Ava Torres

Posted on May 2

How to Query Secretary of State Business Records Across 18 States with One API Call

#api #data #python #automation

If you've ever needed to verify a business entity, check corporate filings, or pull registered agent information, you know the pain: each state has its own Secretary of State portal, its own search interface, and its own data format.

I built a unified API that queries 18 state SOS databases with a single call. Here's how to use it.

The Problem

Business verification workflows typically require:

Navigating to each state's SOS website manually
Dealing with different search interfaces (some require exact names, others support partial)
Parsing inconsistent result formats
Handling CAPTCHAs, rate limits, and downtime

This is tedious for one lookup and impossible at scale.

The Solution

The US Business Entity Search actor on Apify queries Secretary of State databases across 18 states with a single API call.

Supported States

AK, AR, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KY, ME, MO, NE, NM, OH, SD, TX, WY

Python Example

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")

run = client.actor("pink_comic/us-business-entity-search").call(
    run_input={
        "searchTerm": "Acme Corp",
        "states": ["TX", "FL", "CO"],
        "maxResults": 50
    }
)

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(f"{item['entityName']} ({item['state']}): {item['status']}")

What You Get Back

Each result includes:

Entity name and type (LLC, Corp, LP, etc.)
Filing status (Active, Inactive, Dissolved)
Formation date and state of formation
Registered agent name and address
Filing number for official reference

Use Cases

KYC/Compliance - Verify business existence before onboarding
Sales prospecting - Find newly formed businesses in target states
Competitive intelligence - Track when competitors register in new states
Legal research - Find entity details for service of process
Supply chain - Verify vendor registrations are current

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.002 per business entity returned. No monthly fees, no minimums. A 50-result search costs $0.10.

MCP Integration

If you're using Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible AI tool, you can connect directly:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "us-business-data": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/mcp?tools=pink_comic/us-business-entity-search"
    }
  }
}

This lets your AI assistant query business records conversationally.

Other Related Actors

Building Permits Search - Construction leads from 47 cities
Florida Business Search - Deep FL Sunbiz data
Texas Business Search - TX SOS filings

Built by Ava Torres. Full MCP server docs at github.com/avabuildsdata/mcp-us-business-data.

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