Company Registration Number: Find and Verify by Country

A company registration number identifies a company or another registered entity in the official system that issued it. The name of that identifier, the authority responsible for it, and the information you can retrieve vary by jurisdiction.

For a typical US corporation or LLC, start with the entity or file number maintained by the relevant state business registry. An Employer Identification Number, or EIN, serves a separate federal tax purpose. In other jurisdictions, you may need a Companies House company number, an Australian Company Number, a Singapore UEN, or another identifier. sos.ca.gov

To find the right record, establish the legal name and registration jurisdiction, search the appropriate official register, and compare the result with the document or business you are checking.

Keep the issuing registry and jurisdiction alongside the number. An isolated string of digits can be ambiguous: Canada’s official business-registry guidance, for example, explains that different registries can assign the same registry ID to different businesses. ised-isde.canada.ca

If a Form Asks for Your Company Registration Number

Before entering anything, identify what the form is trying to establish.

A supplier-onboarding form may want the identifier on your formation record. A tax form may want your EIN or another tax identifier. An international platform may use “business registration number” as a broad label covering several national systems.

Use this approach:

1. Read the country-specific instructions. Look for references to the issuing agency, incorporation, taxation, or a particular identifier.
2. Use the legal entity named on the application. A parent company’s number should not be substituted for a separately incorporated subsidiary’s number.
3. Check the official record or formation documents. Copy the identifier exactly, including any letters and leading zeros.
4. Resolve ambiguous fields with the requester. Ask whether it expects a formation-registry number, tax number, or another national business identifier.

For a US LLC, a field specifically requesting its state formation or registration identifier generally points to the number assigned by the state registry. If the field asks for an EIN, use the federal tax identifier instead. Do not assume the two labels are interchangeable merely because both numbers identify the business in some context. sos.ca.gov

If a form rejects your correctly recorded number, check that you selected the right country and entity type. Follow any formatting instructions for the input field, but preserve the full official identifier in your own records.

What if your business is not incorporated?

First establish its legal structure.

A sole proprietorship may have tax registrations, a business license, or a registered trade name without having a corporation or LLC registration number. California, for example, explains that sole proprietors do not file formation documents with its Secretary of State; a fictitious business name may instead be filed at the county level. sos.ca.gov

If the form offers a sole-proprietor or unincorporated-business option, use the appropriate option. Otherwise, ask what documentation the requester accepts for your business structure. A missing company-number field is not a reason to invent an identifier.

Company Registration Numbers and Other Business Identifiers

The most useful question is: What does this identifier identify, and which authority can confirm it?

The IRS, European Commission, SEC, Dun & Bradstreet, and GLEIF describe these as distinct identification systems serving their respective purposes. An identifier from one system should be used in another only when that system explicitly accepts it. irs.gov

Registration and tax identifiers can also share digits or be unified under a jurisdiction’s rules. Hong Kong’s Companies Registry now uses the Business Registration Number as its principal entity identifier under the Unique Business Identifier system. Australia’s ACN and ABN remain different identifiers, although a company’s ABN may incorporate its ACN. cr.gov.hk

A formatting check answers only whether a number has an expected structure. It does not establish that the number belongs to the business presenting it.

Official Company Registration Number Lookups by Country

These are starting points for ten major jurisdictions. Choose the row that matches the entity’s registration, which may differ from its headquarters, customer market, or mailing address.

The official explanations below clarify the scope of these searches and the situations in which an apparently straightforward lookup can mislead.

United States: Start With the Formation State

For an ordinary state-formed corporation or LLC, establish the state where it was formed, then use that state’s business-entity search. The SBA directory can help locate the responsible state agency. Small Business Administration

A company may also register to do business in other states through foreign qualification. In this context, “foreign” can mean formed in another US state. It does not necessarily mean an overseas company. Small Business Administration

Keep the formation record and additional registrations separate in your notes, then establish whether the filings connect them to the same legal entity.

