incsetup logo

We may earn commissions when you shop through the links on our website.

LLC vs Inc

How To Do A Free Business Name Search

/

When You Want More

Nearly every company that claims to offer help conducting a business name search either demands your information first or worse yet charges you a fee. These companies are doing a very simple task you could easily do yourself. Don’t give away your information or hard-earned cash for a business name check you can almost always do yourself in minutes for free. Instead, find your state name below, and learn how you can easily check name availability in your state. Also, find other useful business links to websites, including your state’s Secretary of State office, Department of Revenue and Department of Licensing.

Alabama

Alabama Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 334-242-7200

Fax: 334-242-4993

Mailing Address

PO Box 5616
Montgomery, AL 36103-5616

Physical Address

11 S. Union St, Suite 2017
Montgomery, AL 36104

START AN ALABAMA LLC

Alabama Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Alabama:

  1. Visit the Alabama Secretary of State’s Business Entity Records.
  2. Enter your business name in the search box. For the broadest match, skip the place of formation and city, and choose “all records” and “exists” for type and status.
  3. Click “Search.”

The result is a list of companies that use the business name or keyword you entered as all or part of their business name in Alabama. Note that Alabama is the only state in the US that requires a name reservation before registering your business.

Alaska

Alaska Division of Corporations

Contact Information

Voice: 907-465-2550

Fax: 907-465-2974

Email: Corporations@alaska.gov

Mailing Address

PO Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811-0808

Physical Address

333 W. Willoughby Ave, 9th Floor
Juneau, AK 99811-0806

START AN ALASKA LLC

Alaska Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Alaska:

  1. Visit the Alaska Corporations Database.
  2. Click “I’m not a robot.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  4. Choose either “Starts With” or “Contains” and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Alaska with business names that match your search criteria. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s in good standing, dissolved, or if the name has expired.

Arizona

Arizona Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 602-542-3026

Fax: 602-542-4100

Email: Records.corp@azcc.gov

Mailing Address

1300 W. Washington St. 1st Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2929

Physical Address

1300 W. Washington St. 1st Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2929

START AN ARIZONA LLC

Arizona Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Arizona:

  1. Visit the Arizona Corporations Commission’s eCorp entity search.
  2. Choose your “Search Type” (“Starts With,” “Contains,” or “Exact Match”)
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  4. Narrow down your search by filter if needed (if your search produces more than 500 results, the system will require you to narrow your search).
  5. Click “Search” to see a list of companies that use the terms you entered in their business name in Arizona. Or, click “Name Availability Check” for a yes or no on if the name’s available.

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Arizona with names that match your search criteria, as well as the status of each business.

Arkansas

Arkansas Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 501-682-3409

Email: Corporations@sos.arkansas.gov

Mailing Address

1401 West Capitol, Ste. 250
Little Rock, AR 72201

Physical Address

1401 West Capitol, Ste. 250
Little Rock, AR 72201

START AN ARKANSAS LLC

Arkansas Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Arkansas:

  1. Visit the Arkansas Secretary of State’s business search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Name” box. There are additional choices and boxes, but they are designed to help you find a specific business—not determine the availability of your business name.
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Arkansas that use the terms you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each company, such as whether it’s in good standing, dissolved, or revoked.

California

California Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 916-657-5448

Fax: 916-653-4795

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 944230
Sacramento, CA 94244-2300

Physical Address

1500 11th St.
Sacramento, CA 95814

START A CALIFORNIA LLC

California Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in California:

  1. Visit the California Business Search.
  2. Scroll down and enter all or part of your business name in the Search bar.
  3. Click the down arrow for Advanced Search.
  4. Filter by keyword, exact match, or “begins with.”
  5. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the corporations or LPs/LLCs in California that use the business name or keyword you entered. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s active or dissolved. The state notes that this search is only preliminary and not formal. A formal name availability check requires businesses to submit a free paper form, the Name Availability Inquiry Letter.

