California company register API - SoS & UCC
Query the California Secretary of State business search for entity status, formation details and registered agent, and the California UCC index for secured-party filings against a debtor. Both return JSON. There is no federal register, which is why US coverage is stated by state.
2 registers covered: California SoS, California UCC
Entity status and registered agent from the California Secretary of State.
UCC liens, debtors and secured parties from the California UCC index.
California Secretary of State, UCC
Company registration in the United States is done at state level, not federally, so there is no single national company register. Our coverage is California: the Secretary of State business search and the California UCC filing index.
The business search gives entity status, formation details and the registered agent. The UCC index gives secured-party filings against a debtor, which is the closest public equivalent to seeing who holds security over a company assets.
Together they answer the two questions that matter for a US counterparty: is this entity in good standing, and is anything already secured against it.
Is there a national US company register?
No. US companies are registered by individual states, each with its own register and search interface. Any "US company lookup" is really a per-state lookup, which is why coverage is stated by state.
What is a UCC filing?
A Uniform Commercial Code financing statement, filed publicly by a creditor to perfect a security interest in a debtor assets. Searching the index by debtor shows you who has already secured a claim and when.
What is a registered agent?
The person or company designated to receive legal service on behalf of an entity in that state. It is public, and it is often the most reliable address on record for a business that does not publish a real one.