Owner lookup guide
How to find business owners
To find a business owner, check the business's website and Google reviews, then the state business search and any trade license board. A registered agent on the record is often not the owner. If the records stay vague, call: 82.3% of US small businesses have no employees, so the person who answers is often the owner.
By the Leadity team Updated 20 October 2026 11 min read 11 sources How we work
On this page
| Method | Time | Cost | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business website | Minutes | Free | Good when it names the owner |
| Google reviews and replies | Minutes | Free | Mixed: replies post as the business |
| State business search | Minutes | Free search, some documents paid | Strong where members are listed |
| Trade license board | Minutes | Free | Strong for licensed trades |
| County or city DBA records | Minutes to days | Varies by county | Strong for sole proprietors |
| Minutes | Free | Self-reported | |
| BBB profile | Minutes | Free | Sometimes names management |
| Calling the business | One call | Free | Strong if they tell you |
Who counts as the owner of a business?
Ownership depends on how the business is set up. A sole proprietor is the business, an LLC is owned by its members, and a corporation by its shareholders.
Per the SBA, if you trade under your own legal name, you need not register anywhere. So the smallest businesses leave the thinnest paper trail, and a phone call often settles it.
What do the numbers say about small business owners?
- 82.3% of US small businesses have no employees (SBA Office of Advocacy, February 2026) U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy
- 36,207,130 small businesses in the US: independent firms under 500 employees U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy
- 36.8% of listed numbers on Google Maps are mobiles (Leadity's Q3 2026 Google Maps data, 1 July to 30 September 2026) Leadity
How do you find the owner of one business, step by step?
Read the website's About and Team pages
Owners often name themselves on the About, Team or Contact page, or in the footer. Search the site for owner and founder.
Read the Google reviews and the replies
Google posts a reply as the business, not under a person's name. So look for a reply signed with a first name, or a review that thanks the owner by name.
Tip: A first name plus the business name is often enough to match a state record.
Search the state business registry
Search the exact name in the registry of the state where the business was formed, usually the Secretary of State. Open the filed documents, not just the summary: annual reports can list members, managers or officers.
Tip: A business formed in another state, such as Delaware, has its main record there.
Check the trade license board
Licensed trades, like contractors, plumbers and electricians, are listed by a state board, and the record names the license holder.
Search county and city records
A business trading under another name usually files a DBA, or fictitious name, with the state, county or city. The filing names the person behind it.
Cross-check on LinkedIn and BBB
Owners often call themselves owner or founder on LinkedIn, and a BBB profile may name who runs the business. Both are self-reported, so match the name to a record.
Call and ask
Ask who owns or runs the business. At a business with no employees, the person who answers is probably the owner.
Tip: Say why you are calling in one sentence before you ask for a name.
It will appear like your business replied, and your personal name won't be shown.
- Business websiteAbout page: "Founded by Joe Rivera"
- State business registryLLC manager: Joseph Rivera
- License boardLicense holder: Joseph A. Rivera
Joe RiveraName confirmedThree sources agree
The owner trail: each source either names the owner or points you to the next one. Stop when two sources agree. Illustration. Names and numbers are examples.
Which name on a business record is the owner?
What each title on a filing means, and whether that person owns the business
| Name on the record | What the role is | Is it the owner? |
|---|---|---|
| Member (LLC) | An owner of the LLC | Yes |
| Manager (LLC) | Runs a manager-managed LLC | Only if also a member |
| Registered agent | Receives official papers and legal documents for the company | Not always: many owners use an agent service |
| Officer or director | Runs a corporation or sits on its board | Not always: shareholders own it |
| Organizer or incorporator | Filed the formation papers | Not always: it can be a lawyer or filing service |
| License holder | Holds the state trade license | Often, but it can be a qualifying employee |
| DBA filer | The person or company behind a trade name | Yes, for a sole proprietor |
A name on a filing shows a role, not always a share. Check two sources before you call someone the owner.
Sources U.S. Small Business Administration Delaware Division of Corporations
How do you find out who owns an LLC?
Search the LLC's exact name in the registry of the state where it was formed. The state of formation holds the main record; every other state treats it as a foreign company.
Open the latest annual report. Some states list members or managers there. Others show only the registered agent, who receives the legal mail but may not run the business.
