LLC Name Availability Search in Any State

1. Search the state's business records

Search the state where you will form the LLC for the exact name and for close variations: singular and plural, with and without "The", different spacing. If a business on the record already uses the name, or one the state would see as the same, pick another. Each state's search is linked below.

2. Know what "distinguishable" means

States require a new name to be distinguishable on the record from the names already there. When comparing, they usually ignore the entity ending (LLC, Inc.), punctuation, capital letters and small words like "the" or "and". So "Acme Bakery LLC" and "The Acme Bakery, Inc." usually count as the same name. Each state publishes its own rules; the filing office has the final word.

3. Include the right ending

An LLC name has to say it is an LLC: "Limited Liability Company", "LLC" or "L.L.C." in most states, with a few accepted variations.

4. Avoid restricted words

Words such as bank, insurance, trust or university usually need approval from another agency, and a name may not suggest the business is a government body.

5. Reserve the name if you are not ready to file

Most states let you hold a name for a set period, for a fee, before you form the LLC. The period and fee differ by state; where we have checked them, they are on the state's page here, with the date we checked.

6. Look beyond the state record

Trademarks. A name free in the state's records can still infringe a trademark. Search the USPTO trademark search.
Assumed names. Trade names (DBAs) are often registered separately, with the state or the county.
Web and social. Check the domain name and the handles you want before you commit.

The SBA's guide to choosing a business name covers the same ground from the federal side.

Name search by state

Our page for each state, and the official state search where the name check itself runs.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Facts checked 2026-10-26 against the official sources linked above; confirm with the state or the IRS before you file. How we check our facts · Report an error