Quick answer

Verify a sole proprietorship through the Department of Trade and Industry’s Business Name Registration System. Verify a corporation, one-person corporation, partnership, or foreign corporation licensed in the Philippines through official Securities and Exchange Commission records.

In either case:

Obtain the exact registered name and registration number.
Match them against the government record.
Check the registration date, status, address, owner or officers, and permitted business purpose.
Check whether a separate licence is required for the activity.
For a substantial payment, investment, loan, employment offer, or long-term contract, obtain an official certification or authenticated documents instead of relying on a screenshot.

A search result proves only what the registry says. It does not by itself prove that the business is trustworthy, financially sound, tax-compliant, properly licensed, or authorized to offer investments.

First, identify the correct registry

Business form	Primary registry	What the registration generally establishes
Sole proprietorship	DTI	Registration of the business name to its individual owner
Partnership	SEC	Registration of the partnership and its filed organizational documents
Corporation or one-person corporation	SEC	Corporate existence from issuance of the certificate of incorporation
Foreign corporation doing business in the Philippines	SEC	Authority or licence to transact business in the Philippines
Cooperative	Cooperative Development Authority	Cooperative registration—not DTI or SEC business registration

A brand, store name, Facebook page, app, website, or signboard may differ from the legal name. Ask: “What is the complete registered name, and what is the DTI Business Name Number or SEC registration number?”

How to verify a DTI business name

DTI business-name registration is principally for sole proprietors. It does not create a corporation or a legal personality separate from the owner.

1. Use the public BNRS search

Open the official DTI Business Name Search.

The search is limited to an exact-name search. Enter the complete business name as it appears on the certificate, including its descriptor. A nickname, shortened name, misspelling, or social-media brand may return no result even when another legal name is registered.

The results page provides fields for:

Business name
Business territory
Owner’s name
Certificate number or Business Name Number
Transaction or registration date
Status
Business scope

2. Compare the result with the certificate

Ask for a clear copy of the Certificate of Business Name Registration and compare:

Exact business name
Owner’s full name
Certificate number or BNN
Territorial scope
Registration date
Current status
Business scope or descriptor

A mismatch in the owner, number, or name needs an explanation supported by official records. Do not accept “the registration is under a friend,” “we are still transferring it,” or “the old owner lets us use it” as proof of current registration. DTI states that a business-name registration cannot simply be transferred to a new owner; the old registration must be cancelled and a new one obtained.

3. Check the five-year validity period

DTI’s official BNRS FAQ states that a business-name registration is valid for five years from its registration date.

Renewal may be filed:

Up to 180 calendar days before expiration;
Within 90 calendar days after expiration under the regular filing period; or
During the following 90-day grace period, subject to a 50% surcharge on the registration fee.

A registration not renewed within the grace period is cancelled and the name may become available to others. Do not treat an expired certificate as current merely because renewal may still be possible. Ask for the renewed certificate and confirm the new record in BNRS.

4. Request official certification when the transaction matters

For stronger evidence, use the BNRS Request Certification service. DTI’s registration guide allows a requester to search by the business name, owner’s name, or both and to request a negative certification if no record is found. The applicable fee must be paid within seven calendar days or the request is treated as abandoned.

A Certified True Copy may also be requested from selected DTI offices or Negosyo Centers. Contact the relevant office through the DTI directory before visiting.

The owner can retrieve a certificate through BNRS Transaction Inquiry using the reference code and an email verification code. The owner should download the document personally; you should not ask anyone to disclose an email password or one-time verification code.

How to verify an SEC-registered business

1. Obtain the complete SEC details

Ask for:

Exact registered corporate or partnership name
SEC registration number
Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Recording, or Licence to Do Business, as applicable
Articles of Incorporation or Partnership and amendments
Latest General Information Sheet, if applicable
Any claimed secondary licence or Certificate of Authority

An application reference number, name-reservation result, payment assessment, or “pending SEC application” is not a certificate of registration.

Under Section 18 of the Revised Corporation Code, a private corporation acquires corporate existence and juridical personality when the SEC issues its certificate of incorporation. Name verification or reservation alone does not create the corporation.

