How to check if a business is registered in Massachusetts?
Verify a Massachusetts company's registration status is important in determining whether it is authentic. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth provides an online Business Entity Search facility, via which users can check if a company is registered. To search, follow these steps:
1. Search Official Business Search Portal
Visit the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division website. This is the government website that publishes all registered corporations' names to the public.
2. Choose a Search Option
The site offers various means of searching using available data:
- Business Name: Enter the full or partial business name.
- Individual Name: Search for businesses related to an individual.
- Identification Number: Enter the unique business ID provided during registration.
- Filing Number: Enter data retrieved via a special filing reference.
3. Conduct the Search
Enter the relevant information and utilize the correct search type:
- Begins with: To retrieve entities whose names start with the text entered.
- Exact match: Displays businesses with names that match the search query exactly.
- Full text: Searches for names containing the input somewhere.
- Soundex: Retrieves names that sound like the search query.
4. Check Business Information
The search results will yield comprehensive information regarding the registered business, such as:
- Business entity name and form (LLC, Corporation, etc.).
- Status (Active, Inactive, Dissolved).
- Date of Massachusetts incorporation.
- Principal office address.
- Registered agent name and address.
- Officer and director names (if applicable).
5. Check Business Status and Compliance
Validation of a company's registration ensures that it is properly formed and compliant with Massachusetts legislation. If the company is not appearing in the database, then maybe it is unofficially registered or perhaps even named differently.
For assistance to companies which want to further develop or acquire a legitimate existence in the U.S., One IBC USA provides expert service for firm registration, compliance, and corporate governance services.