When you start an LLC in your state, you have to make sure that the business name you choose is not already taken by another active company. In this article, we’ll help you learn about the LLC name requirements and how to check LLC names to make sure they can be used for your business entity.
Let’s jump into it and show you how to perform an LLC name search for your new business.
When you form an LLC, there is a document that is used to register your business entity called the Articles of Organization. This is sometimes called the Articles of Formation or Certificate of Formation depending on the state.
The registration of your business entity name is done by the Secretary of State. You might see this referred to as the Division of Corporations or Department of State.
So, your LLC business name needs to be unique because it will be used to register your Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to actually check whether an LLC business entity name is available because each state has its own Secretary of State website with a business name search tool.
It’s worth mentioning that sometimes, government websites are not the most intuitive and easy to use! Luckily, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to do an LLC business entity state for each of the 50 states, complete with images to help you.
If you file online and use an expedited filing service as well, it will cost you $250. Thinking about reserving the name of your LLC? You will have to pay $25 for an LLC name reservation in Illinois. Apart from these major expenses, you will have to pay annual report fees, business operating agreement costs, etc.
Quick Business Name Search
You can definitely do your own business name and trademark search, but it’s often much easier to get it done for you!
We recommend the use of an LLC formation service that will actually perform all of these checks for you. It’s faster, no paperwork, and you can focus on your business instead of filling out forms.
Both ZenBusiness and IncFile, our two recommended services, include a NAME AVAILABILITY SEARCH, so you can be 100% sure your business entity name is allowed.
To find out exactly how to check if your LLC business name is available, choose the state you’re looking to incorporate in below and we’ll walk you through the process. It’s fast and free to do your own LLC name search from the linked state databases.
Before you go rushing off in excitement to find the perfect LLC business name, there are some general rules and requirements to be aware of. Each state will have its own specific requirements for your LLC name, but in general, the common rules are as follows:
This isn’t a definitive list of naming considerations for your LLC, but a couple of other searches you can do once you think you’ve picked a name can really help to protect your new company entity name.