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California business name search

Check name availability against the California Secretary of State database

569,091
Business applications, last 12 months
Census BFS via FRED, trailing 12 months
165,035
Filed Q2 2026
Census BFS via FRED, Q2 2026
+5.7%
Year-over-year growth
FRED, trailing 12 months vs prior 12
2,258
Filings per business day
Derived from TTM applications, FRED
California seal
Websitebpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov
Phone(916) 657-5448
Address1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Hours8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Mon-Fri

California business formation by the numbers

State-level data from official sources on business formation activity in California.

#2
California ranks 2nd in U.S. business formations
Ranking is based on total business applications filed in the trailing twelve months across all 50 states and D.C.
Census BFS via FRED, TTM rank
+55.9%
Formation activity since 2019
Comparison of trailing-twelve-month business applications to the 2019 calendar year total. Captures the post-pandemic formation surge.
FRED / BABATOTALNSACA
+19.9%
Quarter-over-quarter change
Current quarter applications compared to the prior quarter. A useful read on whether momentum is building or fading.
FRED, latest 3 months vs prior 3
$70
LLC filing fee and processing time
Standard processing: 5-7 business days.
California Secretary of State, verified Mar 2026