2. Check the SEC registration number and status

The SEC API Marketplace provides a Company Information Lookup service. Its SEC Number facility uses the registration number to retrieve company data. The portal describes available information as including registered names, official addresses, registration status, secondary licences, annual financial statements, and General Information Sheets. Account registration or selection of an available service plan may be required.

Match the returned details against the documents provided by the business. Pay particular attention to:

Exact entity name and SEC number
Registration status
Registration date
Principal office address
Primary purpose
Any secondary licence claimed by the business

A company-name match without a matching SEC number is not enough, particularly when names are similar.

3. Examine documents filed with the SEC

The SEC eSEARCH portal is the Commission’s main e-commerce channel for researching and obtaining submitted SEC documents, including authenticated documents.

The SEC-linked SEC Express System also permits searching by company name or SEC registration number and ordering available records, such as:

Articles of Incorporation or Partnership and amendments
By-laws
General Information Sheets
Audited Financial Statements
Registration Data Sheets
Secretary’s certificates, resolutions, and other filed records

SEC Express involves document, service, authentication, and delivery charges as applicable. For important due diligence, an authenticated document obtained through an official channel is substantially stronger evidence than a PDF supplied by the business itself.

4. Check whether the registration has been suspended, revoked, or dissolved

A certificate proves that registration was issued; it does not necessarily establish the entity’s status today. Check the SEC’s published orders involving:

Corporations with revoked primary registration
Corporations with suspended primary registration
Revoked or suspended secondary registrations
Dissolution orders and subsequent orders lifting a suspension or revocation

Because published lists and search indexes may be updated at different times, absence from an adverse-order page should not be treated as conclusive proof of active status. If the status is unclear or the transaction is consequential, request authenticated records or submit an inquiry through the SEC’s official iMessage system.

Unlike a DTI business name, a corporation does not generally renew its primary registration every five years. Under the Revised Corporation Code, corporations generally have perpetual existence unless their articles provide otherwise. However, registration may be affected by a specified corporate term, dissolution, revocation, delinquent status, or other SEC order. Partnerships and foreign corporations must be assessed under their own filed documents and applicable licences.

5. Validate electronic documents properly

Newer SEC registration processes may issue digitally signed certificates and electronically authenticated pages containing QR codes or SEC digital signatures. When those features appear:

Obtain the original PDF, not a screenshot;
Inspect the digital-signature status in a capable PDF reader;
Follow the QR code only if it leads to an official SEC-controlled domain; and
Compare the SEC number, entity name, and issue date with official registry data.

A picture of a certificate cannot preserve or prove a PDF’s digital signature.

Primary registration is not the same as authority to conduct every activity

An entity may be registered but still lack the licence required for its actual business.

Examples include:

Lending and financing companies, which require an SEC Certificate of Authority;
Brokers, dealers, exchanges, investment companies, and other capital-market participants;
Businesses offering securities or investment contracts to the public;
Banks and other entities regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas;
Insurance businesses regulated by the Insurance Commission;
Recruitment agencies, schools, health facilities, travel operators, and other specially regulated businesses;
Businesses requiring local permits, product registrations, professional licences, or environmental approvals.

The SEC’s eRAMP registry may be used to check registered capital-market institutions and professionals. The SEC also maintains information concerning secondary licences and lending or financing companies.

A Certificate of Incorporation does not, by itself, authorize a company to solicit investments. Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code generally prohibits the sale or distribution of securities in the Philippines without an effective registration statement unless an exemption applies. The particular security, transaction, seller, and claimed exemption must be examined—not merely the company’s primary registration.

Check the permits and identity behind the registration

Depending on the transaction, ask for and independently examine:

Current Mayor’s or Business Permit for the operating location
BIR Certificate of Registration
Official invoice details
Industry-specific licence or Certificate of Authority
Latest SEC General Information Sheet
Articles showing that the activity falls within the entity’s purposes
Board resolution or secretary’s certificate authorizing the signatory
Proof that the bank or payment account belongs to the registered business or authorized payee
Lease, utility bill, or other evidence supporting the declared business address

DTI expressly states that business-name registration does not replace the required Mayor’s or Business Permit. Neither DTI nor SEC registration alone proves BIR compliance, ownership of a particular bank account, financial capacity, or good performance of contracts.