Colorado

Colorado Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 303-894-2200

Fax: 303-869-4864

Email: Sos.business@sos.state.co.us

Mailing Address

1700 Broadway Suite 200
Denver, CO 80290

Physical Address

1700 Broadway Suite 200
Denver, CO 80290

START A COLORADO LLC

Colorado Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Colorado:

  1. Visit the Colorado Secretary of State Business Database Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the search box.
  3. Click “Search.”

If your search produces too many results, you’ll have to refine your search by adding or changing the words in the search box. In the results, you’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Colorado that use the terms you entered in their name. You’ll also see the status of each company, such as whether or not it’s in good standing.

Connecticut

Connecticut Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 860-509-6002

Fax: 860-509-6069

Email: Crd@ct.gov

Mailing Address

PO Box 150470
Hartford, CT 06115-0470

Physical Address

165 Capitol Avenue, Suite 1000
Hartford, CT 06106

START A CONNECTICUT LLC

Connecticut Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Connecticut:

  1. Visit the Connecticut Business Records Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name next to “Search by Name:”
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Connecticut that use the terms you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s in active or withdrawn.

Delaware

Delaware Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 302-739-3073

Fax: 302-739-3812

Email: Corp@delaware.gov

Mailing Address

PO Box 898
Dover, DE 19903

Physical Address

401 Federal Street – Suite 4
Dover, DE 19901

START A DELAWARE LLC

Delaware Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Delaware:

  1. Visit Delaware’s business name search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Delaware that contain the terms you entered in their business name.

Washington DC

Washington DC Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 202-671-4500

Fax: 302-739-3812

Email: dlcp.dc.gov

Mailing Address

Corporations Division
P.O. Box 92300
Washington, D.C. 20090

Physical Address

1100 4th St SW
Washington, D.C. 20024

GET A WASHINGTON DC LLC

District Of Columbia Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Washington DC:

The DLCP requires users to create a free account to do an entity search. To make an account:

  1. Visit the DLCP’s home page.
  2. Click “Register for a CorpOnline Account here.”
  3. Enter a username, email, password, first and last name, and address.
  4. Click “Register” to create your account.

After logging into your account:

  1. Choose “Business Filings Search”
  2. Enter all or part of your business name (narrow your search by entering information in the other fields if desired).
  3. Click “Search.”

The search produces a list of all the registered businesses in the District of Columbia that use the terms you entered in their business name.

Florida

Florida Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 850-245-6000

Email: corphelp@dos.state.fl.us

Mailing Address

Department of State, Corporate Filings
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314

Physical Address

2661 Executive Center Circle
Tallahassee, FL 32301

START A FLORIDA LLC

Florida Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Florida:

  1. Visit the Florida Division of Corporations’ Business Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  3. Click “Search Now.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Florida that use the terms you entered in their business names.

Georgia

Georgia Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 404-656-2817

Fax: 404-657-2248

Mailing Address

MLK Jr. Drive
Suite 313, Floyd West Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-1530

Physical Address

315 West Tower, 2 MLK, Jr. Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30334-1530

START A GEORGIA LLC

Georgia Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Georgia:

  1. Visit the Georgia Corporations Division’s Business Search.
  2. Select “Starts With,” “Contains” or “Exact Match.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  4. Click “Search.”

The search will produce a list of all the registered businesses in Georgia that use the business name or keywords you entered.

Hawaii

Hawaii Department of Commerce

Contact Information

Voice: 808-586-2744

Fax: 808-586-2733

Email: Breg@dcca.hawaii.gov

Mailing Address

PO Box 40
Honolulu, Hawaii 96810

Physical Address

335 Merchant Street, Rm. 201
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

START A HAWAII LLC

Hawaii Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Hawaii:

  1. Visit the Hawaii Business Express search page.
  2. Select “Begins with” or “Contains.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Hawaii that use the business name or keywords you entered. You’ll also see the status of each company, such as whether it’s active or dissolved.

