> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.lisk.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://support.lisk.com/guides/getting-started/kyb-by-entity-type-and-jurisdiction/business-verification-preparation-guide-for-united-states-entities.md). # Business Verification Preparation Guide for United States Entities A practical pre-flight guide for United States limited liability companies and corporations onboarding to Lisk {% hint style="warning" %} **Important**: This guide covers typical United States limited liability companies and corporations and supplements Lisk's general business verification guide. Other structures need different evidence. Reviews are risk-based, so Bridge may request additional or replacement documents. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} **Service-provider and data-handling notice**: Lisk provides the Platform interface and customer support. Bridge is the current regulated service provider. Bridge performs business and identity verification under its own compliance program, directly or through an identity verification provider it engages. Bridge makes the verification decision and may request additional evidence. Lisk collects information and documents submitted through the Platform, or sent in response to a request for information, for transmission to Bridge and may apply its own platform risk checks, but Lisk Support does not approve evidence on Bridge's behalf. Submit sensitive evidence only through the secure submission flow provided for your case in the Platform, by Bridge, or by the identity verification provider engaged by Bridge, or through the channel named in a request for information. If the route is missing or unclear, ask Lisk Support for instructions before sending documents. See [Bridge's business onboarding requirements](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/overview) and [Lisk's Terms of Service](https://lisk.com/legal/terms/), [Privacy Policy](https://lisk.com/legal/privacy/), and [Partner Terms](https://lisk.com/legal/partner-terms/). {% endhint %} [Complete Business Verification](/guides/getting-started/complete-business-verification-kyb.md): the full Lisk verification walkthrough. [Business Verification by Entity Type and Jurisdiction](/guides/getting-started/kyb-by-entity-type-and-jurisdiction.md): broader entity and jurisdiction guidance. ## **What is different for United States companies?** * Use the legal name exactly as shown in state and Internal Revenue Service records and enter the [Employer Identification Number](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/identification). If Lisk or Bridge requests proof, prepare an official Internal Revenue Service confirmation document. * [Formation records depend on entity type and state](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/formation). Corporations usually provide Articles or a Certificate of Incorporation; limited liability companies usually provide Articles of Organization or a Certificate of Formation. * Formation records usually do not prove current ownership. Prepare a capitalization table or shareholder ledger for a corporation, or an operating agreement or membership ledger for a limited liability company. * [The Lisk/Bridge flow identifies](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/ownership) every individual ultimate beneficial owner holding 25% or more and at least one Control Person. Layered ownership must be traceable through every intermediary entity. * Bridge currently does not support a [principal operating address in New York](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/supported-countries-list). A company formed in New York may still qualify if it actually operates from a supported state and can prove that address. ## **Prepare before you start** ### **Company and business** * Legal entity name; any trade name or “doing business as” name, meaning a public-facing name that differs from the exact legal entity name; Employer Identification Number; state of formation; entity type; formation date; registered address; and principal operating address. [Bridge's business formation document requirements](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/formation) use the same term. * One state-filed formation record appropriate to the entity: Articles or a Certificate of Incorporation for a corporation, or Articles of Organization or a Certificate of Formation for a limited liability company. * A clear business description, industry category, website or product information, intended account use, and source of funds. If requested in the Lisk flow, also provide estimated annual revenue and expected monthly transaction volume. * Current ownership evidence appropriate to the entity: a capitalization table, shareholder ledger, or shareholders' agreement for a corporation; or an operating agreement, membership ledger, or member schedule for a limited liability company. ### **People and ownership** * Personal information and government identity document for every individual the onboarding form asks you to verify, including every ultimate beneficial owner holding 25% or more. * Identify at least one Control Person, such as a director or executive with significant responsibility. The signer must be authorized to act for the company. One person may fill both roles, but a Control Person is not automatically an ultimate beneficial owner. * For entity shareholders or layered structures: a signed and dated ownership chart showing every intermediary entity, ownership percentage, and the natural persons behind the chain. * Current ownership evidence for each intermediary entity. The complete pack should account for 100% of the ownership chain. If a shareholders' agreement is requested but none exists, use [Declaration of No Shareholders’ Agreement - Guide and Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/16QTPOmVq2XZtBIOATBF49l3mBbyVNnKmwS9adgWOaTA/edit). ### **Conditional evidence to keep ready** * [Operating-address evidence](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/poa), if the principal operating address requires verification. * Proof of nature of business when the website or public information is limited. A cover sheet must be accompanied by records such as contracts, invoices, receipts, product material, or partner agreements. Use [Proof of Nature of Business - Evidence Guide and Cover Sheet](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CK5i-fW4aklsGvfGyIIYYvxxtYgavgQSujayzPkSi2g/edit) to organize the submission. * If Lisk or Bridge requests Employer Identification Number proof, provide an [Internal Revenue Service Entity transcript](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/get-a-business-tax-transcript), digital CP575 notice, original CP575-series notice, or Letter 147C. [Form SS-4](https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-ss-4) is only the Employer Identification Number application and does not prove that an Employer Identification Number was assigned. If requested, also prepare a current Certificate of Good Standing, trade-name evidence, or foreign-qualification records. * Disclose [high-risk activities](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/highrisk) and customer-money transmission in the Lisk flow. If requested, prepare applicable licensing or registration evidence, anti-money laundering or compliance-screening information, source-of-funds evidence, and a funds-flow explanation. [Licensing does not guarantee eligibility](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/highrisk). Bridge prohibits investment or credit services, digital-asset exchange services, money services, and money-transmission services when provided to third parties through Bridge. ## **Address evidence for United States companies** The registered