How to find out who owns an LLC
To find out who owns an LLC, start with the state's business search and read the company's formation filing and latest annual report. These often show a manager, a member or a registered agent. Many states don't require owners to be listed, so public records may not name them.
Updated November 1, 2026
Start with the state record
Find the state where the LLC was formed, then use the official business search. Most searches show the company's status, formation date, registered agent and filing history. An LLC can be registered in more than one state, so check where it operates as well as where it was formed.
What each state's filings show
It varies a lot, as these examples show.
California's statement of information lists the managers and any chief executive officer. If there are no managers, it lists each member.
Nevada requires a list of managers or members when you form the company and again each year.
Florida's annual report names at least one person with authority to manage the company. Its articles can name members, but they don't have to.
Delaware's certificate of formation asks only for the company name and its registered office and agent, so it tells you almost nothing about who's behind the company.
A manager isn't always an owner. Treat any name on a form as a lead.
Other places to look
County property records can help if the LLC owns real estate, because someone signed the deed. State licensing boards list the holder of a professional or trade license. Court records can name owners when the company has been sued. State lien filings, known as UCC filings, can show who has lent the company money. The company's website, invoices and contracts are often the fastest route of all.
Why federal records won't help
FinCEN's beneficial ownership data isn't public. FinCEN says it sits in a secure, non-public database, with access limited to authorized recipients such as certain agencies. Its final rule, effective August 14, 2026, also means US companies no longer report to it.
New York's state disclosure law doesn't open things up either. It covers LLCs formed outside the US, and LLCs formed in the US are exempt.
When the trail ends
Sometimes the listed member is another company. Search that company the same way and keep going. If you hit a wall, write to the LLC at its registered agent's address. That address is on the public record.
If you have a legal claim, a lawyer can sue the LLC through its agent and ask for ownership details as part of the case.
Questions
Is LLC ownership public?
Sometimes. It depends on the state and the company. California and Nevada filings can name members, while Delaware's certificate of formation doesn't ask for them.
Can a registered agent tell me who owns an LLC?
Don't count on it. An agent's job is to accept legal papers and notices for the company. If you're serving legal papers, the agent is who you serve.
How do I find the owner of a Delaware LLC?
The state record won't show one. Try property records, court records, licenses and the company's own materials, or ask a lawyer if you have a legal claim.
What is an anonymous LLC?
It's a nickname, and no state has a legal form by that name. People use it for an LLC formed in a state whose public filings don't name owners. Banks and tax agencies still know who the owners are.
Can I keep my name off public records?
It depends on the state. Some filings don't ask for owners, while others name managers or members. Register in a second state and you take on that state's rules too.
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