Idaho

Idaho Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 208-334-2301

Fax: 208-334-2080

Email: sosinfo@sos.idaho.gov

Mailing Address

PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0080

Physical Address

450 N. 4th Street
Boise, ID 83720-0080

START AN IDAHO LLC

Idaho Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Idaho:

  1. Visit the Idaho Secretary of State’s Business Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Search” box.
  3. Hit the “Enter” key or click the magnifying glass icon.

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Idaho that use the terms you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s in good standing or dissolved.

Illinois

Illinois Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 312-793-3380

Mailing Address

69 W. Washington, Suite 1240
Chicago, IL 60602

Physical Address

69 W. Washington, Suite 1240
Chicago, IL 60602

START AN ILLINOIS LLC

Illinois Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Illinois:

  1. Visit the Illinois Secretary of State’s Business Entity Search.
  2. Choose to search by name, keyword or partial word.
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Search” box and click “Continue.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Illinois that use the terms you entered in their business names.

Indiana

Indiana Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 317-232-6576

Fax: 317-233-3387

Mailing Address

302 W. Washington Street Room E-018
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Physical Address

302 W. Washington Street Room E-018
Indianapolis, IN 46204

START AN INDIANA LLC

Indiana Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Indiana:

  1. Visit the INBiz Business Search.
  2. Click “I’m not a robot.”
  3. Choose “Contains,” “Starts With” or “Exact Match.”
  4. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  5. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Indiana that include the terms you entered in their business names.

Iowa

Iowa Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 515-281-5204

Fax: 515-242-5953

Email: Sos@sos.state.ia.us

Mailing Address

First Floor, Lucas Building
321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319

Physical Address

First Floor, Lucas Building
321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319

START AN IOWA LLC

Iowa Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Iowa:

  1. Visit the Iowa Secretary of State’s Business Entities Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Iowa that use the words you entered in their business name.

Kansas

Kansas Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 785-296-4564

Email: Kssos@ks.gov

Mailing Address

Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594

Physical Address

Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594

START A KANSAS LLC

Kansas Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Kansas:

  1. Visit the Kansas Secretary of State’s Business Entities Search.
  2. Click “Name Availability.”
  3. Enter your exact business name in the search box.

You’ll see whether or not the name is available. If you want to see businesses with similar names, choose “Business Entity Database” instead of “Name Availability” and search by keyword.

Kentucky

Kentucky Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 502-564-3490

Fax: 502-564-4075

Mailing Address

Records Branch
PO Box 718
700 Capital Avenue, Suite 156
Frankfort, KY 40602

Physical Address

Records Branch
PO Box 718
700 Capital Avenue, Suite 156
Frankfort, KY 40602

START A KENTUCKY LLC

Kentucky Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Kentucky:

  1. Visit the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Business Entity Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the search box.
  3. Click “Continue.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Kentucky that use the words you entered in their business name.

Louisiana

Louisiana Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 225-925-4704

Fax: 225-922-0452

Email: commercial@sos.louisiana.gov

Mailing Address

P. O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Physical Address

8585 Archives Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

START A LOUISIANA LLC

Louisiana Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Louisiana:

  1. Visit the Louisiana Business Filings search page.
  2. Select “Search by Entity Name.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Louisiana with the words you entered in their business name. The system will return a maximum of 250 results, so you may need to narrow your search by adding or changing words.

Maine

Maine Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 207-624-7752

Fax: 207-287-5874

Email: cec.corporations@maine.gov

Mailing Address

Corporate Examining Section, Secretary of State
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101

Physical Address

Corporate Examining Section, Secretary of State
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101

START A MAINE LLC

Maine Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Maine:

  1. Visit the Maine Secretary of State’s Corporate Name Search.
  2. Enter the business name in the box labeled “keyword from name to be searched.”
  3. Click “Click Here to Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Maine with that keyword in their business name. The system will return a maximum of 100 results, so you may need to narrow your search by adding or changing words.

