US KYB is structurally different from most markets because there is no federal company register. Companies incorporate at state level, and each Secretary of State maintains its own register with its own data quality, formats, and access. Delaware, Wyoming, and Nevada are popular for the privacy they afford, and beneficial-ownership data has historically been weak — the FinCEN beneficial-ownership regime under the Corporate Transparency Act is changing that, but unevenly.
Business verification (KYB)
First Mile Labs resolves a US company to its state of incorporation and retrieves the Secretary of State record — entity status, formation date, registered agent, and officers where the state discloses them. Because state registers vary enormously and rarely expose beneficial ownership, the platform leans on document-based verification and, where available, FinCEN beneficial-ownership information, flagging the cases where ownership cannot be established from the register alone.
Identity verification (IDV)
US directors and beneficial owners are verified using the US passport or a state-issued driver's license or ID card, with document authentication, liveness, and face-match. Because driver's licenses vary by state, the platform validates against state-specific formats and security features.
Sanctions, PEP & adverse media (AML)
US entities and individuals are screened against the OFAC SDN and consolidated lists, UN, and 200+ further watchlists, with PEP and adverse-media checks running continuously. OFAC screening is the central regime for US-facing onboarding.
From our compliance team
The US is the market most teams underestimate because it feels familiar. There is no Companies House equivalent — Delaware will confirm an entity exists and almost nothing about who owns it. We treat US KYB as a document-and-screening problem first and a registry problem second, and we lean on the emerging FinCEN beneficial-ownership data without assuming it is yet complete or universally available.
United States onboarding — FAQ
Is there a single US company registry?
No. Companies incorporate at state level, so there are 50 separate Secretary of State registers with differing data quality and access. First Mile Labs resolves each company to its state of incorporation and retrieves the relevant state record.
How is US beneficial ownership handled?
State registers rarely expose ownership, so the platform relies on document-based verification and, where available, FinCEN beneficial-ownership information under the Corporate Transparency Act — flagging cases where ownership cannot be established from the register.
What is the primary sanctions regime for US customers?
OFAC — the SDN and consolidated lists — is central. First Mile Labs screens against OFAC plus UN and 200+ further watchlists, with continuous PEP and adverse-media checks.
Coverage in other markets
Onboarding customers in United States?
Book a demo and we'll walk you through a full United States case — registry, identity, screening, and decision.
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