How to find out who owns a business in Pennsylvania? You have a few options to answer this question. In this article, we will look at six options that you can use in the quest to get the information you need.
Bureau of Corporations’ Business Ownership Information System
Search the Pennsylvania Bureau of Corporations’ Business Ownership Information System (B.O.I.S.) database to find out who owns a business in Pennsylvania. Ask the business owner to fill out an Information Request form and mail it to the address listed on the form. You can also fax or email this form, but you must provide a copy of your driver’s license or other photo identification for verification purposes when sending this information request by fax or email.
You may have to pay a small fee in order to get a response back from the B.O.I.S., but if you do not pay this fee, you will not receive any information regarding who owns a business in Pennsylvania. If they give you their personal info, I would still take it with a grain of salt because anyone can make up any name and address for whatever reason. Also, keep in mind that these people could be trying to sell something so check them out thoroughly before giving them your credit card number over the phone (or through email) as well as checking their background.
County Recorder’s office
Visit your local County Recorder’s office and ask for an official copy of the current certificate of ownership for the business you are interested in. The County Recorder’s office is the place where county records are kept. If you do not know where to find your local County Recorder’s office, you can check out our complete guide on how to find a County Recorder’s Office.
Pennsylvania Department of State website
Check online at the Pennsylvania Department of State website. You will need an official ID (driver’s license or state-issued photo ID) and a credit card in order to get information about who owns a business in Pennsylvania. Simply fill out their form with your personal info and send it by mail or fax. They will email you back within 2-3 days giving you this information if they have it available for public viewing (which most likely they do).
Note: You can use free white pages to get more relevant information.
Contact the Business Information
Call the Business Information Line at 1-800-732-0500 (1-800 732 0550 from outside PA) and ask them for information regarding who owns a business in Pennsylvania. They can give out some general info like what type of business it is, where you can find out more about the owner and some other information. You will need to pay a small fee in order to get a response back.
Small Business Administration Office
Ask your local Small Business Administration office for help (you will need an official ID to get this info). You can get a list of local SBAs by searching Google or visiting their website. If none of these options work, try contacting the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
They may be able to give you general information regarding who owns a business in Pennsylvania and tell you what type of business you are looking for. If they cannot assist you, then call the County Recorder’s office again (if they have not already given up on giving out any further info) and ask them to check with their state counterpart to see if they can provide any additional information regarding who owns a business in Pennsylvania.
Contact the Business Owner
Call or write to that person at their home address listed on the certificate of ownership, and try to get them to sign a statement verifying they own the business. This can be difficult, but sometimes it is worth the effort.