Maryland

Maryland Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 410-767-1340

Fax: 410-333-7097

Email: cec.corporations@maine.gov

Mailing Address

301 W. Preston Street; 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201-2395.

Physical Address

301 W. Preston Street; 8th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201-2395.

START A MARYLAND LLC

Maryland Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Maryland:

  1. Visit the Maryland Business Express Entity Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  3. Select “Search by Business Name.”
  4. Click “Search.”

The registered businesses in Maryland that use the words you entered in their business name will appear.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 617-727-9640

Fax: 617-742-4538

Email: corpinfo@sec.state.ma.us

Mailing Address

Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor
Boston, MA 02108

Physical Address

Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor
Boston, MA 02108

GET A MASSACHUSETTS LLC

Massachusetts Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Massachusetts:

  1. Visit the Corporation Division’s Business Entity Search.
  2. Select “Search by entity name.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the box.
  4. Select “Begins with,” “Exact match,” “Full text” or “Soundex” (a phonetic code that allows you to search for similar sounding words).
  5. Click “Search corporations.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Massachusetts that use the terms you entered in their business name.

Michigan

Michigan Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 517-241-6470

Fax: 517-241-0538

Email: corpsmail@michigan.gov

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 30054
Lansing, MI 48909

Physical Address

P.O. Box 30054
Lansing, MI 48909

START A MICHIGAN LLC

Michigan Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Michigan:

  1. Visit the Michigan Corporations Division’s business entity search.
  2. Choose “Search by Entity Name.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  4. Select “Begins with,” “Exact match,” “Full text” or “Soundex” (a phonetic code that allows you to search for similar sounding words).

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Michigan that use the words you entered in their business name.

Minnesota

Minnesota Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 651-296-2803

Fax: 651-297-7067

Email: business.services@state.mn.us

Mailing Address

332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201
St. Paul, MN  55101

Physical Address

332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201
St. Paul, MN  55101

START A MINNESOTA LLC

Minnesota Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Minnesota:

  1. Visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s business name search.
  2. Select “Business Name or File Number.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the search box, and click “Search.”

Below the search box, a list will appear with the registered businesses in Minnesota that use the words you entered in their business name.

Mississippi

Mississippi Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 601-359-1633

Fax: 601-359-1607

Mailing Address

700 North Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Physical Address

700 North Street
Jackson, MS 39202

START A MISSISSIPPI LLC

Mississippi Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Mississippi:

  1. Visit the Mississippi Business Services search page.
  2. Select “Starting With,” “All Words,” “Any Words,” “Sounds Like,” or “Exact Match.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  4. Click “Search.”

Under the search box will appear a list of names of Mississippi businesses that match the name and search criteria you entered. You’ll also see the status of each company, such as whether it’s in good standing or dissolved.

Missouri

Missouri Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 573-751-4153

Email: corporations@sos.mo.gov

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 778
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Physical Address

600 W Main St.
Missouri State Information Center, Room 322
Jefferson City, MO 65101-0778

START A MISSOURI LLC

Missouri Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Missouri:

  1. Visit Missouri’s Business Entity Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  3. Select “Starting With,” “All Words,” “Any Words,” or “Exact Match” (you can narrow your search down to active businesses by ticking the “Only Active Corporations” box.
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Missouri that match your search criteria.

Montana

Montana Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 406-444-3665

Fax: 406-444-3976

Email: sosbusiness@mt.gov

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 202801
Helena, MT 59620-2801

Physical Address

State Capitol, Room 260
1301 6th Avenue
Helena, MT 59620

START A MONTANA LLC

Montana Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Montana:

  1. Visit the Montana Business Search page.
  2. Click “Search Name Availability.”
  3. Choose either “Starts With” or “Contains.”
  4. Enter all or part of your business name in the box and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Montana that use the words you entered in their business name.