address and principal operating address can be the same when the company genuinely operates there. If the company uses a registered agent's address only for legal registration, enter that address only as the registered address and enter the actual operating location as the principal operating address. A post office box or virtual address, such as a virtual office used only for mail, does not show where the business actually operates. If you enter one as the principal operating address, expect a request for proof of address. Provide documentation showing where the company actually operates, or correct the application to the actual physical operating address. | **Situation** | **What to enter** | **What to prepare** | | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Separate physical office or workspace** | Enter the entity's actual registered address in the registered-address field. Enter the actual office or workspace as the principal operating address. | Evidence in the applying company's name: a bank statement, utility bill, or government letter issued within the last 90 days, or a current office lease. It must show a physical operating address, not a post office box or virtual office. | | **Fully remote company** | Enter the entity's actual registered address in the registered-address field. When Lisk offers the remote-company route, enter the supported residential address where an eligible ultimate beneficial owner holding 25% or more operates the company as the principal operating address. | Upload accepted residential proof for that ultimate beneficial owner. A bank statement, utility bill, government-issued letter, or government-issued identity document must have been issued within the last 90 days; a residential lease may be older if it is current. Use this route only after the Lisk flow or Lisk Support confirms that Bridge has enabled it for your application. [Bridge's public proof-of-address requirements](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/poa) do not provide a general exception for ordinary remote companies. Final acceptance remains with Bridge. | If no individual owns 25% or more: provide the standard ownership information. Do not use a non-owner Control Person's residential proof for the operating address unless Lisk confirms that Bridge has approved an exception for the application. ## **United States ownership records and Lisk roles** | **Role** | **Meaning** | **What to do** | | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **ultimate beneficial owner** | An individual who owns 25% or more, directly or through other entities. Ownership and control are different roles, but the same person may satisfy both. | Disclose every qualifying ultimate beneficial owner, complete the requested identity checks, and use only an eligible ultimate beneficial owner holding 25% or more for the remote-company route. | | **Control Person** | A director or executive with significant responsibility for the company. This person may or may not be an ultimate beneficial owner. | Identify at least one. A non-owner Control Person is not eligible for the 25%-owner address option described here; a different route requires Bridge's approval. | Ownership attestation: A Control Person can confirm the disclosed ownership structure using the [checkbox in Bridge's hosted flow](https://apidocs.bridge.xyz/platform/customers/compliance/businesses/ownership), when that option is available for the application. This may satisfy the ownership-evidence requirement; it does not replace disclosure or identity checks for the required people, and Bridge may request documents. If separate confirmation of the Control Person's role is requested, use [Control Person Attestation Form - Guide and Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_filkvAQGqBULv2D3PcqHXGoH-g5YJdFe9wn0j0QlzY/edit). ## **Common United States follow-ups** | **Follow-up** | **Why it happens** | **Prepare this** | | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Operating address** | A registered agent, virtual office, or post office box address does not prove where the business operates. | The correct company-level evidence or the conditional remote-company route described above. | | **Employer Identification Number and legal name** | The Employer Identification Number cannot be verified automatically or the legal name differs across Internal Revenue Service and state records. | An Internal Revenue Service Entity transcript, digital CP575 notice, original CP575-series notice, or Letter 147C, plus any requested legal name-change or state formation evidence. | | **Ownership structure** | Formation records do not show current owners, or an entity shareholder hides the natural-person chain. | A current capitalization table, ledger, operating agreement, or membership record, plus a signed ownership chart and intermediary records. | | **Nature of business** | The website or public information does not prove the stated activity. | Contracts, invoices, receipts, product information, licenses, or partner agreements, organized with the cover sheet. | | **High-risk or customer-money activity** | The company reports money services, lending or banking, foreign exchange or virtual-currency brokerage, over-the-counter activity, holding client funds, third-party payment processing, or customer-money transmission. | Explain the use case and compliance screening. If requested, provide licenses or registrations, anti-money laundering materials, funds-flow details, and partner agreements. Confirm eligibility against Bridge's prohibited-activity rules. | ## **Fictional example** NovaChain Labs Inc. is a fictional Delaware corporation that provides Web3 infrastructure and business-to-business software-as-a-service integrations. Its preparation pack includes the Certificate of Incorporation, bylaws, Employer Identification Number, current shareholder ledger, current director and officer records, and a signed ownership chart. Maya Chen owns 60% directly. Orbit Holdings owns 40%; Orbit is owned 75% by Luis Romero and 25% by Ava Singh, producing ultimate ownership of 60%, 30% and 10%. Maya and Luis are the ultimate beneficial owners holding 25% or more. Maya is also chief executive officer, director and Control Person. The registered agent’s address remains separate from the principal operating address. If NovaChain has a separate office, it prepares current company-level address evidence. If it is fully remote and Lisk offers the remote-company route, it may use recent residential proof for Maya, mapped to her as the eligible 60% ultimate beneficial owner. It also prepares the requested person identity document and address evidence, an executed software-as-a-service contract with a recent invoice and receipt, and a clear account-purpose and source-of-funds explanation. It receives its own business-to-business subscription and integration fees and pays cloud, security and contractor costs; it does not hold, exchange or transmit customer assets. This example is illustrative only. Bridge may request additional evidence after its risk review. Address and identity evidence: [Proof of Address and Identity Evidence Guide](/guides/getting-started/complete-business-verification-kyb/proof-of-address-and-identity-evidence-guide.md) Formation, ownership and company records: [Formation, Ownership and Company Records Evidence Guide](/guides/getting-started/complete-business-verification-kyb/formation-ownership-and-company-records-evidence-guide.md) Financial, tax, regulatory and request for information evidence: [Financial, Tax, Regulatory and Special RFI Evidence Guide](/guides/getting-started/complete-business-verification-kyb/financial-tax-regulatory-and-special-request-for-information-evidence-guide.md) Timing varies by case and may include follow-up requests.