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The most accurate place to check a company depends on the fact you need and where the company is registered. For U.S. public-company filings, start with SEC EDGAR; for a UK limited company, use Companies House; for U.S. state registration, use the relevant state registry. Company websites and business-data aggregators are useful for other purposes, but important claims should be checked against the primary record.
Which website should you use?
| Website | Best for | Coverage and caveat |
|---|---|---|
| SEC EDGAR | Regulatory filings by U.S. public companies and other SEC filers | Primary source for SEC filings; not a universal registry for every company. |
| Companies House | UK limited-company records and filed documents | Official register of filed information; Companies House says it does not check that information’s accuracy. |
| The relevant state business registry | U.S. state incorporation, filed reports, and good-standing status | Coverage depends on the state; there is no single registry for every U.S. entity. |
| The company’s own website | Company announcements, reports, presentations, and current statements | Self-published information; corroborate consequential claims with filings or registry records. |
| OpenCorporates | Discovering companies across jurisdictions and locating underlying records | Aggregator; confirm important information with the linked official source. |
1. SEC EDGAR: U.S. public-company filings
SEC EDGAR is the place to inspect filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Search by company name, ticker, or Central Index Key (CIK). The SEC describes EDGAR as a free public filing resource.
When to use it
Use EDGAR when you need a public company’s regulatory disclosures, financial statements, or information about a material event. For a company’s finances, open the filing itself rather than relying on a search result or third-party profile: annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K serve different reporting purposes.
EDGAR covers SEC filers, not every business operating in the United States. A privately held company that does not file with the SEC may have no EDGAR record.
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2. Companies House: UK limited-company records
Companies House provides a free-to-search register of UK company records, including filings, officer information, and document images. It is useful for checking what a company has filed and when records or documents appear on the register.
What the register does—and does not—establish
Companies House states: “Companies House does not check the accuracy of the information filed.” The register is an official record of filed information, but that does not mean each statement has been independently verified. For a consequential claim, compare the filing with other appropriate evidence. The service’s role is described on the Companies House services page.
3. The relevant U.S. state business registry: incorporation and standing
For a U.S. entity’s state of incorporation, state-filed annual reports, or good-standing status, look up the business with the Secretary of State or other relevant state agency. The correct registry depends on the state where the entity was formed. The SEC’s company-information guide directs readers to the Secretary of State where a company is incorporated for this type of information.
Choose the state that matches the question
A company may operate in one state while being incorporated in another. If you are checking its legal registration or standing, search the state of incorporation rather than assuming its main office or place of business is the right registry. State records answer different questions from SEC filings: a state listing is not a substitute for reviewing a public company’s financial disclosures.
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A company’s website—especially its Investor Relations section—is often the most direct source for its own announcements, presentations, and published reports. The SEC also identifies companies themselves as a source of corporate reports in its company-information guide.
Use it for the company’s statements, not as independent verification
Company-published material can be useful for current statements and context, but it reflects the company’s own account. When legal status, financial reporting, or another consequential claim matters, compare it with the relevant regulator filing or official registry record.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. OpenCorporates: cross-jurisdiction discovery
OpenCorporates can help locate a company when you are unsure which jurisdiction or registry to search. It says its records are collected from official sources across 140+ jurisdictions; that is OpenCorporates’ stated coverage, not an independently verified measure.
Follow the record back to its source
Use the service as a discovery tool, then follow its links to the relevant official registry to verify a material detail. An aggregator can make records easier to find, but it is not the authority that created the underlying filing.
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- Identify the fact. Decide whether you need a regulatory filing, legal registration, officer information, company statement, or commercial credit data.
- Identify the jurisdiction and company type. A U.S. SEC filer, a UK limited company, and a privately held business may appear in different systems.
- Go to the source responsible for that fact. Use EDGAR for SEC filings, Companies House for UK filings, or the relevant U.S. state registry for state registration and standing.
- Check the document and its date. A record can change as new filings are made. Read the underlying filing or document and note when it was filed, rather than treating a profile or search snippet as current.
- Corroborate consequential claims. Compare company statements or aggregator results with the relevant primary record, while remembering that a registry entry may record what was filed without independently verifying its truth.
When a paid business-data service may help
If you need commercial financial, credit, or business data beyond public filings, paid sources may offer reports suited to that purpose. The SEC’s company-information guide names Dun & Bradstreet, Moody’s, Hoover’s Profiles, and Standard & Poor’s Corporate Profiles as possible commercial sources. The SEC also states: “The SEC cannot recommend or endorse any particular research firm, its personnel, or its products.” Compare each provider’s coverage, report scope, source transparency, and cost for your particular need; inclusion in the SEC guide is not an endorsement.
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