Nebraska

Nebraska Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 402-471-4079

Fax: 402-471-3666

Email: sos.corp@nebraska.gov

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 94608
Lincoln, NE 68509-4608

Physical Address

State Capitol Building, Room 1301
1445 K Street
Lincoln, NE 68508

START A NEBRASKA LLC

Nebraska Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Nebraska:

  1. Visit the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Corporate & Business Search.
  2. Select one of the following search options: “Name Starts With,” “Name Keyword Search,” “Name Sounds Like,” “Name Exact Match.” (You can also search by account number, but this is for looking for a specific business, not name availability.)
  3. Enter your business name or keyword in the “Name” box.
  4. Click “I’m not a robot.”
  5. Click “Perform Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Nebraska that use the terms you entered in their business name.

Nevada

Nevada Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 775-684-5708

Fax: 775-684-5724

Email: sosmail@sos.nv.gov

SilverFlume Support Email: support@nvsilverflume.gov

Mailing Address

202 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701

Physical Address

202 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701

START A NEVADA LLC

Nevada Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Nevada:

  1. Visit the Nevada SilverFlume Business Search.
  2. Choose “Starts With,” “Contains,” “Exact Match,” or “All Words.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Name” box. If your search returns more than 500 results, you’ll need to narrow your search by adding to or changing your name.
  4. Click “Search.”

The system will return a list of all the registered businesses in Nevada that use the terms you entered in their business name.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 603-271-3246

Fax: 775-684-5724

Mailing Address

Corporation Division
Department of State
107 N Main St.
Concord, NH 03301-4989

Physical Address

Corporation Division
Department of State
107 N Main St.
Concord, NH 03301-4989

GET A NEW HAMPSHIRE LLC

New Hampshire Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in New Hampshire:

  1. Visit the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Business Search.
  2. Select “Starts With,” “Exact Match,” “Contains,” or “All Words.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box. It may be useful to also tick the box that says “Show me similar sounding business names.”
  4. Complete the reCAPTCHA and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in New Hampshire that use the words you entered as part of their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s in good standing or dissolved.

New Jersey

New Jersey Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 609-292-9292

Fax: 609-984-6851

Mailing Address

Corporate Filing Unit
PO Box 308
Trenton, NJ 08646

Physical Address

Corporate Filing Unit
PO Box 308
Trenton, NJ 08646

START A NEW JERSEY LLC

New Jersey Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in New Jersey:

  1. Visit the New Jersey Business Records Service.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  3. Click “Continue.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in New Jersey that use the terms you entered in their business name.

New Mexico

New Mexico Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 800-477-3632

Fax: 505-827-4387

Mailing Address

325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Physical Address

325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300
Santa Fe, NM 87501

START A NEW MEXICO LLC

New Mexico Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in New Mexico:

  1. Visit the New Mexico Business Search.
  2. Select “Start With,” “Exact Match,” or “Contains.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name/DBA Name” box.
  4. Click “I’m not a robot.”
  5. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in New Mexico, divided into two sections: Corporations/LLCs and Partnerships/LLPs. Each search result is a business that uses the term you entered in their business name.

New York

New York Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 518-473-2492

Fax: 518-474-1418

Email: Corporations@dos.state.ny.us

Mailing Address

One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 600
Albany, NY 12231-0001

Physical Address

One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue, Suite 600
Albany, NY 12231-0001

START A NEW YORK LLC

New York Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in New York:

  1. Visit the New York Corporation and Business Entity Database.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  3. Select either “Active Only” businesses or “All” businesses.
  4. Choose “Begins With,” “Contains” or “Partial.”
  5. Complete the reCAPTCHA by typing the words or numbers you see in the image.
  6. Click “Search the Database.”

The system will produce a list of the registered businesses in New York that have the word or words you entered as all or part of their name.

North Carolina

North Carolina Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 919-807-2225

Fax: 919-807-2039

Email: corpinfo@sosnc.com

Mailing Address

PO Box 29622
Raleigh, NC 27626-0622

Physical Address

2 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2903

GET A NORTH CAROLINA LLC

North Carolina Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in North Carolina:

  1. Visit the North Carolina Secretary of State’s business search page.
  2. Under “Search By,” select “Company.
  3. Choose “Starting With,” “Any Words,” “All Words,” or “Exact.” There’s also an option to search by Secretary of State ID, but this is for finding specific businesses, not available names.
  4. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Search For” box.
  5. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in North Carolina that use the terms you entered as all or part of their business name.