Evidence to preserve

Save the following before paying or signing:

Screenshot or PDF of the official search result, including the URL and access date
Original electronic certificate and any digital-signature information
Authenticated or certified records obtained from the agency
Latest GIS, articles, amendments, licences, and permits
Advertisements and representations about the business
Emails, messages, quotations, contracts, invoices, and receipts
Names and contact details of the people involved
Bank or e-wallet account name, account number, transaction reference, and payment confirmation
Website and social-media URLs
Any discrepancy you raised and the written response

Keep original files when possible. Forwarded images and repeatedly compressed screenshots may lose metadata and legibility.

Common mistakes and warning signs

Searching a brand name instead of the exact legal name
Treating a DTI name-availability result as an existing registration
Treating an SEC name reservation or application status as incorporation
Accepting an expired DTI certificate
Ignoring differences in registration numbers or owner names
Assuming that “Inc.,” “Corp.,” or “Company” in advertising proves SEC registration
Accepting only a cropped certificate or an image with hidden dates and numbers
Relying on a recently created social-media account as proof of business history
Paying a personal account that has no documented connection to the registered business
Treating primary SEC registration as an investment, lending, financing, brokerage, or other secondary licence
Assuming that a filed GIS or financial statement has been independently verified in every detail
Using a search result from an unofficial “business directory” instead of the government registry

A claimed explanation may be legitimate, but it should be supported by an amendment, authority, licence, or other official record.

When help is urgent

Stop the transaction and obtain help promptly when:

The registration number belongs to another entity;
The certificate appears altered;
The business is suspended, revoked, dissolved, or cannot explain its status;
An investment promoter cannot produce the required SEC authority;
You are pressured to pay immediately or keep the transaction secret;
Payment is demanded through unrelated personal accounts;
The business refuses to identify its legal owner or authorized signatory; or
Money has already been transferred after a material misrepresentation.

If payment was already made, contact the bank or e-wallet provider immediately and request preservation or review of the transaction. Preserve all evidence before accounts or posts disappear.

SEC-related concerns may be filed through SEC iMessage. Consumer complaints within DTI jurisdiction may be submitted through the DTI Consumer CARe System. Suspected online fraud may also require assistance from the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group or the NBI. A lawyer should be consulted promptly where substantial money, an investment solicitation, identity theft, threatened litigation, or an expiring legal deadline is involved.

Frequently asked questions

Does a “registered” result mean the business is legitimate?

It confirms a registry record, not honesty, solvency, product quality, licence compliance, or the safety of a transaction. Complete the additional checks appropriate to the risk.

What if BNRS finds no DTI result?

Confirm that you entered the exact registered name. Ask for the BNN and certificate. If the business still claims DTI registration, request an official DTI certification; BNRS permits a negative certification when no record is found.

Can a corporation have a different brand name?

Yes. Ask the operator to disclose the legal entity behind the brand and show how that entity is authorized to use the name and enter the transaction. Contracts and invoices should clearly identify the responsible legal person.

Is a five-year-old SEC certificate automatically expired?

No. The five-year validity rule applies to DTI business-name registration, not generally to corporations. Check the entity’s SEC status, articles, and any suspension, revocation, delinquency, or dissolution order.

Is a valid SEC certificate enough before investing?

No. Verify the securities, the offering, the company’s secondary authority, and the registration of the people selling the investment. Primary corporate registration alone is insufficient.

Which record should be obtained for a major contract?

Obtain authenticated SEC records or an official DTI certification, plus current permits and licences. Verify the authority of the individual signing and ensure that the contract and payment instructions use the correct legal name.

Official sources

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal advice for a particular transaction. Registration status and online procedures can change, and the controlling result may depend on current agency records and the documents involved. Sources and official portals were checked on 7 August 2026.