Florida SOS API Entity Search: Verify Business Entities in Real Time

Whether you work in fintech, banking, insurance, or compliance consulting, verifying that a Florida business entity actually exists—and is in good standing—is a non-negotiable step in any responsible onboarding workflow. Florida is home to more than 2.5 million active business entities registered with the Florida Division of Corporations, making it one of the busiest Secretary of State jurisdictions in the country. Manually searching the state's Sunbiz portal is fine for a one-off lookup, but it doesn't scale. That's where a Florida SOS API entity search becomes indispensable.

This guide explains the regulatory backdrop that makes automated entity verification essential, walks you through how to integrate the OpenSOSData API for Florida lookups, and answers the most common questions professionals ask when building KYB pipelines.

Why Florida Business Verification Matters for US Compliance Teams

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) obligates financial institutions to implement risk-based anti-money-laundering programs that include verifying the identity and legitimacy of business customers. FinCEN's Customer Due Diligence (CDD) rule extends those obligations to Know Your Business (KYB) processes, requiring covered entities to collect and verify information about beneficial owners and the nature of the business relationship.

On beneficial ownership reporting: FinCEN's BOI reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act were significantly narrowed in 2025. Under an interim final rule made permanent in 2026, domestic US companies—including Florida LLCs, corporations, and limited partnerships—are no longer required to file BOI reports with FinCEN. The reporting obligation now applies only to foreign reporting companies operating in the United States. This regulatory shift means your internal KYB process carries even more weight for domestic entity due diligence, since you can no longer rely on FinCEN's BOI database as a cross-reference for US businesses.

OFAC sanctions screening remains fully in force and must be layered on top of entity verification. Confirming that a Florida LLC is active with the state is step one; confirming it isn't on a sanctions list is step two. Neither can substitute for the other.

What the Florida Division of Corporations Provides

The Florida Division of Corporations—operating under the Florida Department of State—maintains authoritative records for:

• Florida LLCs (Limited Liability Companies)
• Florida Corporations (for-profit and not-for-profit)
• Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships
• Foreign entities registered to do business in Florida
• Fictitious name (DBA) registrations

For each entity, the state records include the entity name, document number (Florida's internal identifier), entity type, status, filing date, registered agent name, and registered agent address. These are exactly the data points your KYB workflow needs to confirm that a counterparty is who they claim to be.

Introducing OpenSOSData: A Unified Florida SOS API

OpenSOSData provides a single REST API endpoint that retrieves Secretary of State business entity records across all 50 US states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—covering more than 34 million entities. For Florida specifically, the API returns live or cached data sourced directly from the Division of Corporations, including:

• Entity name and normalized variants
• Entity type (LLC, Corporation, LP, etc.)
• State-assigned entity ID (Florida document number)
• Current status (Active, Inactive, Dissolved, etc.)
• Formation / registration date
• Registered agent name and address

Pricing is straightforward and pay-as-you-go. Live lookups start at $0.10 per query and drop to as low as $0.0314 at volume. Cached lookups start at $0.01 and go as low as $0.00314 at volume. There are no monthly minimums or seat fees—you pay only for what you use.

API Quick Reference

Live vs. Cached Lookups: When to Use Each

The cache_preference parameter gives you control over freshness versus cost:

• live_only — Fetches data directly from the Florida Division of Corporations in real time. Use this during active KYB onboarding or when status changes matter (e.g., detecting a recent dissolution).
• cache_first — Returns cached data if available and recent; falls back to a live fetch otherwise. A good balance for high-volume batch screening.
• cache_only — Returns only cached records. Ideal for large-scale matching, internal enrichment, or scenarios where absolute freshness isn't required.

Code Example: Florida Entity Lookup with cURL

# Florida SOS API entity search using OpenSOSData
# Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key from https://app.opensosdata.com

curl -X POST https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "entity_name": "Sunshine Logistics LLC",
    "state": "FL",
    "cache_preference": "live_only"
  }'

Code Example: Florida Entity Lookup with Python

import requests

# Your API key from https://app.opensosdata.com
API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

# API endpoint
ENDPOINT = "https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup"

# Request headers — always use x-api-key, not x-api-key:
headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "x-api-key": API_KEY
}

# Request body — use entity_name (not entity_name)
payload = {
    "entity_name": "Sunshine Logistics LLC",
    "state": "FL",
    "cache_preference": "live_only"  # fetch fresh data from FL Division of Corporations
}

response = requests.post(ENDPOINT, json=payload, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 200:
    data = response.json()
    # Inspect the returned entity details
    for entity in data.get("results", []):
        print("Name:", entity.get("entity_name"))
        print("Type:", entity.get("entity_type"))
        print("Status:", entity.get("status"))
        print("Entity ID:", entity.get("entity_id"))
        print("Formation Date:", entity.get("formation_date"))
        print("Registered Agent:", entity.get("registered_agent"))
        print("Registered Agent Address:", entity.get("registered_agent_address"))
        print("---")
else:
    print("Error:", response.status_code, response.text)

The response arrives in milliseconds for cached queries and within a few seconds for live fetches, making it practical to embed directly in onboarding APIs, loan origination systems, or compliance dashboards.

Integrating Florida SOS Lookups into a KYB Workflow

A well-structured KYB workflow for a Florida business customer typically looks like this:

1. Collect the entity's legal name, state of formation, and EIN during onboarding.
2. Verify the entity exists and is Active via a live_only OpenSOSData lookup using the legal name and "state": "FL".
3. Cross-reference the returned registered agent and formation date against documents the customer provided.
4. Screen the entity name and beneficial owners against OFAC SDN and consolidated sanctions lists.
5. Document the results in your CDD/EDD records to satisfy BSA audit requirements.
6. Re-verify periodically—use cache_first for routine refresh cycles to manage cost.

Because the BOI reporting exemption for domestic companies is now permanent, step 2 (SOS verification) is your primary authoritative check for entity existence and good standing. Build your workflow accordingly.

Comparison: Manual Sunbiz Search vs. OpenSOSData API

Getting Started

You can create a free account and retrieve your API key at app.opensosdata.com in under two minutes. Full endpoint documentation, response schema, and error code references are available at opensosdata.com/docs/. There are no contracts, no minimums, and no setup fees—your first query can be live within minutes of signing up.

Frequently Asked Questions