A free EIN lookupworks for only 3 sources: a public company on SEC EDGAR, a nonprofit in IRS Form 990 data, and your own EIN on documents you hold. A private company's 9-digit EIN sits in 0 free databases.
Free EIN lookup is real for 3 sources only. A public company's EIN is free on SEC EDGAR, printed on page 1 of every 10-K for about 8,000 filers. A nonprofit's EIN is free in IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, drawn from 1.8 million Form 990 filings. Your own EIN is free on the CP-575 and any filed return. A private company's EIN is confidential under 26 U.S.C. § 6109, listed in 0 free databases, so the only free route is a Form W-9 the business hands you. Paid brokers charge $50 to $250 for the same number.
A free EIN lookup returns a 9-digit Employer Identification Number for 3 sources at $0: a public company on SEC EDGAR, a nonprofit in IRS Form 990 data, and your own entity. The other 30 million private EINs cost $0 only through a Form W-9.
The word "free" splits into 2 questions. First, is the EIN public at all? Second, does a free tool surface it? Only 2 filing rules make an EIN public, and both are answered below. For the wider map of paid and free routes, the pillar EIN number lookup guide compares every method side by side.
The single fact that governs the whole page: no free database validates all 30 million-plus private EINs. Only public-company, nonprofit, and your-own EINs verify against an authoritative free source. Everything a broker sells for $50 to $250 is scraped, not queried from the IRS.
5 sources return an EIN at $0: SEC EDGAR for public companies, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for nonprofits, ProPublica and Candid for the same 990 data, your own IRS documents, and a Form W-9 from a private vendor. Each has a hard limit.
The table below routes each free source to exactly what it covers, who is listed, its cost, and where it stops. Read the limitation column first, because that is what a paid aggregator hopes you overlook.
| Free source | What it covers | Who is listed | Cost | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEC EDGAR | 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K cover | ~8,000 public companies | $0 | SEC filers only |
| IRS TEO Search | Form 990 filings | 1.8 million nonprofits | $0 | 501(c) exempt orgs only |
| ProPublica / Candid | Repackaged 990 data | 1.8 million nonprofits | $0 | Same 1 IRS source |
| Your own IRS docs | CP-575, 147C, returns | Your entity only | $0 | Not for third parties |
| Form W-9, line 7 | Vendor-supplied EIN | Any private company | $0 | Company must return it |
| Paid data broker | Scraped record | 30 million private | $50–$250 | Unverified, not free |
Sources: SEC EDGAR, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Candid, IRS Form W-9, verified August 2026.
Open efts.sec.gov, search the company name or ticker, and filter to form 10-K. The 9-digit EIN prints on page 1 under "I.R.S. Employer Identification No." EDGAR covers about 8,000 active filers, and the search costs $0.
Every SEC-registered company discloses its EIN on the cover of each 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K. Full-text search reaches back to 2001, and the filing index reaches back to 1993. A delisted company keeps every historical filing, so the lookup works years after a stock stops trading, still at $0.
| Filing | Where the EIN prints | Coverage | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual report, 10-K | Page 1, cover block | ~8,000 filers | $0 |
| Quarterly report, 10-Q | Page 1, cover block | 4 per year | $0 |
| Current report, 8-K | Page 1, cover block | As events occur | $0 |
| Foreign issuer, 20-F | Cover, if EIN assigned | Non-US filers | $0 |
Sources: SEC EDGAR full-text search, verified August 2026.
Search IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov. It covers 1.8 million exempt entities, prints each 9-digit EIN beside the legal name, and updates monthly, at $0. ProPublica and Candid repackage the same Form 990 data free.
A 501(c) nonprofit files Form 990 every year, and the Internal Revenue Code makes that return open to public inspection. That single rule puts 1.8 million EINs in a free database. The number appears next to the organization name, so 1 search returns the legal name, EIN, and address together.
3 tools query 1 dataset. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search is the primary source; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Candid mirror the same 990 filings with different search screens. All 3 cost $0, so a nonprofit EIN never needs a paid provider. The find an EIN for a business page walks the nonprofit and public-company routes field by field.
Rarely. A state Secretary of State registry lists formation records at $0, but most redact the federal EIN because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 treats it as confidential. A registry confirms the legal name, agent, and status, not the 9-digit EIN.
All 50 states run a free business search, and each returns the entity name, formation date, and registered agent. Almost none publish the EIN, because a federal tax ID is not a state record. A registry is still useful as a free way to confirm the exact legal name before you request a W-9 or run a verification.
| What a state registry gives | EIN shown? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity name | Yes | $0 |
| Formation date and status | Yes | $0 |
| Registered agent | Yes | $0 |
| Federal 9-digit EIN | No, in 49 of 50 | Request a W-9 |
Sources: state Secretary of State business registries, 26 U.S.C. § 6109, verified August 2026.
At least 4. Your CP-575 assignment notice, any filed Form 1120 or 1065 return, a business bank application, and a 147C letter all print the 9-digit EIN at $0. An EIN never expires once assigned.
Your own EIN is the easiest free lookup, because you already hold the paperwork. The IRS prints exactly 1 CP-575 per EIN and never reprints it, so a 147C letter is the free replacement. Call the IRS Business & Specialty line at 800-829-4933, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and the 147C faxes back in 1 to 2 business days.
| Document you hold | Where the EIN prints | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| CP-575 assignment notice | Top block, beside name | $0 |
| Form 1120 / 1120-S / 1065 | Box B or D, page 1 | $0 |
| IRS Letter 147C | First line of the body | $0 |
| W-2 or 1099 you issued | Payer box, top left | $0 |
The complete 13-document checklist to recover your own number sits on the find a lost EIN number page, and the request script for the free replacement letter is on the EIN verification letter (147C) page.
