State registries: the registration record
State agencies maintain business registration records for entities such as corporations and LLCs. Available fields and documents vary by jurisdiction. A registry may show a name, entity number, recorded status, registered agent and filing history. For a question about the company’s registration in a particular state, that state’s official portal is the relevant starting point.
SEC EDGAR: published securities filings
EDGAR provides public access to filings submitted under federal securities laws. It includes publicly traded companies and other filers. Depending on the entity and filing requirements, documents may contain financial statements, descriptions of the business and other disclosures. It is not a register of every U.S. business.
An identifier belongs to its source
An SEC CIK identifies a filer in EDGAR. It is distinct from a state entity number and from a stock ticker. A company can have multiple ticker symbols and state registrations. Use the source identifier to avoid confusing unrelated organizations with similar names.
Use the records together
For a listed company, you may want both its state registration record and SEC disclosures. Compare names, identifiers, addresses and dates before connecting them. Neither a directory listing nor a filing should be treated as a government endorsement of the business.
Where this website fits
Our company search uses a selected SEC dataset with reported U.S. business locations. Our state registry directory takes you to external official portals. State records are not automatically combined with a company profile, and private companies may need to be researched directly through those portals.