Business registrations are important to access, since they indicate the credibility and authenticity of a company. Finding information about a specific business can be done fairly easily with computer access. A couple of the places where businesses are most commonly registered include state governments and the Better Business Bureau.

Visit the state's Department of State or Secretary of State website. Most, if not all, states require legitimate for-profit businesses to register with either one of these two state departments. Review the website to determine if a listing of the registered businesses exists; many state websites contain business/corporation databases which allow citizens to search for a particular business name. Alternatively, find the telephone number for your state department and call to inquire how you can find a listing of registered business entities.

Contact your local Better Business Bureau (BBB), an organization that accredits and evaluates businesses. Businesses register with the BBB to convey trustworthiness and as a testament to the business' character, because allows citizens to file complaints and submit personal reviews about a company. On the organization's website, www.bbb.org, you can search for a business by name or phone number. .Phone numbers for your local Better Business Bureau can be found in the phone book.

Use a directory website that compiles unbiased location, contact and financial information on businesses and corporations. Perform a search on the directory, making sure to include the city or zip code where the business you're looking for is located. Manta is a business directory that contains unbiased information on over 60 million registered companies worldwide; other similar business directories include Daplus.us and Hoovers, a Dun and Bradstreet company. Links to all three of these options can be found in the "Resources" section of this article.