Two official searches illustrate why the details matter:

• Delaware entity search accepts a name or file number. Its free results include basic formation and registered-agent information, but contain both active and inactive entities. Appearing in those results does not establish current status.
• California bizfile Online provides entity numbers, jurisdiction, status, and available filings. California expressly states that the status of a foreign entity there concerns its California registration; its status in the formation jurisdiction requires a separate check. Filing

When current status matters, follow the registry’s status-report or certificate process. Delaware distinguishes its online status service from a certified good-standing certificate. State of Delaware

United Kingdom: Preserve the Full Company Number

Search Companies House by the company’s legal name or number.

Companies House uses an eight-character company-number field. Its guidance explains that shorter numeric numbers may require leading zeros. Preserve any letters already present in the official identifier. find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

The public service provides free access to company information, filing history, and current and resigned officers without requiring registration to view the information. Review previous names and relevant filings when a document uses an older company name. An ordinary company-name change does not change the company number. GOV.UK

Be precise about the reliability of the record. Current Companies House guidance describes checks for completeness and validity, inquiries into questionable information, and powers to annotate or remove inaccurate information. That does not turn every filed statement into independently audited evidence about the business. GOV.UK

Canada: Identify the Federal, Provincial, or Territorial Register

Use Corporations Canada’s federal search when the entity was incorporated under a federal corporate law administered by Corporations Canada.

That database excludes provincially and territorially incorporated companies, foreign corporations, and corporations created under certain financial legislation. A missing federal result therefore does not establish that a business is unregistered in Canada. ised-isde.canada.ca

The government’s business-directory page links to both federal search and Canada’s Business Registries. Follow a result through to its official registry source. The cross-registry service has limits on participating registries and supported business types. Canada.ca

Also distinguish a corporation number from the CRA Business Number. The BN has nine digits; CRA program accounts add a program identifier and reference number. A federal corporation number is a different identifier, even though the federal search can accept a BN as a search key. Canada.ca

Australia: Follow the Business Name to Its Holder

ASIC assigns a nine-digit Australian Company Number when a company registers. An Australian Business Number has eleven digits and can identify sole traders, partnerships, and companies. ASIC

If you have a company name or ACN, use ASIC’s company search. If you have an ABN, ABN Lookup provides free public information, including entity type and ABN status. Its search accepts an ABN, ACN, or name. abr.business.gov.au

If you only know a registered business name, search ASIC’s Business names index to identify its holder. The holder may be a person or an organization. If it is a company, continue to that company’s record.

ASIC distinguishes free information from additional paid extracts. A business-name result and a company record answer different questions, so retain both when tracing a brand to a legal entity. ASIC

Singapore: Check the UEN and Entity Type

In Bizfile, select the Entity search and enter the business name or UEN. ACRA’s instructions include name-matching filters and a search option for current or previous UENs.

Inspect the entity profile and, where relevant, the issuing agency. UENs and Bizfile results cover several entity categories; a UEN alone does not establish that its holder is a company. Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority

ACRA provides a free basic entity search and separately purchased Business Profiles for more detailed checks. Do not assume the basic result contains every position holder or document. Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority

Hong Kong: Connect Former CR Numbers to the Current BRN

Since December 27, 2023, Hong Kong’s Companies Registry has used the Business Registration Number under its Unique Business Identifier system in place of the former company registration number.

For an ordinary BRN, this is the first eight digits of the Business Registration Certificate number. Older incorporation certificates were not automatically reissued to replace their former numbers.

Use the Registry’s CR-number-to-BRN mapping guidance and the portal’s CR No. / BRN Mapping function to connect old and current references. cr.gov.hk

Some legacy entities without an original BRN have registry-assigned identifiers containing a letter prefix. Follow the official record rather than rejecting an identifier solely because it is not all digits. 1823

India: Use the Company or LLP Master-Data Service

On the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website, look for View Company or LLP Master Data under the MCA services.

