Separate formation from permission to operate
United States corporate records are commonly held at state level. A domestic entry generally concerns formation under that state’s law; a foreign entry may concern an entity incorporated elsewhere that has registered to operate locally. Searching only the state where a customer sees a shop or office can therefore miss the original company file.
Use state evidence for the right purpose
NASS links to the responsible state business services and entity databases. Search the legal name or state identifier, then read the entity type, status and registered-agent fields actually displayed. SEC EDGAR serves a different purpose by publishing securities filings for covered issuers, and an IRS employer identification number is a federal tax identifier rather than a state incorporation certificate.