In 2024, Florida State is continuing its amazing job outpacing the nation’s economy. In January, it had a private sector job growth rate of 0.4%, which was double the national rate of 0.2%. This means that small business owners should flock to Florida, especially since the state’s unemployment rate is also lower than the nation’s.
The first step is to find a niche to fill, which you may have already done. But have you thought of a good business name yet?
Whether the answer’s yes or no, you must do a Florida business entity search to ensure you don’t hit any legal issues later on. Read on to learn several ways you can carry out this search.
Do a Florida Secretary of State Business Search
In the majority of states, the Secretary of State is in charge of business registrations, and Florida is one of them. So you can do an FL SOS business search by using Sunbiz.org, which is the Division of Corporations page.
Here, you can choose to search by:
- Name
- Officer/registered agent
- Registered agent name
- Trademark name
- Trademark owner name
- FEI/EIN
- Detail by document number
- Zip code
- Street address
The above will go through records of corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and trademarks. However, there are other sections you can utilize too.
One category is fictitious names. You can search by:
- Fictitious name
- Owner name
- Owner charter number
- Owner FEI/EIN
- County for prior week
- Detail by registration number
Another category is general and limited liability partnerships. You can search by:
- Partnership name
- Agent/partner name
- Partnership FEI/EIN
- Partnership detail by document number
Other categories include judgment liens, federal lien registrations, and cable franchises. With these, you can typically search by debtor/cable franchise name or document/cable franchise number.
Name Search
Most likely, you’ll use the name search to find out if someone’s already used the same business name in Florida. So we’ll discuss this section in detail.
After clicking on “name” under the first category, a page will pop up with a search bar. It’s titled “entity name” and you can type in your desired company name. If you change your mind and want to search by other parameters, the page lists the other search functions for your convenience.
Otherwise, click on “search now” after typing in the entity name. The results page will show you any matches, and they’ll be listed by corporate name, document number, and status.
If you’re interested in more details, then click on the entity name. You can then view information such as:
- FEI/EIN number
- Date filed
- Last event
- Event date filed (if applicable)
- Event effective date (if applicable)
- Principal address
- Mailing address
- Registered agent name and address
- Authorized person(s) detail
- Annual reports
- Document images
Turn to Google
You can also do a Florida business entity search by using Google or any other search engine. In addition to the company name, type “Florida” and a city name if that’s relevant.
Take some time to go through several pages of results to see if there are any business names that are similar or identical. You can even do several different searches with variations of the name to see if those turn up more results.
If it turns out that your desired business name is free, consider “reserving” the domain name and social media names too. This will give you peace of mind that no one can snatch up those things while you’re in the process of registering your business.
Use Our Business Name Search Tool
We offer a very transparent business registration service. Not to mention, it’s free as well! Make sure you browse through the included and add-on services, as we can help you set up both LLCs and corporations.
Once you’re done checking that information out, scroll back up to the top. You’ll find a search bar where you can enter the name of your potential company. Select “LLC,” “corporation,” or “PLLC” from the dropdown menu, and then click on “check availability.”
We’ll tell you if there are any matches with your query. If there aren’t any, then you can proceed to the contact form. It’ll take a few seconds to fill out, and after that, we can touch base with you about getting your company registered and running.
Perform a Florida Business Entity Search With Ease
No matter what industry you’re going into, at the end of the day, you have to do a Florida business entity search. It’s quick, easy, and free, regardless of the method you choose, so there’s no excuse for skipping this vital step.
Once you’ve executed a Florida business search, you’ll feel much better going through the entire process. When you know for sure that you’ve got a unique company name, you’ll have a more positive experience and less stress.
Ready to set up shop? Then sign up with Business Anywhere now. With our assistance, you can realize your business dreams and set up your own company for completely FREE within a few working days (State fees and other charges may apply).