The official help documentation distinguishes company identifiers, including CIN, from LLP identifiers such as LLPIN. It also describes finding an entity by name before selecting its record. Online Help

A CIN is a 21-character alphanumeric identifier. That format can help recognize the type of number supplied, but it does not verify the business by itself. apps.dpiit.gov.in

Follow the portal’s current access and verification prompts. Master-data lookup and access to public documents are separate services; do not assume they have identical login or payment requirements. mca.gov.in

France: Separate the Enterprise From Its Establishments

A SIREN has nine digits and identifies an enterprise. A SIRET has fourteen digits and identifies an establishment: the SIREN plus an establishment-specific component.

A business can therefore have several SIRETs associated with one SIREN. An RCS reference includes the registration city and the SIREN. Service Public Entreprendre

Use Annuaire des Entreprises to locate public business information. For a registration extract from the Registre national des entreprises, use DATA INPI; the French government describes this registration-extract service as free and open to everyone. Service Public

When a contract identifies a particular establishment, record its SIRET as well as the enterprise’s SIREN. This preserves the distinction between the business and the location involved.

Germany: Keep the Register Court and Register Type

A German commercial-register reference should be read with its register court, register type, and number. Preserve prefixes such as HRB or HRA instead of recording only the numeric portion.

The official register portal supports searches using the company name, register type, register number, and court. Advanced search

Choose the document that answers your question. The portal distinguishes current, chronological, and historical extracts. Its guidance directs readers to the separate Business Register for annual accounts and balance sheets. A current register extract and a historical document should not be treated as interchangeable snapshots. Information

Japan: Distinguish the 13-Digit Corporate Number

Japan’s public Corporate Number has thirteen digits. For an incorporated and registered corporation, it consists of a check digit added before its twelve-digit commercial-registration number. The two references are related, but they are not identical inputs. digital.go.jp

The National Tax Agency’s publication site provides searches by Corporate Number and by name or address.

Its English service publishes organizations that have registered their information in English. If an English-name search fails, try the Japanese service with the Japanese legal name or the known Corporate Number. An English no-result is not evidence that the entity does not exist. houjin-bangou.nta.go.jp

Searching Across Europe

The EU’s Business Registers Interconnection System guidance provides a route to information from participating registers in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Its coverage includes public and private limited liability companies and their branches, among other specified forms. Use it as a cross-border starting point, then check the national record’s scope and available documents. It is not a universal register of every business structure. European e-Justice Portal

How to Find and Verify a Company Registration Number

Once you know which system applies, use the following workflow.

1. Establish the Exact Legal Name

Start with documents that identify the contracting or operating entity:

• A contract or order form.
• An invoice.
• Website terms and conditions.
• A legal notice or company-information page.
• An incorporation or registration certificate.

Treat each as a claim to check.

A logo or product name may belong to a brand used by several entities. Even different pages on one website may name different companies for different purposes. Record which document names which entity.

If the website only provides a brand, ask for the legal name, registration jurisdiction, and identifier. Searching a guessed legal name can lead you to an unrelated business.

2. Identify the Jurisdiction and Record Type

Distinguish:

• Where the entity was originally formed.
• Where it has additional registrations.
• Where it operates.
• Where its registered office or agent is located.

These are separate questions.

For a US entity described as “foreign,” inspect the jurisdiction field and relevant registration filing. For a company described as a subsidiary, locate its own record rather than substituting the parent’s details.

3. Search the Official Register

If you already have a number, use it in the correct identifier field. Otherwise, begin with the legal name.

When a name search produces too many results, narrow by jurisdiction, entity type, or location where the portal permits it. If it produces none, try a broader name search and check previous names.

Follow the registry’s input instructions. A search interface may require particular spacing or prefixes, but your saved record should preserve the complete official identifier.

A commercial directory can help you discover a possible legal name. Confirm the candidate through the responsible registry before relying on it.