Private company EINs. A private LLC, sole proprietor, or closely held corporation files no public document with its EIN, so 0 free databases list it. Paid brokers charge $50 to $250 per record, but the same number is free on a Form W-9.
The IRS issues about 5 million EINs a year, and the vast majority go to private entities. None reaches a free database, because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 classifies a private EIN as confidential taxpayer identifying information. The IRS releases it only to the responsible party, an authorized officer, or a Form 2848 designee.
A paid aggregator does not query the IRS. It scrapes W-9s, court records, and credit files, then sells an unverified record for $50 to $250. The free alternative is direct: request a Form W-9, where line 7 carries the 9-digit EIN, and a vendor paid $600 or more per year must return it. To confirm the number is real, the verify an EIN page details IRS TIN Matching, which checks 25 records per session at $0.
No. No free database holds every EIN. The IRS runs no public validator for the 30 million private EINs it has issued, because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 makes them confidential. Only public-company, nonprofit, and your-own EINs verify against a free source.
2 filing rules, not IRS choice, create the only free databases. A public company waives confidentiality when it files a 10-K with the SEC. A 501(c) nonprofit waives it by filing Form 990. That is why about 8,000 corporations and 1.8 million charities are searchable, while over 30 million private firms are not.
A site promising a free lookup of any private EIN is signaling 1 of 2 things: it will return only public and nonprofit records that are already free elsewhere, or it is selling scraped data behind a $50 paywall. The honest free path for a private company stays a Form W-9 at $0, straight from the source.
One reference table for every fixed value a free EIN lookup relies on: the counts, the thresholds, the IRS contact lines, and the statutes. Business days exclude the roughly 11 US federal holidays.
| Reference | Value |
|---|---|
| Sources with a free lookup | 3 (public, nonprofit, your own) |
| EIN length and shape | 9 digits, as 2-7 |
| SEC EDGAR active filers | About 8,000 |
| EDGAR historical entities | Over 800,000 since 1993 |
| EDGAR full-text search from | Year 2001 |
| Nonprofit EINs in IRS search | 1.8 million |
| Nonprofit disclosure form | Form 990 |
| Public company forms | 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 20-F |
| Private EINs outstanding | Over 30 million |
| New EINs issued per year | About 5 million |
| Free private-company route | Form W-9, line 7 |
| W-9 vendor threshold | $600 per year |
| Backup withholding, Section 3406 | 24 percent |
| TIN Matching, interactive | 25 records per session |
| TIN Matching, bulk | 100,000 per file |
| Your-own-EIN documents | 13 places it prints |
| IRS domestic Business line | 800-829-4933 |
| IRS international line | 267-941-1099 |
| IRS fax, US-based entity | 855-641-6935 |
| IRS fax, international | 855-215-1627 |
| 147C fax delivery | 1 to 2 business days |
| 147C mail delivery, US | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Paid broker price per record | $50 to $250 |
| Governing EIN statute | 26 U.S.C. 6109 |
| Third-party authorization form | Form 2848 |
| W-9 record retention | 3 to 7 years |
| einnumber.co new-EIN filing | $67 Standard, $97 Fast |
Sources: IRS, IRS TIN Matching, 26 U.S.C. 6109, SEC EDGAR, IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, verified August 2026.
9 more questions on free sources, SEC EDGAR, nonprofit 990 data, and the paid trap. Every legitimate route costs $0. A private company's EIN is free only through a Form W-9; brokers charge $50 to $250 for the same number.
No. A free EIN lookup returns a result for only 3 groups: public companies on SEC EDGAR, 1.8 million nonprofits in IRS Form 990 data, and your own entity. The other 30 million private EINs sit in 0 free databases, so you request a Form W-9 from the company itself at $0.
SEC EDGAR is the best free EIN lookup for a public company. It lists the 9-digit EIN on page 1 of every 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, for roughly 8,000 active filers. Full-text search reaches back to 2001 and the index reaches back to 1993, all at $0.
Search IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov. It covers 1.8 million exempt entities, prints each 9-digit EIN beside the legal name, and updates monthly, all at $0. ProPublica and Candid repackage the same Form 990 data free, so 3 tools query 1 source.
Rarely. State registries list formation records for $0, but most redact the federal EIN because 26 U.S.C. § 6109 treats it as confidential. A registry confirms a legal name and status, not the 9-digit EIN. For a private company, the free path stays the Form W-9 with the EIN on line 7.
No. No free database holds all EINs, because the IRS issues about 5 million EINs a year and keeps private ones confidential under 26 U.S.C. § 6109. Any site promising a free lookup of 30 million private EINs is scraping W-9s or court files, not querying an IRS record.
At least 4. Your CP-575 assignment notice, any filed Form 1120 or 1065 return, a business bank application, and a 147C letter all print the 9-digit EIN at $0. The full 13-document checklist to recover a lost EIN sits on the lost EIN number page.
Paid brokers charge $50 to $250 per record because private EINs are not public, so they scrape W-9s, credit files, and court records. The data is unverified and often stale. A Form W-9 from the company returns the same 9-digit EIN at $0, straight from the source.
Yes. A public company files its 10-K under penalty of law, so the EIN on page 1 is authoritative. EDGAR has hosted filings since 1993 and covers roughly 8,000 active filers plus over 800,000 historical entities, so a free lookup works years after a stock stops trading.
Run 3 checks. Confirm the number is 9 digits in 2-7 shape, match the legal name printed beside it, then confirm it against a second source. Payers filing a 1099 use IRS TIN Matching, which verifies 25 records per session at $0. The verify EIN page details each route.