GET
/searchEntity search
Search business entities by name and state. Every state is normalized into one fixed envelope: the best match plus similar filings, each with status, registered agent, officers, and addresses.
Query parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
state | string | Yes | Two-letter code or full name, e.g. "WY" or "wyoming". |
business_name | string | Yes | Business name to search for. |
by | string | No | Defaults to "name". Set to the state’s ID field (e.g. "entityId") to look a record up by ID. |
Request
curl 'https://api.sosfinder.com/search?state=WY&business_name=Acme%20LLC' \
-H "x-api-key: $SOS_API_KEY"Response
One fixed schema for all states. bestMatch is the top record (or null); results lists the best match first, then similar filings. Fields a state doesn’t publish come back null (or [] for officers, filings, and documents).
{
"state": "FL",
"stateName": "Florida",
"success": true,
"query": "Acme LLC",
"searchBy": "name",
"count": 3,
"bestMatch": {
"name": "ACME LLC",
"entityId": "L19000123456",
"status": "Active",
"entityType": "Florida Limited Liability Company",
"standing": null,
"formationDate": "04/08/2019",
"jurisdiction": "FL",
"feiEin": "59-1234567",
"registeredAgentName": "Jane Doe",
"registeredAgentAddress": "123 Main St, Tampa, FL 33601",
"officers": [
{ "name": "Jane Doe", "title": "President",
"address": "123 Main St, Tampa, FL 33601" }
],
"principalOfficeAddress": "123 Main St, Tampa, FL 33601",
"mailingAddress": "PO Box 100, Tampa, FL 33601",
"filings": [
{ "name": "Annual Report 2026", "date": "01/15/2026", "id": null }
],
"documents": [
{ "title": "01/15/2026 -- ANNUAL REPORT",
"url": "https://search.sunbiz.org/...pdf" }
],
"detailAvailable": true
},
"results": [ "…best match first, then similar filings…" ],
"error": null,
"blocked": false
}Record fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | string | Legal name of the entity. |
entityId | string | The state’s public identifier (DOS ID, filing number, …). |
status | string | e.g. Active, Inactive, Dissolved. |
standing | string | Good-standing flag, where the state reports one. |
formationDate | string | Date the entity was formed, as the state formats it. |
feiEin | string | Federal employer ID (FEI/EIN), where published (Florida). |
registeredAgentName | string | Registered agent of record. |
officers | object[] | Officers / directors / members: {name, title, address} — only some states publish these. |
filings | object[] | Filing / annual-report history: {name, date, id}. |
documents | object[] | Downloadable document PDFs: {title, url}. |
detailAvailable | boolean | False for list-only registries with no per-entity detail page. |
Errors and blocks
Zero matches return success: false with an empty results list. If a state registry temporarily blocks automated lookups, the API retries and — only if every attempt is blocked — returns blocked: true; try again shortly.