Delaware's free search shows the name, file number, formation date and registered agent. More detail costs $10 or $20 an entity, and Delaware LLCs need not list members or managers at all.
Sources U.S. Small Business Administration Delaware Division of Corporations
Alternative entities are not required to list members and/or managers.
Is the registered agent the owner?
Not always. Per the SBA, every LLC and corporation needs a registered agent to receive its official papers. A small owner may act as their own agent, but many owners use a registered agent service, so the record names the service.
Source U.S. Small Business Administration
Which source should you check first?
If It is a licensed trade, like a contractor or plumber
Then Search the state license board by business name.
If The business name is a person's name, like Smith Plumbing
Then Treat that person as the likely owner, then confirm on the website or by phone.
If The name ends in LLC, Inc. or Corp.
Then Search the registry of the state where it was formed and open the latest annual report.
If The registry shows only an agent service
Then Go back to the website, the reviews and the license board, or call.
If You need owners for hundreds of businesses
Then Use a list tool that adds owner names for a whole trade and area.
Where does a California court send you to find a business owner?
The Santa Clara Superior Court's self-help page lists the County Clerk-Recorder for fictitious business names, the Contractors State License Board, the Secretary of State, the Bureau of Automotive Repair for car repair shops, and the city clerk's list of business license holders.
Which mistakes lead you to the wrong owner?
- Taking the registered agent for the owner. Many owners pay a service to receive their legal mail.
- Taking a manager for an owner. A manager runs an LLC; its members own it.
- Searching the wrong state. The main record sits in the state where the business was formed.
- Reading only the search summary. Delaware lists a corporation's current officers on its latest annual report, not in the free search.
- Trusting the property deed. It names who owns the building, not always the business inside.
Acme Heating & Air
- Website: John Carter
- State registry: John Carter
Owner: John Carter Sources agree, +2.5 credits
Northside Heating & Air
- Website: No name listed
- State registry: Marcus Hale
Left blank Only one source names an owner, not billed
How do you get the owner's phone number too?
Start with the number on the Google Maps listing. 36.8% of listed numbers are mobiles in Leadity's Q3 2026 Google Maps data (1 July to 30 September 2026).
At an owner-run business, a mobile on the listing usually rings the owner. But the area code cannot tell you it is a mobile: 47.5% of exchanges mix kinds of line, per NANPA records read 22 September 2026.
So validate the number first, in four steps checked against carrier data: check its format, confirm it sits in an allocated range, look up its carrier, then its line type. See how to verify mobile numbers.
Source Leadity
- Number (602) 555-0182 From the listing
- Step 1: Formatting +1 602 555 0182 Format checked and standardized
- Step 2: Allocation Allocated A valid, allocated numbering range
- Step 3: Carrier Carrier found Identified from telecom datasets
- Step 4: Line type Mobile Kept: it matches the mobile filter The five line types: Mobile (this number), Landline, VoIP, Toll-free, Other/unknown
Get the owner and the phone in one run: HVAC contractors in Phoenix, AZ, each number checked as a mobile and the owner's name kept only when sources agree. 300 free credits cover 85 of them.
Find HVAC owners in Phoenix Free trial: 300 credits at sign-up, no card.
How do you find business owners for a whole list?
By hand, every business takes several searches, so a list of hundreds is a long job. List tools do the cross-checking for you, but differ in how they add names and check phones.
Apify and Outscraper are broader, more mature scraping platforms with APIs. Leadity is narrower: the list, the phone check and the owner's name in one run, with no code.
Which list tools add business owner names?
How three Google Maps tools add people's names, read from each vendor's own pages
| Tool | How it adds names | Phone type | Code or API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apify Google Maps Scraper | A business-leads enrichment: names, job titles and work emails, priced per lead | The listing's number, as published | Apify Console or the API |
| Outscraper | Names and titles on some records, per its emails and contacts page | A separate lookup: mobile or landline and carrier, $5 per 1,000 after 25 free | A web app and an API |
| Leadity | The owner's name, +2.5 credits, only when independent sources agree | Mobile, landline, VoIP, toll-free or unknown, from a four-step validation | No code, no public API yet; CSV or Excel |
Apify read 23 September 2026. Outscraper from its own pages archived 17 to 23 June 2026; its live site refuses automated reading.
