# SOS business lookup

**Use case:** 

Returns separate business-registration records for a company name across selected states, with legal names, entity IDs, status and formation dates. For teams mapping a multi-state registration footprint rather than checking one local entity. Similar names are not proof of common ownership. Coverage is not all 50 states; this example excludes lien searches.

## Input

```json
{
  "companyName": "Costco Wholesale",
  "companyNames": [],
  "states": [
    "CO",
    "CT",
    "FL"
  ],
  "includeLiens": false,
  "matchMode": "contains",
  "maxRecordsPerCompany": 15
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "query": {
    "label": "Query",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "input_index": {
    "label": "Input index",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "status": {
    "label": "Status",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "legal_name": {
    "label": "Legal name",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "state": {
    "label": "State",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "entity_status": {
    "label": "Entity status",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "lien_coverage": {
    "label": "Lien coverage",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "ucc_summary": {
    "label": "UCC summary",
    "format": "object"
  }
}
```

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [Secretary of State Business Entity Search + UCC Liens — KYB](https://apify.com/shelvick/business-entity-lien-search.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/shelvick/business-entity-lien-search.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/shelvick/business-entity-lien-search.md

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).