KYB Lookup

What a know-your-business review collects from public records, and how to request one.

KYB Lookup

Free KYB Check

Quick answer. A free KYB check is what you can see without a vendor score: the official entity search and the public OFAC tool. It will not list members the state does not publish. A KYB lookup is a stack of official sources. The legal entity comes from the state. The TIN match comes from the IRS. Sanctions come from OFAC. No single public page contains all three.

Official office

USA.gov — State governments

Open the official search

Steps

  1. Write the question

    Existence, status, TIN, or sanctions. They are different lookups.

  2. Open the matching official tool

    State search, IRS TIN matching, or OFAC. Do not substitute a blog.

  3. Paste the raw fields

    Name, number, status, date. Skip narrative.

  4. Mark gaps

    “EIN not provided” is a complete answer. A guessed EIN is not.

Free means the public file, not a risk score

Run the state search yourself from the office link, or ask us to do it and email the detail. Then run the legal name and any known owners through Sanctions List Search.

A paid profile that claims a risk grade is a different product. Do not describe a free public lookup as that grade.

One fact, one source

People search “KYB lookup” hoping for one box. The useful version is a checklist with a URL for each line. Legal name and file number: secretary of state. Employer identification number: the company, confirmed through IRS TIN matching when you are eligible. Sanctions: OFAC Sanctions List Search.

Commercial data brokers republish pieces of this and add phone numbers and revenue estimates. Estimates are not records. If a field has no official source, label it as an estimate or leave it blank.

Common mistakes

  • One search box for three agencies.
  • Filling blanks with broker estimates.
  • Calling a lookup a verification certificate.
  • Skipping the date on each source.

Questions

Is there a national KYB database?

No. Entities are registered with states. Federal pieces (EIN, sanctions, BOI rules) live at different agencies.

What is business verification?

Matching the claimed legal entity to an official file and recording status. It is not a credit decision.

What is an ultimate beneficial owner lookup?

An ownership question. Most state entity searches do not list beneficial owners. Ask the company for documents and read current FinCEN rules before you describe a filing duty.

Sources reviewed