Before you form, partner with, or sue a Florida company, you need to know what the state has on file. The Florida business entity search answers that. It is a free public tool on Sunbiz Search Records, run by the Florida Division of Corporations under the Florida Department of State. Florida has over 3.5 million business entities on file with the Division, according to the Division of Corporations.
The search covers corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and trademarks. Fictitious names (DBAs) sit in a separate index. This guide shows every search type, what each record reveals, and what the statuses mean.
What Is the Florida Business Entity Search (Sunbiz)?
Sunbiz is the online portal of the Florida Division of Corporations, described by the state as “the State of Florida’s official business entity index and commercial activity website,” per the Division of Corporations. The search is free and public. It runs on the same records the state uses to file and certify businesses.
Buyers search this tool under several names. Florida Secretary of State, Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Corporations, and Sunbiz all point to the same free public records search. The Division of Corporations is established by law under the Department of State, per Fla. Stat. § 20.10(2)(c). The Division maintains over 8 million records and processes more than 240 million filings, certifications, and inquiries a year, and its index is available 24/7, according to the Division’s About Us page.
What Records Does the Sunbiz Search Cover?
The Search Records tool covers corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships (LPs), and trademarks, per the Sunbiz Search Records page. It also reaches general and limited liability partnerships, judgment liens, federal tax liens, and cable franchises through the same page. Fictitious names (DBAs) are searched in a separate index.
It does not cover businesses that never registered with the state. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships usually do not appear as entities, because they are not required to file formation documents with the Division of Corporations. They surface only if they registered a fictitious name.
How Do You Perform a Florida Business Entity Search?
Go to Sunbiz Search Records, pick a search type, enter a full or partial term, then open “Detail by Entity Name” to read the record. The tool offers nine search-by options for corporations, LLCs, LPs, and trademarks, per the Search Records page. The most useful ones are below.
| Search type | Use it when | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entity Name | You know the business name or a partial name | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
| Officer/Registered Agent Name | You know a director, manager, or agent’s name | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
| Registered Agent Name | You want agents with active filings only | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
| Trademark Name | You are checking a state mark by its wording | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
| Trademark Owner Name | You want marks owned by a person or company | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
| FEI/EIN Number | You have the Federal Employer Identification Number | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
| Document Number | You have the state filing number | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/ |
Trademark searches share this page and are covered in the trademark section below.
Step 1: Open the Sunbiz Search Records Page
Start at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/search/. This is the current official domain. The legacy dos.myflorida.com address redirects here.
Step 2: Choose a Search Type and Enter Your Term
Pick a search type from the table above. Enter a full or partial term. For name checks, search partial spellings and variants to catch close matches.
Step 3: Review the Results List
The results list shows each match with its business name, document number, status, and filing date. Scan for the exact entity or for names that conflict with yours.
Step 4: Open “Detail by Entity Name” for the Full Record
Click the “Detail by Entity Name” link to open the full record. This page holds the addresses, registered agent, officers, filing history, and downloadable documents.
How Do You Search Florida Trademarks on Sunbiz?
Sunbiz includes Florida state trademark and service mark registrations, searchable by Trademark Name or Trademark Owner Name from the same Search Records page, per the Search Records page. Trademark results show the mark, its owner, and registration details, not corporate filings like officers or annual reports. Use this to spot state-registered mark conflicts before you brand.
This search covers Florida state registrations only. Federal trademarks live with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), not Sunbiz. Registering a fictitious name on Sunbiz does not confer trademark rights, does not stop someone from incorporating under a similar name, and does not reserve the name if registration lapses, per the Sunbiz fictitious name guide. Check the trademark index and the entity index before you commit to a name.
What Does a Sunbiz Entity Detail Record Show?
The detail record shows the entity name and type, document number, FEI/EIN, filing date, and status. It also lists the principal and mailing addresses, the registered agent’s name and address, officers or authorized persons, annual report history, and downloadable document images such as Articles, amendments, and annual reports as PDFs. It links to order a Certificate of Status.
A registered agent is the person or company designated to receive legal and official mail for the entity. Florida requires every registered entity to name one, so the record always lists an agent and address. Use the annual report history on this page to confirm the entity is current on filings.
How Do You Check If a Florida Business Name Is Available?
Search partial names and variant spellings on Sunbiz. If no active entity uses the name and it meets Florida’s distinguishable-name standard, the name is likely available to register. Cross-check the fictitious name and trademark indexes too, because a name can be clear as an LLC yet taken as a DBA or a state mark.
