Official checks · 8 min read
Jakub Wujec
Last reviewed: 16 June 2026
Company register carrier check before booking
A company register carrier check confirms the legal entity exists, its form, status, address, and recent ownership or board changes in the national business register. Compare register name and address to invoice, email, and website. A live register entry still needs licence, VAT, and insurance checks before a load is assigned.
Key checks before you assign the load
- Pull a fresh extract on booking day.
- Read status: active, suspended, liquidation, or deleted.
- Note recent shareholder or board changes.
- Match registered address to website and invoice.
- Sole traders and companies use different registers in Poland.
- Register proof belongs in the load file with a date stamp.
How to run a company register carrier check step by step
Which register you open depends on the country and, in Poland, on whether the carrier is a company or a sole trader.
Step 1: pick the register for the country and entity type
Use KRS for Polish companies and CEIDG for Polish sole traders, ANAF for Romania, ARES for Czechia, ORSR for Slovakia, JAR for Lithuania, UR for Latvia, or the equivalent register for other countries.
Step 2: search by the local company identifier
Search by NIP, CUI, IČO, company code, or the equivalent tax or registration identifier, on booking day rather than from an older search.
Step 3: read status, address, and representatives
Check whether the entity is active, suspended, in liquidation, or deleted, read the registered address, and note the representatives or board members where the register lists them.
Step 4: check for insolvency or recent structural changes
Look for insolvency, bankruptcy, or liquidation markers, and note any recent change in ownership or board composition. A recent change close to the booking date is worth a follow-up question.
Step 5: compare the register data to your other documents
Match the registered name and address to the invoice, email domain, and website. A mailbox address or a name that does not match the invoice header needs an explanation before you proceed.
Step 6: save the extract with the date
Save the register extract, screenshot, or PDF with the date you checked it, so the load file shows the company status as it stood on booking day.
What the check means
A company register carrier check reads the national business register for legal form, registration status, registered office, representatives, insolvency or liquidation markers, and where available financial and employment depth. Poland uses KRS for companies and CEIDG for sole traders. Romania uses ANAF for company and VAT data plus filed financial statements and the BPI insolvency bulletin. Lithuania uses JAR with 3-year financial trends and SODRA employment signals. Czechia uses ARES; Slovakia ORSR; Latvia and Estonia use JAR or UR APIs; Bulgaria uses TheCompanyBook.
Company sources differ by country: KRS or CEIDG in Poland, ANAF in Romania, ARES in Czechia, and local equivalents elsewhere. VIES and domain checks still belong on every booking.
Why this check matters
- You contract with a legal entity, not a Gmail address.
- Liquidation or deletion in register means the carrier cannot perform today.
- Recent owner change can precede fake-carrier or double-brokering cases.
- Address mismatch with the website may indicate a mailbox company.
What data can be compared
| Register field | Compare with | Risk signal |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name and form | Invoice and carrier agreement | Different entity on the contract |
| Status and deletion dates | Booking date | Dissolved, deleted, or in liquidation |
| Registered address | Website, RDAP or registry domain data, invoice | Mailbox or foreign address mismatch |
| Representatives or board | Signatory on paperwork | Unknown director on a large fleet claim |
| Insolvency or debtor markers | KRZ, BPI, or national insolvency sources | Active insolvency proceeding |
| Pending register filings | RAR or national register-case sources | Board or ownership change not yet in extract |
| Financial statements | Latest filed revenue, equity, liabilities | Negative equity or missing filings on older company |
| SODRA employment (LT) | Insured employee count and trend | Zero employees on claimed fleet operator |
Limits of the check
- Company register does not prove transport licence or insurance.
- Trading names may differ from legal name; read both register and VIES.
- Register API downtime requires retry, not approval on email alone.
- Historical extracts without a date stamp are weak audit evidence.
- Cross-border groups may haul through a subsidiary; trace the contracting entity.
Red flags and common mistakes
Company deleted or in liquidation
Hard pause. The entity cannot contract for haulage in the register status shown.
Recent ownership or board change
Requires review. Common timing for impersonation or broker shell setups.
Registered address does not match contact channels
May indicate mailbox company or impersonation. Verify before cargo details go out.
Active register but no transport licence entry
Company exists but may not be a licensed haulier. Stack with KREPTD or ARR.
When you do not want to repeat this per booking
One register lookup for one carrier is quick. Running it again for every new booking, across KRS, CEIDG, ARES, ORSR, or whichever register the country uses, is the part that takes time. Certica fetches the right register per country and flags dissolution, liquidation, and recent structural changes.
- Countries in production: Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Slovenia, and Serbia.
- Poland cross-checks KRS and CEIDG so sole traders and companies route to the right register.
- PDF extracts from registers support audit trails.
Certica
Don't want to do this on every booking?
Certica pulls data from the same registers, checks it, and shows a clear result: what is OK, and what needs clarifying before loading.
Official sources
FAQ
Does an active company register mean the carrier is safe?
It means the entity exists in the register today. You still need licence, VAT, insurance, and contact verification.
KRS or CEIDG for a Polish carrier?
sp. z o.o. and other companies: KRS. Sole traders (JDG): CEIDG. Route the NIP by entity type, not by guesswork.
How fresh must the register extract be?
Same day as booking approval. Reuse from an old load is weak evidence.
Which countries have public company registers for this check?
Today we cover Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Slovenia, and Serbia. Each country has different registers. See Documentation for the current list per country.