North Dakota

North Dakota Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 701-328-4284

Fax: 701-328-2992

Email: corpinfo@sosnc.com

Mailing Address

600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 108, 1st Floor
Bismarck ND 58505-0500

Physical Address

600 E Boulevard Ave Dept 108, 1st Floor
Bismarck ND 58505-0500

START A NORTH DAKOTA LLC

North Dakota Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in North Dakota:

  1. Visit the North Dakota Secretary of State’s business search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  3. Choose you search criteria from the drop-down, deciding whether you want results with all of, any of, some of, or beginning with the words in your name.
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of the registered businesses in North Dakota that use all or part of the words you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s active and in good standing.

Ohio

Ohio Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 614-466-3910

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 250
Columbus, OH 43216

Physical Address

Business Services Division
180 E. Broad St., 16th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

START AN OHIO LLC

Ohio Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Ohio:

  1. Visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s business search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  3. Choose whether you want the results to include all businesses with your search term in their name or just active, canceled or “dead” businesses.
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of the registered businesses in Ohio that use the terms you entered in their business name.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 405-521-3912

Fax: 405-521-3771

Mailing Address

Business Filing Department
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4897

Physical Address

Business Filing Department
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4897

START AN OKLAHOMA LLC

Oklahoma Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Oklahoma:

  1. Visit the Oklahoma Business Entity Search Page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  3. Click “Search.”

Below will appear a list of registered businesses in Oklahoma that use the words you entered in their business name, as well as whether it’s the company’s legal name or trade name.

Oregon

Oregon Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 503-986-2200

Fax: 503-378-4381

Mailing Address

Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327

Physical Address

Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327

START AN OREGON LLC

Oregon Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Oregon:

  1. Visit the Oregon Secretary of State’s Find a Business page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the search box.
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of the registered businesses in Oregon that use the words you entered in their business name. You’ll also see whether the company is active or inactive.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 717-787-1057

Fax: 717-783-2244

Email: RA-CORPS@state.pa.us

Mailing Address

206 North Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Physical Address

206 North Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

START A PENNSYLVANIA LLC

Pennsylvania Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Pennsylvania:

  1. Visit the Pennsylvania Department of State Business Search.
  2. Enter part of all of your business name in the “Business Entity Name/ID” box.
  3. Choose your type of search from the drop-down (“starting with,” “all words,” “any words,” etc.).
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of the registered businesses in Pennsylvania that use the words you entered in their business name.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 401-222-3040

Fax: 401-222-3879

Email: corporations@sos.ri.gov

Mailing Address

Corporations Division
148 W. River Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02904-2615

Physical Address

Corporations Division
148 W. River Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02904-2615

START A RHODE ISLAND LLC

Rhode Island Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Rhode Island:

  1. Visit the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s business search page.
  2. Select “Search by entity name.”
  3. Enter part of all your business name in the “Enter Name” box.
  4. Select your search type: “begins with,” “exact match,” “full text,” “Soundex” or “inactive.” (Soundex is a phonetic algorithim.)
  5. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of the registered businesses in Rhode Island that use all or part of the business name you entered.

South Carolina

South Carolina Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 803-734-2158

Fax: 803-734-1614

Mailing Address

Corporations Division
P.O. Box 11350
Columbia, SC 29211

Physical Address

Edgar Brown Building
1205 Pendleton Street Suite 525
Columbia, SC 29201

START A NORTH DAKOTA LLC

South Carolina Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in South Carolina:

  1. Visit the South Carolina Secretary of State’s business search page.
  2. Select “Begins with,” “Contains” or “Exact Match.”
  3. Enter part of all of your business name in the “Search by Business Name” box.
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in South Carolina that use the words you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business (such as whether it’s in good standing or dissolved), the type of entity, and their date and state of incorporation.

