Business license lookup.

Use official state and local records to check whether a company exists, matches its claimed name, and appears legitimate before paying.

Core check: the business name, payment name, website name, and contract name should make sense together.

What to search

State Secretary of State business search.
Local city/county business licence search if the work is local.
Professional or trade licence board if the service is regulated.
BBB complaints, state complaint portals, and plain web searches for lawsuits or scam reports.
Address, phone, website, invoice name, and payment recipient consistency.

Run the company legitimacy checker before paying a deposit or sending bank details.