Business Name Search · Free · 50 states + DC · verified 2026-09-08
Is my business name available? Check the official state records.
Free LLC name check for all 50 states and DC, official state search links verified . Type the name, pick the state. We check it for the required LLC designator and for words that are often restricted, then open the state’s own search, prefilled where the state allows it. Availability is decided by the state in its records, not by us, and that is where you read the answer.
| Question | Who decides | The rule | What this page does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the name available? | The state’s business-records agency | The name must be distinguishable from every entity already on that state’s records, by that state’s own standard | Opens the official search, prefilled where the URL allows it; prints no verdict |
| Does it need “LLC”? | Every state | LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company are accepted everywhere; 15 states publish further accepted forms | Checks the designator against the universal list plus the state’s verified extras |
| Can I use “bank” or “trust”? | The state, often with a licensing agency | Words that imply a regulated business or institution usually need approval or a licence first | Flags bank, trust, insurance, university, college, engineer, attorney as often restricted |
| Can I hold the name? | The state, for a fee | Most states offer a paid reservation for a fixed term; verified so far: Delaware $75 for 120 days, New York $20 for 60 days, Texas $40 for 120 days | Shows fee and term only where verified against the state’s own source; otherwise links to it |
| Is the brand protected? | The USPTO, separately | A clean state search says nothing about trademarks; rights are federal and nationwide | Links the USPTO search and the domain finder next to every result |
Rules summarised from the per-state directory this tool uses (data/sos-name-search.json: agency, official search URL, verified designators and reservation facts, each row dated 2026-09-08 with its source). Trademark line: USPTO trademark search.
Counts from data/sos-name-search.json, verified 2026-09-08 against each agency’s own site. Designator sources are the state statute or filing form linked on each state page.
The checker
Type the name, pick the state, read the answer at the source
The designator check runs in your browser. For Colorado, Connecticut, DC, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania, a live check also sends the name to that state’s open records. We don’t keep it unless you email it to yourself. Include the designator you plan to use, for example “LLC”. Each state checks names only against its own records, so pick the state where you will form or register.
We never say a name is free. The checker fixes the form of the name and takes you to the agency whose records decide. Educational, sourced reference information; not legal advice.
What a clean search does not tell you
Six things the state search leaves out
An empty result on the state site is a snapshot, not a grant. These are the parts of a business name the search never touches, and the checker links the right place for each one.
Distinguishable is the state’s word, not yours
Most states ignore punctuation, spacing, case and the designator when they compare names. “Blue Heron Roasting LLC” and “Blue-Heron Roasting, L.L.C.” are usually the same name. Search the core words, not just the exact spelling.
The designator is not optional
Articles without an accepted LLC designator are rejected before the name is even compared. LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company work everywhere; 15 states publish more forms, and the checker uses the state’s own list when you pick it.
Some words need a licence first
Bank, trust, insurance, university, college, engineer and attorney are the common ones. A state can show the name as open and still bounce the filing until the regulator signs off. The checker flags them so you ask before you file.
A reservation holds; it does not form
Where a state offers one, a reservation parks the name for a fixed term for a fee, verified so far at $20 to $75 for 60 to 120 days. It expires. Only accepted articles make the name yours. See your state’s reservation facts.
Trademarks are a separate search
The state compares entity names inside its own borders. Trademark rights are federal and can block a name the state happily accepts. Run the USPTO search before you print anything, and consider counsel if the brand will matter beyond one state.
Registries and registrars never talk
A name that is open at the Secretary of State can be gone as a domain, and the reverse. The domain finder sits next to every result so you check both before you commit.
After the search
Three moves that make the name stick
- File the articlesThe name becomes yours when the state accepts them, not when a search comes back empty. We file from $123.75 plus the state fee, quoted live before you pay, with the documents in your vault when it is done. Form my LLC. Not sure an LLC is the right entity for it? The free structure quiz matches you to an LLC, a trust or both in 7 questions.
- Take the domain the same dayOpen the domain finder while the state result is fresh; a name that is open in the registry and taken online is a rebrand waiting to happen.
- Name the registered agent on the articlesEvery state wants an in-state agent on the record. Ours puts a staffed street address on the filing and every notice in your dashboard for $74.25 a year. See agent service.
Your state, on its own page
The agency, the official search and the designator rule, per state
Each state page carries the agency, the direct official search, the designator rule, reservation facts where verified, and what the state asks for after the name. All states on one page.
FAQ
Questions people ask before they file a name
Does this tool tell me if my business name is available?
No, and no third-party tool can. Availability is decided by the state’s own records against its own distinguishability rules. This page checks the form of the name and opens the official search, prefilled where possible; the answer is read there.
Why does the name need “LLC” in it?
Every state requires an LLC’s legal name to carry a designator that tells the public what kind of entity it is. LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company are accepted everywhere; some states publish further accepted forms, and the state pages list them where we have verified the source.
Which words are restricted in a business name?
It varies by state, which is why this page flags rather than rules. Words that imply a regulated business or an institution, such as bank, trust, insurance, university, college, engineer or attorney, commonly need agency approval or a licence. Confirm with the state before filing a name that includes one.
What does “distinguishable” mean?
Each state compares a proposed name to the names already on its records and rejects one that is not distinguishable by its own standard. Most states disregard punctuation, spacing, capitalisation and the entity designator, so “Blue Heron Roasting LLC” and “Blue-Heron Roasting, L.L.C.” usually count as the same name. Search the core words at the state site, not only the exact spelling.
Should I reserve the name or just file?
Most people file the articles straight away, since forming the LLC is what secures the name. Reserve when partners, funding or paperwork will take longer than the state’s reservation window. Where we have verified a state’s fee and term, the tool shows them with the source; otherwise it links to the state’s page.
Can I check the name in every state at once?
No single official search covers every state; each agency keeps its own records. Check the state where you will form first, then any state where you plan to register the LLC later, because that state runs its own name check at registration. The by-state hub links every official search on one page.
Does a clean state search mean the name is safe to brand?
No. The state check covers entity names in that state only. Trademark rights are separate: search the USPTO database linked in the results, and consider a trademark attorney if the brand will matter beyond one state.
Is this legal advice?
No. Vermilion Vitez is a filing-services company, not a law firm. Everything here is educational, sourced reference information; the official state site or a professional is the final word.
Name checked? File it before someone else does.
The search tells you the name is open today. Only the accepted articles make it yours.
Or call (954) 470-8356. We pick up.