How to Find a Company's CIK Number and Why It Matters
April 15, 2026
What Is a CIK Number?
CIK stands for Central Index Key — the unique identifier assigned by the SEC to every entity that registers with or submits filings to EDGAR. CIK numbers are 10-digit strings (zero-padded on the left) assigned sequentially as entities register. Apple's CIK is 0000320193. Every filing in EDGAR is associated with a CIK, making it the universal identifier for navigating the database.
Why CIK Matters
Tickers change. Company names change through mergers, rebranding, and spinoffs. CIK numbers don't change — they remain permanently assigned to the registrant. Using CIK as the primary identifier ensures you're accessing the correct entity's filings even when other identifying information is ambiguous or has changed. If a company was acquired and the acquiring company assumed its SEC reporting obligations, you can trace the filing history through the original CIK.
How to Find a CIK
You can find any company's CIK through several methods:
- Search the SEC's EDGAR full-text search at efts.sec.gov
- Look up the company on EdgarLookup — the CIK is displayed on every company profile page and in the URL
- The SEC's company_tickers.json file provides a downloadable mapping of all tickers to CIKs
CIK in URLs
In SEC EDGAR URLs, CIK appears in the path. The submission endpoint for Apple's filings is accessible at data.sec.gov/submissions/CIK0000320193.json — a useful format for directly accessing the full filing history of any company programmatically.
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