Florida Corporations Lookup and LLC Name Search in Florida

How do I find a Florida company on Sunbiz?

Start with Florida’s official Sunbiz entity-name search rather than a third-party directory for this task. Enter the most distinctive words in the name, review the available matches, and open the likely record. Florida’s search guide says results include each record’s document number and status.

• Select Entity Name when you are looking for a company or a proposed name.
• Begin with core words; the Division says the complete name is not necessary for a search.
• Use a document number when you already have the Florida Department of State identifier; enter zeroes as zeroes, not the letter O.

Keep the document number from a Florida corporations lookup with the exact entity name you matched. Similar names can represent different records, so identity checks should not stop at the search-results list.

The Corporation Records search guide also offers officer or registered-agent, trademark-name, trademark-owner, FEI-number, and document-number searches. Choose the search field that matches the question. A name search is usually the practical starting point for locating an entity or screening a proposed business name.

Open the matching record and compare its document number, state, date filed, effective date, registered agent, and people listed in the detail page. The Division says its database records are updated daily, while filing images can appear after processing; use the live official record for the latest available information. Florida Division of Corporations FAQ

For an LLC name search in Florida, compare the distinctive words before relying on an entity suffix. The official availability guidance explains which differences do not distinguish a proposed name.

What does a Sunbiz record status tell me?

A result is a public filing record, not a comprehensive business-background report. Click a result to compare the legal name, document number, filing and effective dates, registered agent, officers or managers, annual-report history, and status. These fields help identify the correct entity before reaching a conclusion. Florida Corporation Records guide

• Active means the Division’s status guide identifies the business entity as active.
• Inactive means the Division’s status guide identifies the business entity as inactive.
• Inactive/UA means the entity is inactive, but the name remains unavailable for a statutory holding period.

A Florida corporations lookup helps locate the filing record; it does not certify every aspect of the business. Read each status label within the limits of the official Division guidance.

Florida’s status guide defines the label tersely:

“The business entity is active.” — Florida Division of Corporations, Explanation of Status Terms

That label describes the record’s listed status; it does not by itself answer every diligence or contractual question. Match the record’s document number and declared information to your purpose. If a transaction depends on legal capacity or a formal state certification, confirm the applicable requirement with the state or qualified counsel.

An LLC name search in Florida asks whether a proposed name conflicts with records; an existing-entity lookup asks which record you are reviewing. Keep those tasks separate when interpreting Active and Inactive labels.

How can I check a proposed Florida LLC name?

Use the official entity-name search as a screening step, not as a promise that a filing will be accepted. Search the core words without LLC and compare close results. Florida’s Division directs prospective LLC filers to determine whether a name is distinguishable and available. Florida LLC filing page

• Do not rely on a changed suffix, article, punctuation mark, singular or plural form, or “and” versus “&” to make a name different.
• Treat ACTIVE or ACT results as unavailable for use under the Division’s availability chart.
• Check INACTIVE/UA carefully: Florida says it remains unavailable during its statutory holding period; INACTIVE or INACT is shown as available.

Use a Florida corporations lookup to identify an existing entity, and use an LLC name search in Florida to screen a proposed name. Neither step provides a trademark-clearance opinion.

Florida Statutes section 605.0112 requires an LLC name to include an LLC designation and be distinguishable in Department records. The statute also says filing the name is for public notice only and does not alone create a presumption of ownership. For corporations, the comparable distinguishability rule appears in section 607.0401.

Search entity records and trademarks separately. Sunbiz’s guide provides separate trademark-name and trademark-owner searches, while the USPTO’s trademark search page directs users to its federal Trademark Search system. A quick exact-name search is useful screening, but it is not a complete trademark-clearance opinion.

What should I do after a Florida entity search?

After locating the right record or narrowing possible names, save links or document numbers and decide what decision remains. A lookup can support identification and preliminary name screening, but it does not itself form, reserve, reinstate, or certify an entity. Use Florida’s filing pages for those separate processes.

• If a name is available and you need time, Florida says a name reservation lasts 120 days; the listed fee is $25 for an LLC and $35 for a corporation.
• If you are reviewing an existing entity, calendar its annual-report window and verify its record directly before relying on it.
• If you need filed documents, select the entity record and choose a listed document; the Division says it opens as a PDF for viewing, saving, or printing.

Repeat an LLC name search in Florida close to filing and preserve the exact record links. Availability screening can change, and the Division evaluates the submitted name under its current rules.

Florida’s statutes set the first annual report for the year after a domestic corporation or LLC becomes effective, then require subsequent reports between January 1 and May 1 each year. See F.S. 607.1622 for corporations and F.S. 605.0212 for LLCs.

These figures are annual-report fees, not search charges or a name-availability guarantee. They come from Florida’s profit-corporation annual-report help and LLC annual-report help, both consulted on October 9, 2026. Check the current state page before acting because fees and procedures can change.

When you have your official search notes and remaining questions, visit Lovie’s formation homepage to plan the next conversation. It can help organize the decision process, while Florida approval, naming questions, and legal considerations should be verified against current state materials or with qualified counsel.