A Florida Sunbiz registry search by name lets you find public records for an LLC, corporation, or other entity registered with the Florida Division of Corporations. You can search a full or partial name, compare similar results, and open an entity's official filing record for more detail.
Key Takeaways
- Use the official Sunbiz Corporation Name Search to find Florida business entities by full name, partial name, or keyword.
- Search results appear alphabetically, so review nearby entries when an exact match does not appear.
- Open the entity record to examine its document number, status, addresses, registered agent, authorized persons, filing events, and available document images.
- NAME HS means name history, not Hold Secure. It generally points to a former name associated with an entity record.
- INACT/UA means inactive and unavailable. Do not treat an inactive status as proof that a name is available.
- A registry search finds records, but the Florida Division of Corporations makes the filing decision for a proposed LLC name.
How to Use the Florida Sunbiz Registry Search by Name
Start with the official Sunbiz Corporation Name Search. This is the free search operated by the Florida Division of Corporations. You do not need a paid third-party lookup service to view the state's public entity records.
- Enter the entity's full legal name if you know it.
- If the full name produces no useful match, enter a distinctive part of the name or a keyword.
- Review the alphabetical list of matching and nearby business names.
- Select the entity name that best matches the business you want to investigate.
- Confirm the record by comparing its document number, entity type, status, addresses, and other identifiers.
A Sunbiz search by name is more effective when you begin with the most distinctive words. Generic terms such as "Florida," "services," or "holdings" may produce many similar records. If you are searching for "Coastal Blue Consulting LLC," for example, searching "Coastal Blue" may make the relevant entries easier to compare.
Sunbiz by name results are indexed alphabetically. The closest alphabetical records may appear even when there is no exact match. Use the available controls to move through earlier or later results instead of assuming the first page contains every relevant entity. You can also try alternate spacing, abbreviations, singular or plural forms, and a shorter version of the name.
How to Open and Review the Correct Sunbiz Record
A business name alone may not identify the correct company. Florida can have entities with similar words, related prior names, or names that differ only by an abbreviation. Open each plausible result and compare the details before relying on the record.
A Florida entity record may display the entity's legal name, entity type, document number, filing date, state of organization, current status, principal address, mailing address, and registered agent. Depending on the entity and its filing history, the record may also identify managers, members, officers, directors, authorized representatives, annual report information, filing events, and images of filed documents.
Use stable identifiers whenever possible. A document number is generally more reliable than a name because names can change and similar entities can coexist in the search index. Addresses, registered-agent information, and authorized-person details can help you distinguish between records, but those details can also change over time. Review the dates associated with annual reports and filing events to understand when information was submitted.
Document images can provide information not fully summarized on the record page. They may include formation documents, amendments, annual reports, reinstatement filings, conversions, or other submissions. Public records do not necessarily establish who currently owns an economic interest in the business, and the appearance of a person's name does not prove that the person still holds the same role. For a broader explanation of Florida entity records, see this Florida LLC lookup guide.
Sunbiz Search Name Status Codes and Their Meaning
Status labels help you interpret Sunbiz search results, but a short label does not tell the entire legal or filing history. Open the associated record and review its events and documents before making a decision about an existing company or proposed business name.
| Status | General meaning | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The entity is currently shown as active in the Division of Corporations records. | Open the record and verify its identity, filing history, and current details. |
| INACT | The entity is shown as inactive. | Determine why it became inactive. Do not assume its name is immediately available. |
| INACT/UA | The entity is inactive, but the name is marked unavailable. | Do not submit a filing based only on the inactive label. Check the current record and state instructions. |
| INACT/CV | The entity became inactive in connection with an entity conversion. | Review conversion events and any related or successor entity records. |
| NAME HS | This is a name-history entry associated with a former name. HS does not mean Hold Secure. | Open the entry to find the related entity and its current name. |
| CROSS RF | This is a cross-reference entry associated with another entity name or record. | Follow the record and determine which legal or alternate name applies. |
The distinction between NAME HS and a current entity is especially important. A former name can remain searchable because it helps users locate the company after a name change. The entry does not create a separate active company, and it should not be interpreted as an online name-reservation feature.
No Exact Match Versus LLC Name Availability in Florida
Finding no exact match in a Sunbiz LLC lookup does not automatically establish LLC name availability in Florida. The search tool helps you identify records, while the Division of Corporations applies Florida's naming rules when it reviews a filing. A proposed name can create a problem even if the search does not display an identical result.
Search the core words of your proposed name and examine active entities, inactive entities, prior-name entries, cross-references, and close variations. Compare differences in spelling, abbreviations, punctuation, spacing, and entity endings. Adding "LLC" or changing punctuation may not resolve a conflict with an otherwise similar name.
A Florida LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or an accepted abbreviation. It also must be distinguishable from names already recorded with the Division of Corporations. A state-level name search does not determine whether the name infringes a federal or state trademark, violates another party's rights, or can be used as a domain name or social media handle.
For a step-by-step name assessment before filing, use UpCounsel's guide to checking business name availability in Florida. Keep alternative names ready because the Division may reject a proposed name during filing review.
