A limited liability company (LLC) is one type of business organization, along with corporations and partnerships. The owners of the LLC are called members. When a company registers a business in California, it must send detailed information to the secretary of state. This information includes the names, home addresses and phone numbers of all the members. Finding the owner of an LLC in California requires a little research.

Identify the principal name of the LLC. Check out the website or call the company to ask for this information. Many companies operate under a few names. Having the exact name is important because many businesses have similar names.

Locate the “Business Search” page on the website of California’s secretary of state (see Resources).

Click the “Search Type” radio button next to “Limited Liability Company/Limited Partnership Name.”

Type the name of the LLC in the box next to “Entity Name or Number.”

Click the “Search” button. A results page appears.

Click on the “Entity Name” you are researching. A data page will appear with the name and address of the LLC and the name and address of the agent for service of process. The agent for service of process is the main contact for the LLC.

Contact the agent for service of process and ask for the name of the owner. More than one owner may be in place.