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Osintian
Case file 06 · Company Checks

Is this company who it says it is?

The open-source due-diligence routine for a business: state registries, company tax ID numbers, licences, domain age, court and regulator records, and the red flags that matter.

Lawful purpose: checking a business before you pay it, hire it, sign with it or report on it.

A researcher in a public records room lifts a heavy bound registry ledger from a metal shelf of grey archive boxes.
Exhibit 06 · Company ChecksRecords room, bound registry ledger
01 · What it is

Company Checks, in plain words

Before you pay a contractor, sign up with an online shop or report on a company, you can check most of its story in public, official records. Every US state keeps a business register. Public companies file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many trades need a licence you can look up.

The routine is the same each time: confirm the legal name and that the entity is active, compare the address and dates with what the company tells you, check the licences and complaints, look at how old its website is, and search court and regulator records.

Business registers often list owners, officers and registered agents by name. We use those records to check a business, never to find a person. And a company's tax ID is a business record; a person's Social Security number is not public and must never be sought.

02 · The steps

How a careful researcher does it

  1. 1Find the legal entitySearch the state's official business register for the exact legal name. Note the status (active, inactive, dissolved), the date formed and the registered agent.
  2. 2Match the storyDoes the formation date fit 'in business since 1998'? Does the registered address match the one on the invoice or website?
  3. 3Check licences and recordsLook up trade licences, regulator actions and court cases in the official databases for that state and industry.
  4. 4Read the red flagsA brand-new entity, a recently registered web domain, no physical address and pressure to pay by gift card or wire are the warning signs that matter most.
03 · Is this lawful?

The purpose, the law, the line

Is this lawful and ethical?Read before you search
FineChecking a business before you pay or sign
FineDue diligence for journalism or a compliance review
FineLooking up a company's public filings and tax ID
The law that appliesBusiness registers are public by law. If you are making a decision about a person's credit, job, housing or insurance, the FCRA applies, and these guides are not the right tool for that.
Not here, not everNever use registry names to locate or contact an individual at home
Not here, not everNever seek a person's Social Security number
Laws differ by country and state, and this is not legal advice. The full rules are on our ethics and rules page.
04 · The guides

5 guides in this case file

  • 01
    How to check if a company is legit: the due-diligence routineRegistry, tax ID, licences, domain age, records, red flags.
    In writing
  • 02
    Business lookup: searching official state registersHow to look up any US business, and what each field tells you.
    In writing
  • 03
    LLC lookup in California: the bizfile searchFind an LLC, read its status and its filings.
    In writing
  • 04
    Florida LLC lookup on SunbizStatus, filings and the registered agent.
    In writing
  • 05
    Federal tax ID number lookup for a companyFilings, the IRS exempt search and SEC EDGAR; companies only.
    In writing

Guides marked “In writing” are being researched and checked. Each one names its lawful purpose first and dates every tool it mentions.

05 · Sources

Official and primary sources

Osintian is not affiliated with any organisation listed here.

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