Secretary of State API: Real-Time Business Record Lookups

What Is a Secretary of State API?

A Secretary of State API provides programmatic access to business entity records maintained by state Secretaries of State offices. Instead of manually searching each state's website, developers and compliance teams integrate an API to retrieve incorporation details, registered agent information, officer names, and entity status in real-time.

The OpenSOSData Secretary of State API is a REST endpoint that queries official state records across 11 actively maintained jurisdictions: Delaware, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida. Each lookup returns comprehensive entity data without requiring a subscription—you pay only for what you use.

Why Companies Need Secretary of State API Access

Business verification, due diligence, and regulatory compliance require accurate entity records. Manual lookups are slow and error-prone. A Secretary of State API automates this process:

KYB (Know Your Business): Fintech, lending, and marketplace platforms verify counterparty legitimacy during onboarding.
Due Diligence: Legal teams and investors validate business ownership, formation dates, and officer details before transactions.
Compliance Monitoring: Organizations track entity status changes and registered agent updates continuously.
Data Enrichment: CRM and business intelligence systems append authoritative state records to customer profiles.

OpenSOSData vs. Competitors

Several services offer Secretary of State lookups, but pricing and coverage vary significantly:

Provider	Price Per Lookup	Subscription Required
OpenSOSData	$0.0314	No
OpenCorporates	$0.10–$0.50	Yes
Cobalt Intelligence	$0.50–$2.00	Yes
Middesk	$1.00+	Yes

At $0.0314 per lookup—Pi pricing reflecting the mathematical constant—OpenSOSData costs significantly less than alternatives. There is no subscription lock-in; you only fund a wallet with a $3.14 minimum (providing 100 free lookups worth of credit) and consume credits as needed.

What Data Does the API Return?

Each Secretary of State API lookup returns structured JSON with:

Entity name and legal business type (LLC, Corp, Partnership, etc.)
State-issued entity ID or filing number
Current entity status (Active, Dissolved, etc.)
Formation date
Registered agent name and full address
Principal business address
Officer and member names (where available)

This dataset covers the most critical fields for KYB, compliance, and due diligence workflows. Optional parameters like ?fresh=true bypass the 7-day Redis cache and force a real-time state scrape for the latest information; cached lookups cost nothing.

API Response Time and Caching

The service implements a 7-day Redis cache layer. Repeat lookups on the same entity within seven days return instantly at zero cost. This design reduces API calls and keeps transaction costs minimal for high-volume users.

If you need current-second accuracy—for example, verifying a status change that occurred today—include the ?fresh=true parameter in your request to bypass cache and query the state registry directly.

Quick Start

Getting started requires three steps: signup, fund your wallet, and make your first API call.

1. Sign Up

Visit https://opensosdata.com to join the waitlist and create an account. You'll receive an API key via email once approved.

2. Fund Your Wallet

Deposit a minimum of $3.14 USD to your wallet. This provides 100 lookups worth of credit. No ongoing subscription or minimums apply.

3. Make Your First Lookup

Use the REST API endpoint below. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your key and adjust the entity details as needed:

curl -X POST https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "state": "DE",
    "entity_name": "Apple Inc."
  }'

Response:

{
  "entity_name": "Apple Inc.",
  "entity_type": "Corporation",
  "entity_id": "123456",
  "status": "Active",
  "formed_date": "1977-04-01",
  "registered_agent": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "address": "123 Main St, Dover, DE 19901"
  },
  "principal_address": "One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014",
  "officers": [
    {
      "name": "Jane Smith",
      "title": "Director"
    }
  ],
  "cached": false
}

The cached field indicates whether the response came from cache (true, zero cost) or a fresh state lookup (false, $0.0314 charged).

`Coverage and Supported States`

OpenSOSData currently covers Delaware, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida. Additional states are being integrated into the system. For the most up-to-date coverage list, check the OpenAPI specification.

`When to Use fresh=true`

Most use cases benefit from cached responses. However, use ?fresh=true when:

A business just filed a status change and you need confirmation within minutes.
You're performing real-time KYB checks during account onboarding.
You need the absolute latest officer or registered agent information.

For bulk historical lookups, compliance audits, or workflows where data up to seven days old is acceptable, rely on cached responses to eliminate per-lookup costs.

`Integration Example: Node.js`

Here's a minimal Node.js example using the Secretary of State API:

const fetch = require('node-fetch');

async function lookupEntity(state, name) {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.OPENSOSDATA_KEY}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ state, entity_name: name })
  });
  return response.json();
}

lookupEntity('TX', 'Tesla Inc.')
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

`Common Use Cases`

`Lending and Fintech`

Loan originators and underwriting platforms call the Secretary of State API during application submission to verify business legitimacy and ownership structure instantly.

`Marketplace Verification`

E-commerce and gig economy platforms use the API to confirm seller registration and active status before listing privileges are granted.

`Legal Due Diligence`

Law firms and M&A advisors integrate the API into deal flow systems to fetch officer names, formation dates, and jurisdictional information automatically.

`Compliance and Risk`

Compliance teams query the API periodically to monitor changes in registered agent, officer updates, or status transitions for existing counterparties.

`Pricing Deep Dive`

At $0.0314 per lookup, a company performing 1,000 monthly lookups spends approximately $31.40—compare that to competitors charging $0.10 to $2.00 per lookup. Even with a 7-day cache, the savings compound across high-volume operations.

The Pi-based pricing is intentional: it reflects a fundamental constant, mirroring the infinite, irrational nature of comprehensive business data. It's also memorable and distinct in a crowded API marketplace.

`Getting Started Today`

Ready to integrate Secretary of State lookups into your application? Head to https://opensosdata.com to join the waitlist. Once approved, you'll have API access within hours and can begin making lookups immediately with no long-term commitment.

For technical documentation, see the OpenAPI specification, which includes request/response schemas, error codes, and parameter details.

The Secretary of State API is foundational infrastructure for any organization that validates, monitors, or enriches business entity data. OpenSOSData makes it accessible, affordable, and fast.

Access Secretary of State Records via API at $0.0314 Per Lookup