If you're building KYC workflows, onboarding checks, or vendor verification, you've probably seen the pricing pages for LexisNexis, Dun & Bradstreet, and Middesk. They start at $500/month and go up fast.
But most of the data they resell comes from public government sources. You can access it directly — for free.
Here are 8 APIs I've used to build business verification pipelines without paying for a commercial data provider.
1. Secretary of State Business Entity Search
Every US state maintains a registry of business entities — LLCs, corporations, nonprofits. This is the primary source for verifying whether a company is real and in good standing.
What you get: Entity name, status (active/dissolved/suspended), filing date, registered agent, principal address.
The catch: Each state has its own portal with different interfaces. Some have APIs, most don't.
I built scrapers for the top states: California, Texas, New York, and Florida. They return structured JSON so you don't have to deal with each state's terrible UI.
2. SEC EDGAR Company Filings
If the company is publicly traded or has filed for securities exemptions, EDGAR has it. The API is free and surprisingly capable.
What you get: Company filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K), officer information, beneficial ownership, insider trading.
Best for: Verifying public companies, checking for regulatory filings, finding beneficial owners of investment entities.
SEC EDGAR Search Tool — structured search by company name, ticker, or CIK.
3. FDIC BankFind
Need to verify a bank is FDIC-insured and federally regulated? BankFind is the authoritative source.
What you get: Bank name, FDIC cert number, status, total assets, number of offices, holding company info.
Best for: KYC checks on financial institutions, verifying bank legitimacy.
FDIC BankFind Search — search by name, city, state, or FDIC cert.
4. IRS 990 Nonprofit Filings
Nonprofits file 990s publicly. This is the go-to for verifying tax-exempt status and understanding nonprofit financials.
What you get: Organization name, EIN, total revenue, total assets, officers, filing history.
Best for: Vendor verification for nonprofits, grant due diligence, charity legitimacy checks.
IRS 990 Search — search by organization name, EIN, or state.
5. NPPES NPI Registry
The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System is mandatory for every US healthcare provider. If someone claims to be a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, you can verify it here.
What you get: Provider name, NPI number, taxonomy (specialty), practice address, enumeration date.
Best for: Healthcare KYC, credentialing, provider directory verification.
NPPES NPI Search — search by name, NPI, specialty, or location.
6. FEC Campaign Finance
Public campaign contribution records. Useful for compliance checks, politically exposed persons (PEP) screening, and donor research.
What you get: Contributions by individual or committee, amounts, dates, employer info.
Best for: PEP screening, donor research, compliance checks for financial services.
FEC Campaign Finance Search — search contributions by name, employer, state, or amount.
7. CFPB Consumer Complaints
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes every complaint filed against financial companies. Useful for due diligence on financial partners.
What you get: Company name, complaint type, consumer narrative, company response, resolution.
Best for: Vendor risk assessment, due diligence on financial service providers.
CFPB Complaint Search — search by company, product type, or date range.
8. USASpending Federal Contracts
If a company claims government contracts, you can verify it. USASpending tracks every federal dollar spent.
What you get: Recipient name, contract/grant details, awarding agency, amounts, performance period.
Best for: Vendor verification, contractor legitimacy checks, government sales intelligence.
USASpending Search — search by company name, agency, or NAICS code.
The Bottom Line
Most "business intelligence" platforms are reselling public data with a nice UI. For programmatic workflows — KYC pipelines, onboarding automation, vendor checks — you can go straight to the source.
The trade-off is that raw government APIs are inconsistent, poorly documented, and sometimes unreliable. That's why I wrapped the ones I use most into standardized tools. If you're building compliance or verification workflows, these are a good starting point before paying for a commercial provider.
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