If similar records, inactive statuses, former names, or conflicting identifiers leave you uncertain, an attorney can review the relevant Sunbiz filings, assess naming and trademark risks, and prepare or correct the appropriate Florida filing. You can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace and describe the records causing concern. Responses typically arrive within a day, helping you decide how to proceed before investing in a disputed name.
Other Florida Division of Corporations Company Search Options
The corporation-name tool is only one part of the Florida Division of Corporations company search system. Use a different search route when you know an identifying detail other than the company's legal name. The official Sunbiz portal provides access to the available record-search categories.
- Officer or registered-agent search: Use a person's or organization's name to locate associated entity records. This can help when you know who manages or represents a company but do not know its exact legal name.
- Document-number search: Enter the identifier assigned to a specific Florida entity record. This route is useful when the number appears on a contract, filing, invoice, or certificate.
- FEI or EIN search: Search using the federal employer identification number when that number appears in the public record.
- Fictitious-name search: Search a registered trade name or DBA. A fictitious name is different from the legal name of an LLC or corporation.
- Fictitious-name owner search: Look for fictitious-name registrations associated with an individual or business owner.
- Registration-number search: Use the number assigned to a fictitious-name registration.
Choose the search category that matches the information you have. Entering an individual's name into the corporation-name search may produce irrelevant results because that tool searches entity names, not every person listed in a filing. Similarly, a DBA search may not reveal the legal entity unless you open the fictitious-name record and review its owner information.
How to Fix Common Sunbiz LLC Lookup Problems
A record-not-found message does not always mean the company never existed. It can result from using the wrong search category, entering an incorrect identifier, or searching a name that differs from the indexed legal name.
- Shorten the search: Remove generic words, entity endings, and unnecessary punctuation. Search the most distinctive word or phrase.
- Try alternate forms: Test abbreviations, initials, singular and plural terms, spacing variations, and prior spellings.
- Review nearby results: Because the name list is alphabetical, relevant records may appear immediately before or after the expected spelling.
- Check zero and the letter O: When entering a document number, make sure you have not substituted the letter O for the number zero.
- Use another identifier: Search by document number, officer or registered agent, FEI or EIN, or fictitious name when available.
- Look for name history: A NAME HS result may connect an old name to the entity's current record.
- Compare document images: If two records look similar, their filings may clarify which company, address, or responsible person matches your information.
If you still cannot locate the entity, confirm that it was registered in Florida. A company formed in another state may not appear unless it registered or otherwise filed in Florida. Also confirm that you are searching for the legal entity rather than a store name, brand, website, or unregistered nickname.
What to Do After Finding the Florida Business Record
Your next step depends on why you searched. If you are checking an existing business, save the legal name and document number so you can reliably return to the same record. Review the current status, registered agent, principal address, recent filing events, and available document images. If you need certified records or a certificate of status, follow the current ordering instructions provided through Sunbiz.
If you searched because you plan to form an LLC, treat the results as an initial screening tool. Search close variations, review potentially conflicting records, and confirm that your proposed name follows Florida's LLC naming requirements. Then prepare the required formation filing through the state's current filing process. UpCounsel's article on forming a Florida LLC and using Sunbiz explains the broader formation steps.
If the company is inactive, do not assume that you can take its name or that its obligations disappeared. Inactivity can result from different events, including administrative action, voluntary dissolution, or conversion. The record's filing history and documents provide context, but they may not answer every question about contracts, assets, liabilities, trademarks, or authority to act.
For due diligence involving a contract or transaction, compare the Sunbiz information with the legal name and document number stated in the agreement. A trade name should be connected to the correct legal entity. If the names or identifiers do not match, request clarification before signing, paying, or sending formal notices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Find an LLC Name in Florida?
Use the official Sunbiz Corporation Name Search and enter the LLC's full name or its most distinctive words. If several entities appear, compare document numbers, addresses, registered agents, and filing details. A legal name may differ from the name displayed on a storefront, website, invoice, or advertisement.
What Does Status NAME HS Mean on Sunbiz?
NAME HS means the result is a name-history entry connected to a former entity name. It does not mean "Hold Secure" and should not be treated as proof of a name reservation. Follow the entry to identify the related entity, its current legal name, and its filing history.
What Is Sunbiz Used For?
Sunbiz is the Florida Division of Corporations' online portal for public business records and state filings. Businesses and members of the public use it to search entities and fictitious names, view filed documents, submit eligible filings, obtain filing instructions, and access services related to maintaining Florida business records.
What Does INACT/UA Mean on Sunbiz?
INACT/UA means the entity is inactive and its name is marked unavailable. The code warns you not to equate inactivity with permission to use the name. Review the underlying record and check the Division of Corporations' current instructions before submitting a formation, amendment, or name-change filing.
How Do You Register a Business Name on Sunbiz?
You generally register an entity's legal name by submitting the appropriate formation or name-change filing to the Florida Division of Corporations. Registering a fictitious name uses a separate process and does not create an LLC or corporation. Select the filing type that matches the legal result you want.
How Do You Check LLC Name Availability on Florida Sunbiz?
Search the proposed name and close variations, then review potentially conflicting entities and historical entries. Because the search tool does not issue a binding availability decision, leave room for filing review and prepare alternatives. A clear search result also does not establish trademark rights or protect the name outside Florida.
