent Name
- Trademark Name
- Trademark Owner Name
- FEI/EIN
- Detail By Document Number
- Zip Code
- Street Address
Type at least a partial name of the entity into the text box and click “Search Now.” Avoid adding entity suffixes like LLC, Inc, or Corp when searching by name, as this may cause the search to miss similar names that use different designations.
Obtain the Business Entity Details
Registered Florida businesses matching your search criteria will appear in a table ordered by name. From this screen, you can review the results, move to the next table listing, or perform a new search. The table displays the following information:
- Corporate Name
- Document Number
- Status
Click the name of the entity in the first column to view its details. Note that a result with “Active” status means the entity has a current filing on record; this does not guarantee that the name is available for new use. Names can be similar without being identical, so review the details page before drawing conclusions.
Review the Filed Information
The next page displays the filing information for the selected business entity. You can use the top menu to navigate to other areas if needed. The displayed filing details include:
- Document Number
- FEI/EIN Number
- Date Filed
- State
- Status
- Last Event
- Event Date Filed
- Event Effective Date
The page also presents the contact information for the business entity:
- Principal Address
- Mailing Address
The final section includes the standing, history, and registered agent details of the entity:
- Registered Agent Name & Address
- Officer/Director Detail
- Annual Reports
- Document Images
If the search results return no matches for Florida, your desired business name is likely available. If it is available, you can proceed with the formation of your company under this name.
If the search results return no matches for Florida, your desired business name is likely available. If it is available, you can proceed with the formation of your company under this name.
How to Interpret Florida Results
Open the entity details page to verify the Document Number, Status, and registered agent information before relying on a result. Florida search results can include entities with similar names but different designations (LLC vs. Corporation vs. Limited Partnership). Compare the core wording of each result before entity designators such as LLC, Inc, Corp, or LP.
A result showing “Active” status means the entity has a current filing on record with the Division of Corporations. Active status does not mean the name is available for new registration — it means the entity exists under that name in public records. Florida requires that entity names be distinguishable on the record.
Florida Business Name and Filing Notes
The Florida Division of Corporations filing requirements state that a business name must be distinguishable from existing entity names on record. Using an Inc, LLC, LLLP, LP, GP, Corp, PA, PL, or PC suffix may help differentiate your name, but the key test is whether the name as a whole is distinguishable, not just the suffix.
Florida LLCs and corporations file initial articles or incorporations with the Division of Corporations, and annual reports are due by May 1 each year. The registered agent in Florida must be a Florida resident or a Florida-authorized corporation acting as agent.
Common Mistakes
- Searching only exact wording and missing punctuation, abbreviation, or entity-ending variations.
- Assuming “Active” status means a name is available — it only confirms an existing entity exists under that name.
- Opening the result table but not reviewing the entity details page.
- Adding entity suffixes like “LLC” or “Inc” during the name search, which may cause missed matches.
- Treating the search result as a formal name availability approval rather than research.
- Missing the annual report deadline (May 1 for Florida entities).