Finding out who owns a corporation is especially helpful if you wish to complain to the business owner about a shopping experience you had. Corporations are state-chartered and subject to public record. To find out who owns a corporation, you will need the corporation’s business name, and web address, if an initial search of state records yields no leads. Frequently, you will find who own a corporation rather easily through state records.

Know the facts of business registration. For a business to legally operate, the business owner(s) must register the business with the secretary of state.

Visit your state’s website. Enter the corporation’s name into the state’s complimentary business registration database, also searchable by registration number.

View registration information for the corporation. State records show the name and address of the business owner as well as the name of the registered agent.

Contact New Jersey-based corporations directly. Contact the corporation’s human resource manager and ask for the name and address of the business owner. Visit the corporation’s website to obtain the correct business phone number, typically found on the “Contact Us” page of the website.

Find the owner of a corporation with just a web address. Visit CoolWhoIs.com and enter the corporation’s web address into the search engine. Scroll down to view the website’s registrant information, which is listed as such. If the company has chosen to mask its domain information, an alias will appear, such as Privacy Protection Service.

Tip

A duplicate mailing address for the registered agent and the business typically means the registered agent and the business owner are one and the same. New Jersey is the only state that doesn't have a complimentary business registration search on the Internet.