Florida at a Glance
| Total Entities | 2,500,000+ |
| Annual Report Due | January 1 – May 1 (each year) |
| State Income Tax | None (corporate tax on some corporations) |
| Popular For | Real estate, hospitality, insurance, professional services |
| Division of Corporations | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz |
How to Search Florida Business Records
The official registry is SUNBIZ at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz, operated by the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Searches are free and require no account.
- Open the SUNBIZ search — from the homepage choose "Search our records" and pick the entity search.
- Enter the name or document number — partial names work; results list every matching entity with its document number and status.
- Review the detail page — Florida shows the entity name, document number, filing date, status, entity type, registered agent, and principal address. The filing history shows each report and amendment.
- Check the annual report trail — Florida entities must file an annual report between January 1 and May 1; a gap in the report history means the entity is delinquent, which leads to involuntary dissolution after a grace period.
What a Florida Company Record Contains
SUNBIZ records include: the legal name and document number; the status — "Active", "Inactive", "Dissolved", "Involuntarily Dissolved" (for missed annual reports), or "Merged"; the type of entity; the date of formation; the registered agent and office; and the full filing history. Florida also records fictitious names (DBAs) in the same database, so searching a trade name will surface the legal entity behind it — useful when a company operates under a name that is not its legal name.
Verifying an EIN for a Florida Company
The IRS does not verify EINs to third parties; the standard documents are a W-9, 147C letter, or CP575. For Florida, the strongest additional signal is the annual report history: an entity current on its reports and active in SUNBIZ, with a matching W-9, is a well-formed picture. Watch for entities whose SUNBIZ status is active but whose DBA filings are expired — operating under an expired fictitious name is a common compliance gap in Florida's contractor and service industries.
Common Issues When Verifying Florida Companies
- Involuntarily dissolved — the entity missed annual reports; it is administratively dissolved and cannot transact business until reinstated.
- Expired fictitious names — Florida DBAs renew every 5 years; an expired DBA means the company's marketing name is not legally current even if the entity itself is active.
- Same-name entities across types — Florida permits a corporation and an LLC to share a name; match document numbers, not names.
- Seasonal or shell activity — high report-compliance rates make Florida records reliable, but always combine the registry check with operational evidence.
Why This Matters Before You Transact
Florida's registry is dependable and fast — the annual report requirement keeps most records current. A quick SUNBIZ check plus a W-9 covers the basics for hiring contractors, leasing, or lending. For suppliers or counterparties with more complex histories, an HQ Trust Score report adds sanctions screening, litigation history, and SEC data in one document.