4. Read the Entity Record, Not Just the Search Result

Open the record and capture:

• Legal name and entity type.
• Identifier type and full number.
• Issuing registry and jurisdiction.
• Formation or registration date.
• Status exactly as displayed, if provided.
• Relevant registered addresses.
• Links to supporting filings.

Be careful with dates. A registration date in a second jurisdiction may describe when the business registered there, rather than when it was originally formed. California’s official field definitions explicitly distinguish formation, registration, and conversion dates. sos.ca.gov

If the basic search does not provide status, write “status not established by this search.” Do not fill that gap with an assumption.

5. Review the History Relevant to Your Question

You do not need to read every document to answer a narrow identifier question. Review the filings that could explain a material difference:

• A name change.
• A registered-office change.
• An appointment or resignation.
• A merger, conversion, or continuation.
• A dissolution, cancellation, restoration, or other status event.

Keep the filing date, any stated effective date, and your lookup date distinct.

An old document may be accurate for its own period. It becomes misleading when treated as a description of the present.

6. Match the Record to the Transaction

Compare the official record with the contract, invoice, or application.

Does the legal name match? Does the number point to that entity? Is the jurisdiction consistent? If the invoice names a different group company, what explains the difference?

Then address representation separately. A registry match identifies the entity record. It does not authenticate the email, website, or person presenting the number.

What Different Sources Can Establish

A useful verification record ties each conclusion to the evidence that supports it.

This table is a research framework. It does not mean every registry publishes all of these fields.

For example, California’s Secretary of State says its records do not generally provide ownership, subsidiaries, or associated-business information. A missing field there should be recorded as unavailable from that source. sos.ca.gov

Keep People’s Roles Separate

A registered agent is designated to receive legal documents. The agent might be an owner, another individual, or a service provider. The agent listing alone does not establish ownership or signing authority. Small Business Administration

Similarly, an officer or director listing describes a reported role. It should not automatically be converted into a claim about beneficial ownership.

An authorized representative may also be absent from the public register. The useful next step is to confirm the person’s role and authority, rather than treating absence from a director list as proof that the person cannot represent the company.

Shared officers, similar names, and shared addresses are leads for further research. Establish a parent-subsidiary relationship with evidence that actually describes ownership or control.

Keep Filed Figures and Estimates Separate

For financial information, record:

• The reporting period.
• The currency.
• Whether the figure concerns one entity or a consolidated group.
• Whether it comes from filed accounts, a company announcement, or a third-party estimate.
• Whether an audit is actually identified.

A parent company’s consolidated revenue should not silently become a subsidiary’s revenue. A database estimate should retain its estimate label even when it appears beside accurate registration details.

What to Do When the Details Do Not Match

A mismatch calls for an explanation. It is not a conclusion by itself.

Two special cases deserve attention.

A failed English search may be a coverage problem. Japan’s English Corporate Number service only includes entities with registered English information. Use the legal name in the appropriate language before drawing a conclusion. houjin-bangou.nta.go.jp

An invalid VAT result is not the same as a failed company-registration search. The European Commission explains that a VIES result can be invalid because a number does not exist, is not activated for intra-EU transactions, or has not completed registration. Investigate the VAT question through the tax authority and the company-registration question through the business register. Your Europe

Worked Example: One LLC With Two State Registrations

This example is fictional. The names, document details, and outcomes are illustrative. Bracketed identifiers are placeholders, not real search results.

You are considering a service sold under the brand Harborline.

The proposed contract names Harborline Services LLC. The business describes itself as based in California, but the contract says it was formed in Delaware.

Your research produces the following hypothetical evidence:

Step 1: Connect the Two State Records

The names are consistent, but that alone is insufficient. You inspect the California registration and supporting information to confirm that it refers to the Delaware LLC named in the contract.

In this fictional example, the filings establish that connection.

You record both identifiers:

• Delaware formation record: [Delaware file number].
• California foreign registration: [California entity number].