Availability is confirmed only at filing, not by a search. The Commenda Company Name Checker helps you screen a name before you file. Run a partial search first, then narrow to exact spellings.
What Do Florida Entity Statuses Mean: Active, Inactive, Dissolved?
Active means the entity is in good standing and current on filings. Inactive and Dissolved mean the entity no longer has authority to do business. Inactive records carry a reason, such as administrative dissolution for an unfiled annual report, per the Sunbiz annual report page.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Active | Registered, in good standing, current on filings | Safe to transact; verify the detail record |
| Inactive | Dissolved, withdrawn, or revoked, with a reason code | Check the reason before relying on the entity |
| Dissolved | Existence ended, voluntarily or by the state | Confirm whether reinstatement is possible |
Source: Sunbiz Search Records and the Sunbiz annual report page.
What Is a Florida Certificate of Status (Certificate of Good Standing)?
Florida does not issue a document titled “Certificate of Good Standing.” The state equivalent is the Certificate of Status, ordered directly through Sunbiz. It confirms the entity is active and current on its filings. Banks, lenders, licensing boards, and other states requesting foreign qualification commonly ask for it.
How Do You Get a Certificate of Status in Florida?
Order it through the “Order Certificate of Status” tool on Sunbiz and pay the state fee. Use “Check Certificate of Status” to confirm one was issued. The certificate proves active standing for opening bank accounts, qualifying to do business in other states, securing loans, and applying for licenses.
How Do You Search Florida Fictitious Names (DBAs)?
Fictitious names (DBAs, or “doing business as” names) are registered and searched separately from legal entities on Sunbiz. They use a dedicated search with its own fields, including Fictitious Name, Owner Name, Owner FEI/EIN, and Registration Number, per the Sunbiz fictitious name guide. A name clear in the entity index can still be taken as a DBA.
Check both indexes when you screen a name. A sole proprietor operating under a trade name appears only in the fictitious name index, not the entity search. Fictitious names are registered and renewed through Sunbiz e-filing.
How Do Annual Reports Keep a Florida Entity Active?
Every Florida corporation, LLC, LP, and LLLP must file an annual report to keep Active status. The filing window runs January 1 to May 1 each year, per Fla. Stat. § 607.1622 for corporations and the parallel LLC and partnership statutes. Miss it and the state adds a late fee, then moves toward administrative dissolution.
| Item | Amount or deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual report filing window | January 1 to May 1 each year | Fla. Stat. § 607.1622 |
| 2026 filing deadline | May 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET | FL Dept. of State press release |
| Late fee (filed after May 1) | $400 (non-profits exempt) | FL Dept. of State press release |
| Profit corporation report fee | $150.00 | Sunbiz annual report page |
| LLC report fee | $138.75 | Sunbiz annual report page |
| LP / LLLP report fee | $500.00 | Sunbiz annual report page |
| Non-profit corporation report fee | $61.25 | Sunbiz annual report page |
| 2026 administrative dissolution | File by Sept. 18; dissolution effective Sept. 25 | Sunbiz annual report page |
Sources: the FL Department of State 2026 reminder and the Sunbiz annual report page. The annual report history on a detail record is how you verify a company’s compliance during a search.
How Do Dissolution and Reinstatement Work in Florida?
Dissolution ends an entity’s authority to do business, either by the owner’s choice or by state action. Reinstatement brings an administratively dissolved entity back. Both run through Sunbiz.
How Do You Dissolve a Florida Business?
Voluntary dissolution is filed through Sunbiz using File Corporation Dissolution, File LLC Dissolution, or File Foreign Entity Withdrawal. Administrative dissolution happens when the state acts, typically for unfiled annual reports, per Fla. Stat. § 607.1622. A search then shows the entity as Inactive.
How Do You Reinstate a Dissolved Florida Entity?
Administratively dissolved entities file for reinstatement through Sunbiz’s File Reinstatement tool. Reinstatement requires the reinstatement fee plus every missed annual report fee, which include the amounts in the fees table above, per the Sunbiz annual report page. Filing brings the record back to Active.
How Commenda Helps You Manage Florida Entities
The search tells you where an entity stands. Commenda keeps it there. Commenda’s entity management platform provides registered agent service, files annual reports, and tracks compliance deadlines for every entity in one place, so a Florida record stays Active instead of slipping to Inactive. Commenda’s compliance calendar surfaces each filing due date with advance reminders. For new Florida companies, incorporation handles formation from filing to first report.
Book a demo to get a free compliance check on your Florida entity’s filing status.
