To find your California Secretary of State entity number, search the business name for free at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov, or read it off your stamped Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, or any Statement of Information the business has filed.1California Secretary of State. Search – bizfile Online The number is assigned when the business first forms or registers with the state and stays with the entity for its entire life, even through name changes or conversions.2California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions
What the Number Looks Like
Knowing the format helps you spot the right number on a document or in a list of search results.
- Corporations have a seven-digit number that begins with the letter C, like C1234567.
- LLCs and limited partnerships have a twelve-digit number with no letter prefix.
You may see it labeled as a “file number” or “entity ID” on different state forms. It’s the same identifier.2California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions
Search bizfile Online
The Secretary of State’s free search tool covers corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships, along with free PDF copies of over 17 million filed documents.1California Secretary of State. Search – bizfile Online
Basic Search
Go to bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search, open the Business Search tab, and type the legal name of the business. The basic search returns mostly active entities. Spelling matters. A business registered as “Smith & Sons” with an ampersand will not come up if you type “Smith and Sons.” When you’re unsure of the exact registered name, search a distinctive fragment rather than the full name.
Advanced Search
If the basic search returns too many hits, or the entity you need is no longer active, switch to Advanced Search. You can filter by entity type, status (active, inactive, suspended), and filing date range. This is the tool to use when a common business name pulls dozens of results.
Reading the Results
Results show the entity name, entity number, registration date, status, and entity type. Click the name to open the full detail page, which also lists the agent for service of process, business addresses, officers, and the due date for the next Statement of Information.3California Secretary of State. Business Entities Records Request The entity number sits near the top of that page.
Where Else to Find It
Your Own Filings
The entity number is printed on every document the Secretary of State has processed for your business. Pull up your stamped Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, or any Statement of Information.2California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions If you filed online, those PDFs are available for free download from your bizfile Online account.3California Secretary of State. Business Entities Records Request
Call the Business Programs Division
If you strike out online, call (916) 653-6814 or (916) 657-5448, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays.4California Secretary of State. Contact Information – Business Entities Have the exact business name ready. Staff can look up the number and confirm the current status.
Check the Status While You’re There
When you pull up your own business, look at the status field. “Active” for a domestic entity means the formation document has been filed and the entity hasn’t been dissolved, surrendered, or canceled.2California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions “Suspended” or “Forfeited” usually means the Franchise Tax Board or the Secretary of State has stripped the entity’s powers for unfiled returns or unpaid taxes. A suspended business cannot legally operate, sell or transfer real property, file or defend a lawsuit, close or dissolve, or maintain the exclusive right to its business name.5California Franchise Tax Board. My Business Is Suspended Fixing that means filing delinquent returns and paying the outstanding balance with the FTB. The entity number stays in the database permanently regardless of status.
Not the Same as Your Federal EIN
The California entity number and the federal Employer Identification Number are different identifiers from different agencies. The Secretary of State assigns the entity number to identify your business in state records. The IRS assigns the EIN for federal taxes, employees, and bank accounts.6U.S. Small Business Administration. Get Federal and State Tax ID Numbers You need both, and neither substitutes for the other. The Franchise Tax Board uses the Secretary of State entity number for state tax purposes, though businesses not registered with the Secretary of State use an FTB-issued ID instead. If your business converted its entity type before 2022, the FTB may have an older number on file, so use the most recent one issued by the Secretary of State.7California Franchise Tax Board. Business Entity ID Number Help
Ignore the Mailer Asking for a Fee
Once your entity number is public, third parties send solicitations that look like government notices and demand a “processing fee” for services you can handle yourself through bizfile Online. The Secretary of State has warned that these mailers sometimes charge nearly ten times the actual filing fee, use false urgency about losing your business, and quote four-to-six-week processing timelines for something the state handles almost instantly. They often include accurate details like your entity number and type to look legitimate, with fine print disclosing that the sender is not a government agency. Filed directly with the Secretary of State, a Statement of Information costs $25 for stock and foreign corporations or $20 for LLCs and nonprofit corporations.8California Secretary of State. Misleading Statement of Information Solicitations If a demand for payment doesn’t come from sos.ca.gov or ftb.ca.gov, treat it with skepticism.