Do I really need a Registered Agent?

Yes. Every state requires every LLC, Corporation, and similar entity to designate a Registered Agent. Without one in good standing, the state may suspend or dissolve your entity, and lawsuits can be served by publication, which is hard to defend.

Can I be my own Registered Agent?

In most states, yes, but it is rarely a good idea. Your name and home address go on the public state record, you have to be available at that address during business hours every day, and Service of Process gets delivered at potentially awkward times. A professional Registered Agent solves all three problems.

What is Service of Process?

Service of Process is the formal delivery of a lawsuit, subpoena, or similar legal document to your business. Missing service can result in a default judgment against you. Service is one of the main reasons a reliable Registered Agent matters.

How quickly will I see mail when it arrives?

Mail received by 4 PM local time is opened, scanned, and uploaded to your account by 6 PM. Service of Process and other urgent documents trigger an immediate SMS and email alert. You can also choose to have originals forwarded weekly.

Does this include foreign qualification?

Foreign qualification (registering to do business in a state other than your formation state) is a separate filing, but we pair it with Registered Agent service in that state automatically. On Growth and Enterprise, both services are included at no additional cost.

What happens if I have multiple entities?

On Starter, you pay per entity per state. On Growth and Enterprise, all of your entities in all of your states are covered under one subscription. The Compliance Suite tracks every filing across every entity from one dashboard.

What does Compliance Score · Look up any US business involve?

This page covers Compliance Score · Look up any US business — including what it is, who needs it, how to file or apply, typical costs, deadlines, and how File.Business handles it for you end-to-end.

How much does Compliance Score · Look up any US business cost with File.Business?

Pricing is shown on this page. We always disclose state filing fees separately from our service fee, with no surprise add-ons at checkout.

How long does Compliance Score · Look up any US business take?

Turnaround depends on the state agency. Standard processing typically takes a few business days; rush options are available where the agency offers expedited service.

Is this service available in all 50 states?

File.Business handles filings across all 50 US states and DC. State-specific rules, fees, and forms are built into the workflow so you don't have to research them yourself.

Home/Services/Compliance Score

Public · Free lookup

Free tool · No signup

How healthy is any US business? See its Compliance Score in 3 seconds.

Enter any US business name or state filing number. We return a 0-100 Compliance Score across 8 factors covering state filings, registered agent status, tax registration, beneficial ownership, license maintenance, and more. The same methodology used to assess 220,000 businesses.

Look up a business

No signup requiredLive state-portal dataMethodology publishedScore updates in real time

51-jurisdiction SOS data feeds 8 weighted compliance factors 220,000 businesses already scored

Composite score72

Above industry avg

Factors evaluated8/8

live data

Last refreshedToday

from state portals

Delaware: Good standingActive filing record · last refresh 9:14 AMActive

Annual report: On timeYear 5 filed Mar 14 · next due Mar 1, 2027Current

BOI status: ExemptDomestic LLC under 2025 IFRExempt

How it works

How the score works Behind the number.

Each factor scored 0-100 by deterministic rules. No black-box scoring; the math is published openly.

Pull state records

Live API connections to 51 Secretary of State portals plus federal sources (IRS EIN registry, FinCEN BOI registry, USPTO).

Score each factor

Each of the 8 factors scored 0-100 by deterministic rules. The math is published; no proprietary inference.

Weight + aggregate

State good standing 22%, annual reports 18%, registered agent 12%, tax registration 14%, BOI 8%, license/permit 10%, foreign qualification 8%, public-record cleanliness 8%.

Benchmark + display

Composite returned with industry, state, and ICP-cohort benchmarks. Updates in real time on any state event.

The 8 factors

What we measure. In full.

1 · State good standing

Active status with each state Secretary of State where the entity operates. The largest single factor at 22% of composite weight.

2 · Annual reports

On-time annual report filing record across all states. Past-due filings reduce the factor; consistent on-time filings hold steady at 100.

3 · Registered agent

Active, reachable agent on file in every state of operation. The state will dissolve an entity for unreachable agents faster than for late filings.

4 · Tax registration

State + federal tax registration current; no liens or delinquencies. Includes sales tax, payroll tax, and corporate income tax registration.

5 · Beneficial ownership

BOI status current with FinCEN where applicable. Domestic LLCs are exempt under the 2025 IFR; foreign and certain other entities still file.

6 · License + permit

State and local license/permit maintenance for licensed industries. Healthcare PLLCs, contractors, food, alcohol, and others.

Pricing

How the Compliance Score is offered.

Free for public lookup. Premium features available with a File.Business account.

Public Lookup

Freeforever

Open to anyone. No signup, no email gate.

Look up any US business by name or state record
See the 0-100 composite score
See the 8-factor decomposition
Industry benchmark comparison

Run a lookup

Continuous Monitoring

Includedin every plan

For your own entities. Real-time tracking + alerts.

Continuous NBEIS event monitoring
Email + SMS alerts on score changes
Industry + ICP-cohort benchmarks
Historical 12-month trend chart
Score-component drilldown

See plans

API + Embeddable Badge

Enterpriseusage-based

For lenders, M&A advisors, and integrations.

Programmatic Compliance Score API
Verifiable embeddable badge
Webhook event stream
Bulk scoring (CSV upload)
Custom SLA + DPA

Talk to sales

FAQ

About the Compliance Score.

Is the score really free?

Yes. The public lookup is free and unauthenticated. We open the methodology so the industry can adopt the standard. Premium features (continuous monitoring, alerts, embeddable badge) are available with a File.Business account.

Where does the data come from?

Primarily state Secretary of State public records, federal registries (IRS EIN, FinCEN BOI, USPTO), and public business filings. Every data source is cited in the methodology document.

How often does the score update?

Continuously. Our NBEIS event monitor watches 88 event types across 51 jurisdictions; any change updates the affected entity within 24 hours.

Can I dispute or correct my score?

Yes. If you believe a factor is incorrectly reported, contact us with state-record evidence and we will reverify within one business day. Most disputes resolve from stale state-portal data that has since been corrected.

Is the score legally binding?

No. The Compliance Score is an informational health metric, not a legal opinion or compliance certification. Use it as a directional signal; consult counsel for legal decisions.

Can I embed a Compliance Score badge on my own site?

Yes. Account-verified businesses can generate a verifiable embeddable badge showing their live score. The badge updates in real time and links back to the public score record for verification.

Free public tool

Look up any US business now.

Free. No signup. Returns a 0-100 score across 8 factors in under 3 seconds. Powered by live state-portal data.

Run a free lookup See the methodology

Bundle & save

Recommended add-ons

Most customers add these to keep their business compliant year-round.

Multi-state Coverage

Best value

Add states for $9/month each. Track deadlines across every jurisdiction.

$9 /month each Add →

Auto-File Annual Reports

Recommended

Don't just track - let us file every report automatically.

$15 /month Add →

BOI Auto-Update

When beneficial owners change, we re-file with FinCEN within the 30-day window.

$9 /month Add →

Why File.Business

Premium compliance, no service-fee markup.

Trust you can verify

SOC 2 Type II audited platform. 220,000+ businesses served. 60-day money-back on service fees. State fees passed through at cost with no hidden markup. Explicit AUP on restricted industries.

A compliance partner, not a transaction

Most providers go quiet after checkout. We auto-track every annual report, registered agent renewal, and license deadline across your entities. The Business OS dashboard keeps your compliance score visible year-round.

Premium experience competitors cannot match

Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state or federal filings. Premium positioning, transparent pricing, no service-fee markup on state filings.

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