Verification of Business Licenses

There are several ways to verify a business license.

For a business to operate legally, it must have a business license. If you are thinking of doing business with an entity, you can verify they are licensed by contacting the Secretary of State, Department of Consumer Affairs or local municipality responsible for issuing business licenses with information about the business.

By Name

You can verify a business license with the name of the business. If the name of the business is a common one however, you will need to verify the address or other pertinent information to make sure you are verifying the correct entity.

Type of License

If you are not sure of the legal name of the business, many states help you locate the business information if you have a general address and know the type of license the business would have. The type of license would vary according to the type of business being run.

License Number

If the business license is displayed at the location and you are able to get a license number, providing that number to authorities would help verify the license is current and legal.

References

• Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs: Basic Business License Verification