Sources Apify Outscraper Leadity
How often can an owner's name be confirmed at list scale?
Not for every business. Leadity's owner-name lookup confirmed an owner for 32.0% of 2,397 HVAC contractors checked between 15 and 30 September 2026.
What this means for you: expect a name on part of your list, not on every row. You pay the 2.5 credits for a name only when it is confirmed. The rate depends on your trade.
Leadity's lookup keeps a name only when independent sources agree, so the rate depends on the trade. The lookup confirmed an owner for 38.2% of 5,800 roofing contractors and 28.7% of 2,221 landscapers. Among trades with at least 500 checked, the rate ran from 16.8% for flooring contractors to 40.0% for bathroom remodelers. Across all 33,522 businesses checked, it was 29.3%. A business it cannot name is never delivered on an owner-name order and never billed.
Source Leadity
| Item | Value (%) |
|---|---|
| Bathroom remodelers | 40.0% |
| Roofing contractors | 38.2% |
| Plumbers | 32.5% |
| HVAC contractors | 32.0% |
| Painters | 30.9% |
| Landscapers | 28.7% |
| Junk removal | 22.7% |
| Car detailing | 17.7% |
| Flooring contractors | 16.8% |
Share of businesses checked for which Leadity's owner-name lookup confirmed an owner, 15 to 30 September 2026, trades with at least 500 checked. Businesses checked: bathroom remodelers 824, roofing 5,800, plumbers 2,852, HVAC 2,397, painters 3,208, landscapers 2,221, junk removal 1,785, car detailing 1,745, flooring 643.
Source Leadity
Questions people ask
How do I find out who owns an LLC?
To find out who owns an LLC, search its exact name in the business registry of the state where it was formed, then open the latest annual report. Some states list members or managers there. Delaware does not require LLCs to list either, so check the website, the license board or call the business.
Is the registered agent the owner of a business?
The registered agent is not always the owner of a business: it is the person or company that receives official papers and legal documents for it. At a small LLC the owner often acts as the agent, but many owners use a registered agent service, so the record names the service instead.
Can I find a business owner's name for free?
You can find a business owner's name for free on the business's website, in its Google reviews, in the state business registry, on a trade license board or in a county DBA filing. Each takes a search or two per business. Some states charge for documents: Delaware asks $10 or $20 for status details.
Can I look up a business owner in the FinCEN BOI database?
You cannot look up a business owner in FinCEN's BOI database: it was never public, and FinCEN keeps it in a secure, non-public database exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests. Since FinCEN's final rule took effect on 14 August 2026, U.S. companies no longer file BOI reports at all. Use the state registry and the license board instead.
What does a list of 1,000 business owners cost?
A list of 1,000 business owners with a verified mobile and the owner's name costs from $56 at Leadity, at 3.5 credits a lead, from $0.0559. A business whose owner cannot be confirmed is never delivered and never billed. Doing it by hand costs nothing but several searches per business.
Sources
Where the figures on this page come from, with the date we read each one.
- U.S. Small Business Administration Launch your business Read 14 October 2026
- U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy Frequently Asked Questions, February 2026 Read 14 October 2026
- FinCEN (U.S. Department of the Treasury) Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Read 14 October 2026
- Delaware Division of Corporations Frequently Asked Questions Read 14 October 2026
- Google Business Profile Help Manage customer reviews Read 14 October 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara How to Find Name or Address of Person or Business Read 14 October 2026
- Apify Google Maps Scraper Read 23 September 2026
- Outscraper Pricing, archived 17 June 2026 Read 23 September 2026
- Leadity Leadity's Q3 2026 Google Maps data (1 July to 30 September 2026) Read 20 October 2026
- Leadity US phone line types: NANPA thousand-block records, counted (read 22 September 2026) Read 22 September 2026
- FinCEN (U.S. Department of the Treasury) Beneficial Ownership Information: Frequently Asked Questions Read 15 October 2026
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Pick a trade and a place. Your 300 free credits cover 1,500 business records, 300 verified mobiles or 85 verified mobiles with the owner's name. After that, you pay only for leads that pass your filters.