Australian company search: ASIC, ACN and ABN
Find the right Australian company in ASIC, distinguish its ACN from an ABN and determine which official extract you need.
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What to prepare
Begin with the legal entity named in the agreement, not the brand on a website. An Australian company number (ACN) identifies a registered company. An Australian business number (ABN) identifies a business for other administrative purposes; it is useful for cross-checking, but it is not interchangeable with the ACN. A business name can be held by a person or company without being a separate company.
How to search the official register
Open ASIC’s company and organisation registers, follow its link to ASIC Connect and search by legal name or ACN. Compare the complete name, ACN, registration date and available status. If the seller provides only an ABN, use the separate government ABN Lookup to identify the associated entity, then return to ASIC to check the company itself.
Interpret the result carefully
An ASIC search result answers a narrower question than a due-diligence review. A similar company name is not proof you have found the contracting party. A registered business name does not establish that its holder has a licence for financial, credit or other regulated activity. Search the relevant professional or licence register separately when authorisation matters.
Which document do you need?
For a bank, buyer or contracting partner, clarify whether they need a current company extract, historical information or a specific lodged document. Some detailed ASIC products may have a fee. Record the ACN and date of your check; describe the intended use in your enquiry before ordering documents.
If a search is inconclusive
If the name search returns many entries, ask for the ACN rather than guessing by address alone. Where a seller mentions a business name, check the name holder in ASIC and then follow that holder to the company entry. ABN Lookup can help match an ABN on an invoice, but a cancelled or differently named ABN should prompt clarification before payment or document orders.