South Dakota

South Dakota Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 605-773-4845

Fax: 605-773-4550

Mailing Address

500 East Capitol Avenue Ste. 204
Pierre, SD 57501-5070

Physical Address

500 East Capitol Avenue Ste. 204
Pierre, SD 57501-5070

START A SOUTH DAKOTA LLC

South Dakota Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in South Dakota:

  1. Visit the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Business Information Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Search Name” box.
  3. Choose either “Starts With” or “Contains” and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in South Dakota that use the words you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s in good standing or dissolved.

Tennessee

Tennessee Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 615-741-2286

Email: business.services@tn.gov

Mailing Address

Corporate Filings
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
6th Floor, Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243-1102

Physical Address

Corporate Filings
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
6th Floor, Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243-1102

START A TENNESSEE LLC

Tennessee Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Tennessee:

  1. Visit the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Business Entity Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Search Name” box.
  3. Choose either “Starts With” or “Contains.”
  4. Click “I’m not a robot.”
  5. Click “Search.”

Below, you’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Tennessee that use the terms you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s in active or inactive.

Texas

Texas Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 512-463-5555

Email: Corpinfo@sos.state.tx.us

Mailing Address

Corporations Section
Secretary of State
P.O. Box 13697
Austin, Texas 78711

Physical Address

Corporations Section
Secretary of State
1019 Brazos
Austin, Texas 78701

START A TEXAS LLC

Texas Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Texas:

To conduct a search through the Texas Secretary of State, you’re required to first make an SOSDirect account or use a temporary login. With either method, you are charged $1 per name search. Although not as thorough, some people opt to do a taxable entity search through the Texas Comptroller, which is free. Both methods are described below.

Secretary of State

  1. Create an SOS Direct account or a one-time temporary login (both require contact info and credit card information).
  2. Enter your business name and click “Continue.” to
  3. Enter your address, phone number, email (and password if creating an account).
  4. Enter credit card information—note that your card will automatically be charged $1 to authenticate it, but this $1 will be refunded within 24 hours.
  5. Accept the user agreement. For accounts, you will be emailed your user ID, at which point you can visit the Texas Secretary of State’s page and click on the “SoSDirect” icon, and enter your user name and password. You’ll then see another page where you can choose your payment method and verify contact information.
  6. Select “Name Availability Search.” Each search is $1. This fee is waived if you order any filings. The search will let you know if your name is used by any business on file with the Secretary of State.

Comptroller

  1. Visit the Texas Taxable Entity Search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Entity Name” box.
  3. Click “I’m not a robot” and “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the taxable entities in Texas (such as domestic or foreign corporations, LLCs or LPs) that use the words you entered in their business name. If you receive too many results, you’ll have to narrow your search by adding or changing words.

Utah

Utah Division of Corporations

Contact Information

Voice: 801-530-4849

Fax: 801-530-6438

Mailing Address

160 East 300 South, 2nd Floor
Box 146705
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6705

Physical Address

160 East 300 South, 2nd Floor
Box 146705
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6705

START A UTAH LLC

Utah Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Utah:

  1. Visit the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code’s Business Search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Utah that use the words you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s active or expired.

Vermont

Vermont Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 802-828-2386

Fax: 802-828-2853

Mailing Address

81 River Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1104

Physical Address

81 River Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1104

START A VERMONT LLC

Vermont Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Vermont:

  1. Visit the Vermont Corporation Division’s business search page.
  2. Select “Starts With,” “Exact Match,” or “Contains.”
  3. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box. You can also tick the box that says “show me similar sounding business names.”
  4. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Vermont that have business names that match your search criteria. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s active, inactive, expired, dissolved, or terminated.

