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Registry Search lets you find business entities in business registries before you verify them. Search by name, EIN, jurisdiction, location, entity type, or any combination - and get back structured registration data from authoritative government sources.
Image showcasing registry search with two results

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How the Registry works

Every business in the US is registered with at least one Secretary of State (SOS) office. When a business incorporates in Delaware or files an LLC in California, that state’s SOS office creates a public record with the business’s legal name, entity type, registration number, formation date, and current status. Palm aggregates these records from all 50 states into a single searchable Registry. This means you can search once and get back the same data you’d find by visiting individual state SOS websites - but structured, normalized, and ready to use in your application.

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What you get back

A Registry Search returns a list of matching business entities, each with:
  • Palm ID: A unique identifier assigned by Palm to track the business across the platform.
  • Registration data: Legal name, entity type, registration number, formation date, formation and registration jurisdictions, and current status.
  • Principal address: The business’s address on file with the registering authority.

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When to use this

Use Registry Search when you need to find a business before verifying it — during onboarding forms, search-ahead UIs, or pre-verification lookups. It’s also useful for enriching partial business data (e.g., you have a name but need the registration number or jurisdiction) or for checking name availability before registering a new entity.

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Quickstart

Prerequisites

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Search by business name

Send a POST request to /v1/business/registry/search with your search criteria:
Bash
curl -X POST https://api.getpalm.com/v1/business/registry/search \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer sk_test_...' \
  -d '{
    "name": "Acme Corporation",
    "registration_jurisdiction": "US-CA"
  }'

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Search parameters

All parameters are optional, but you must include at least the legal name. Combine parameters to narrow results. You can search by name, ein, registration_jurisdiction, formation_jurisdiction, entity_type, status, and location fields. For the full parameter reference, see the API Reference.
Note: Registration jurisdiction and formation jurisdiction are different concepts. A company might form in Delaware (formation jurisdiction) but register to do business in California (registration jurisdiction). If you’re not sure which to use, registration_jurisdiction is the more common filter — it’s where the business actually operates.

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Response

A successful search returns a list of matching business entities:
JSON
{
  "object": "list",
  "data": [
    {
      "palm_id": "1234-5678-9012",
      "name": "Acme Corp",
      "formation_date": "2020-03-15",
      "formation_jurisdiction": "US-DE",
      "registration_jurisdiction": "US-CA",
      "status": "active",
      "entity_type": "llc",
      "registration_number": "202012345678",
      "principal_address": {
        "country": "US",
        "street_line_1": "100 Main Street",
        "street_line_2": "Suite 200",
        "city": "San Francisco",
        "region": "CA",
        "postal_code": "94105"
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Understanding the response

The status field tells you whether the business is currently recognized by the state. An active status means the business has filed its required annual reports, paid its fees, and is authorized to do business. A business that falls behind on filings may show as suspended or revoked — it still exists, but it’s not in good standing. The registration_number is the identifier assigned by the state’s SOS office. This number is unique within a jurisdiction but not across states — two different states could assign the same number to different businesses.

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Get a specific business registration

If you already have the jurisdiction and registration number, you can look up a specific business directly instead of searching:
Bash
curl -X GET https://api.getpalm.com/v1/business/registry/US-CA/C1234567 \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer sk_test_...'
This returns a more detailed record than the search endpoint, including connected people and additional identifiers:
JSON
{
  "palm_id": "1234-5678-9012",
  "name": "Acme Corp",
  "formation_date": "2020-03-15",
  "formation_jurisdiction": "US-DE",
  "registration_jurisdiction": "US-CA",
  "status": "active",
  "entity_type": "llc",
  "registration_number": "202012345678",
  "principal_address": {
    "country": "US",
    "street_line_1": "100 Main Street",
    "street_line_2": "Suite 200",
    "city": "San Francisco",
    "region": "CA",
    "postal_code": "94105"
  },
  "mailing_address": {
    "country": "US",
    "street_line_1": "100 Main Street",
    "street_line_2": "Suite 200",
    "city": "San Francisco",
    "region": "CA",
    "postal_code": "94105"
  },
  "standing": {
    "registration": "compliant",
    "tax": "compliant",
    "agent": "compliant"
  },
  "fictitious_names": ["DBA Name LLC"],
  "industry_codes": [
    {
      "code": "541511",
      "type": "naics",
      "description": "Custom Computer Programming Services"
    }
  ],
  "associates": [
    {
      "role": "agent",
      "name": "John Smith",
      "type": "person",
      "title": "Registered Agent",
      "address": {
        "country": "US",
        "street_line_1": "100 Main Street",
        "street_line_2": "Suite 200",
        "city": "San Francisco",
        "region": "CA",
        "postal_code": "94105"
      }
    },
    {
      "role": "member",
      "name": "Jane Doe",
      "type": "person",
      "title": "Managing Member"
    }
  ]
}

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Understanding the detail response

FieldDescription
palm_idPalm’s unique identifier for this business.
fictitious_namesDBAs (Doing Business As) and trade names. A business can operate under names different from its legal name. Fictitious names are registered with the state so customers and regulators can trace the DBA back to the legal entity.
industry_codesNAICS codes that classify the business’s industry, when available. Not every business has a NAICS code on file.
associatesPeople and organizations connected to the business — officers, directors, owners, and Registered Agents. The Registered Agent is the entity authorized to receive legal documents on behalf of the business. Every business must have one.
Note: Not all states report the same level of detail. Some states include officer names and Registered Agents in their public records; others don’t. The detail endpoint returns whatever the state makes available.

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From search to verification

Registry Search confirms the business exists and pulls its public record from the state. Verification goes further - running risk assessment, TIN validation, watchlist screening, and other checks that public records don’t cover. A typical flow:
  • Searches the Registry to find the business
  • Verifies the business to run identity, risk, and compliance checks beyond the public record

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Next steps