The different numbers do not require you to treat the records as separate companies. They belong to different registration systems.

Step 2: Keep Status Conclusions Within Their Scope

Finding the Delaware entity through its free name search does not establish current status. If the transaction requires current Delaware status evidence, obtain the appropriate additional record.

If California displays an active registration, record that as a California finding. Do not extend it to every jurisdiction or to the company’s financial condition.

Step 3: Investigate the Holdings Company Separately

“Harborline Holdings Inc.” is a different legal name and entity type.

You locate its own record if its role matters. You do not infer ownership from the word “Holdings,” a shared address, or similar branding.

If an invoice later names the holding company instead of the LLC, ask which entity is supplying the service and why the invoice differs from the contract.

Step 4: Write a Limited, Useful Conclusion

Your note could read:

The contract identifies Harborline Services LLC. The Delaware formation record matches the stated legal name and file number. The California registration documents refer to the same Delaware LLC under a separate California identifier. Current Delaware status and the proposed representative’s authority remain separate checks. The relationship with Harborline Holdings Inc. has not been established by the documents reviewed.

That conclusion preserves what you learned without turning a registration match into a blanket approval of the transaction.

Worked Example: A Matching Number on an Unverified Website

This example is also fictional.

A website offers services under the name Morrow Vale Ltd and displays [UK company number].

A Companies House search points to an entity with the same name and number. The website’s address also matches the registered-office address.

You have now identified the official company record. You have not yet established that the website is operated by that company.

The person contacting you uses a different domain and asks you to rely on the website’s registration details as proof of affiliation.

Check the Connection, Not Just the Repeated Details

First, save the website URL, the company number it displays, and the relevant registry record.

Next, seek confirmation through an independently established business channel—for example, an existing verified supplier contact or an applicable regulator’s official contact listing. Ask whether the domain and representative are associated with the company.

This is a practical concern: the UK Financial Conduct Authority describes clone firms that reuse genuine firms’ names, addresses, and regulatory reference numbers while substituting contact information. Its guidance emphasizes checking the contact details as well as the registration. FCA

Suppose you also find an old directory listing a former director. Compare its date with the current officer record and resignation history. Keep the historical listing as historical information.

Until the website connection is established, your conclusion should remain:

The displayed company name and number match an official record. The connection between that entity, this website, and the person contacting us remains unverified.

You do not need to label the website fraudulent to recognize that the available evidence does not yet establish its affiliation.

Is a Company Registration Number Lookup Free?

It depends on the registry and the information you need.

Basic identification, document access, current-status confirmation, and certified copies are different services.

Examples include:

• Companies House provides public company information and filing documents through its free search service.
• ABN Lookup provides free public ABN information.
• ACRA offers free basic entity search and separately purchased Business Profiles.
• Delaware offers free basic entity information, with separate services for additional status information and certificates. GOV.UK

Start with the official basic search. Before paying for anything, identify the specific unanswered question and the document that could answer it.

An incorporation certificate addresses formation. A current status certificate addresses the status described in that certificate. A historical filing may explain a name or management change. Paying for a document does not expand what that document proves.

Keep a Verification Record You Can Reuse

A useful record should let another person repeat your search and understand your conclusion.

For your own company, keep the formation documents and official identifier together so future forms can be completed consistently. For another company, retain only information relevant to the business question.

Revisit the record when something material changes: the contracting entity, payment instructions, business name, representative, or jurisdiction. Record the new check rather than treating an earlier lookup as permanently current.

If You Need to Cross-Check a Named Representative

After a contract or public filing gives you a person’s name, you may want to compare public information about that person.

DeepSearch.tools accepts a person’s name, with optional city or company context to help distinguish candidates. Use that context carefully when several people share a name.

Any candidate result still needs comparison with its underlying public sources. A people-search result does not establish signing authority or replace the company’s official registration record. Confirm the representative’s role through the relevant business channel and documentation.