Virginia

Virginia Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 804-371-9733

Email: sccinfo@scc.virginia.gov

Mailing Address

Office of the Clerk
P.O. Box 1197
Richmond, Virginia 23218

Physical Address

Tyler Building
1300 E. Main St.
Richmond, Virginia 23219

START A VIRGINIA LLC

Virginia Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Virginia:

  1. Visit the Virginia Corporations Commission Business Entity Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the box next to “Enter Business Entity Name or SCC ID.”
  3. Select “Keyword,” “Starts With,” or “Contains” and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Virginia that use the words you entered in their business name.

For just a yes or no on whether a name is distinguishable in the state, visit the Name Check Availability page.  Enter your exact name in the box, and click “Check Name.”

Washington

Washington Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 360-725-0377

Fax: 360-664-8781

Mailing Address

PO Box 40234
Olympia, WA 98504-0234

Physical Address

801 Capitol Way South
Olympia, WA 98504

START A WASHINGTON LLC

Washington Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Washington:

  1. Visit the Washington Corporations and Charities filing page.
  2. Scroll down past the customer login to the box that says “Corporation Search.”
  3. Select “Contains,” “Begins With,” or “Exact Match” for your search term.
  4. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Business Name” box.
  5. Click “Search.”

On a new screen, you’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Washington that use the terms your entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s active, inactive or dissolved.

West Virginia

West Virginia Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 304-558-8000

Fax: 304-558-8381

Email: business@wvsos.com

Mailing Address

PO Box 40234
Olympia, WA 98504-0234

Physical Address

801 Capitol Way South
Olympia, WA 98504

START A WEST VIRGINIA LLC

West Virginia Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in West Virginia:

  1. Visit the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Business Organization Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Organization” box.
  3. Click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in West Virginia that use the keywords you entered in their business name. You can organize the results by organization name, DBA, name change, and registrations and reservations.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 608-266-8888

Fax: 304-558-8381

Mailing Address

P O Box 7846
Madison, WI, 53707-7846

Physical Address

345 W. Washington Ave., 3rd Floor,
Madison WI, 53703

START A WISCONSIN LLC

Wisconsin Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Wisconsin:

  1. Visit the Wisconsin Corporate Records Search page.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the search box.
  3. Click “Search Records.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Wisconsin that use the words you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each company, such as whether it’s organized, incorporated, withdrawn or dissolved.

Wyoming

Wyoming Secretary Of State

Contact Information

Voice: 307-777-7311

Fax: 307-777-5339

Email: Corporations@state.wy.us

Mailing Address

Herschler Building East
122 West 25th Street
Suite 101
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0020

Physical Address

Herschler Building East
122 West 25th Street
Suite 101
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0020

START A WYOMING LLC

Wyoming Business Name Search

How to do a business name search in Wyoming:

  1. Visit the Wyoming Business Center Business Entity Search.
  2. Enter all or part of your business name in the “Filing Name” box.
  3. Choose either “Starts With” or “Contains, and click “Search.”

You’ll see a list of all the registered businesses in Wyoming that use the keywords you entered in their business name. You’ll also see the status of each business, such as whether it’s active or inactive.

USA

Contact Information

Voice: 1-800-786-9199

Email: usptoinfo@uspto.gov

Physical Address

United States Patent and Trademark Office
Department of Commerce
600 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Trade and Service Mark Search

Perform a USPTO trademark or service mark search:

  1. Visit the USPTO Trademark Search page.
  2. Select “Word Mark” from the list of search options.
  3. Type your search term. (You may optionally refine the search to specific goods or services).
  4. Press “Enter” or click the magnifying glass icon.

You’ll see a list of entries if the search term is or was in use. For instance, if you enter “Northwest Registered” as your search term, you’ll find our live service mark for Northwest Registered Agent LLC.

You may filter your search results to “Live” (registered or pending) or “Dead” (abandoned or cancelled) marks. You can also optionally filter your results for specific trademark class numbers.

The site notes that even if your search suggests your potential mark has no “likelihood of confusion” with others, this is not a guarantee that your application will be approved by the USPTO. Also, not every trademark is registered with the USPTO, so many businesses opt to consult a trademark attorney for additional assistance.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy