A free LLC name check has three parts, not one: your Secretary of State’s business database, the USPTO’s federal trademark search, and a quick look at domains and social handles. All three are free, all three are online, and together they take under an hour. Skipping any of them is how new businesses end up rebranding after launch.
Search Your State’s Business Database
Every state maintains a searchable database of registered business entities, and nearly all of them are free to use online. You’ll find yours on the Secretary of State’s website, or in some states the Department of Revenue or Corporation Commission. California’s tool, for example, lets you search corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships and check whether a proposed name is distinguishable from what’s already on file.1Secretary of State. California Business Search
Most tools offer two modes. Use both. An exact-match search tells you whether the specific name you want is already registered. A keyword or “contains” search pulls up any entity with your key terms anywhere in its name, which is what surfaces the near-misses a state examiner will flag. Run alternate spellings and sound-alike variations while you’re there.
Watch the status column. “Active” means the name is taken. “Dissolved” or “inactive” may look like an opening, but don’t grab it. Some states hold dissolved names for a period before releasing them, and the prior owner may still hold common-law rights. Treat any hit as a yellow flag worth a second look.
What Counts as an Available Name
State agencies don’t just block exact duplicates. They apply a distinguishability standard, and the bar sits lower than most first-time filers expect. Cosmetic tweaks won’t clear it.
Things that do not make your name distinguishable from an existing one:
- Punctuation and special characters. “Mission: Mars” and “Mission Mars” are the same name once commas, periods, hyphens, and exclamation marks are stripped out.2Arizona Corporation Commission. Determining Distinguishability of Entity Names
- Capitalization. “CRAZY cat” and “Crazy Cat” read as identical to the state.2Arizona Corporation Commission. Determining Distinguishability of Entity Names
- Leading articles. Adding “The,” “A,” or “An” doesn’t create a new name.2Arizona Corporation Commission. Determining Distinguishability of Entity Names
- Entity designators. “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “Limited Liability Company,” “Inc.,” and “Corp.” are required identifiers, not distinguishing features. “Fox Co.” doesn’t clear “Fox LLC.”2Arizona Corporation Commission. Determining Distinguishability of Entity Names
- Swapping one entity type for another. “Mo Money LLC” and “Mo Money Corp.” would both be blocked if either exists.3Iowa Secretary of State. Understanding Name Availability in Iowa
Focus your search on the core distinctive words. If those words already appear together, in the same order, on an active registration, expect a rejection regardless of what surrounds them. Phonetic similarity can trigger a rejection too, so a name that sounds like an existing one when spoken aloud is at risk even if the spelling differs.
Words That Need Extra Approval or Are Off-Limits
A name can also fail because of the words in it, not just because someone else already has it.
Federal law bars businesses from names that falsely suggest a connection to a government agency or federally regulated institution. Under 18 U.S.C. ยง 709, words like “National,” “Federal,” “United States,” “Reserve,” and “Deposit Insurance” can’t be used in the name of a banking, insurance, or trust business unless federal law specifically permits it. The statute also prohibits falsely implying affiliation with the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, or the National Credit Union Administration.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 18 – 709
State rules add another layer. Words tied to regulated industries often require proof that you’re actually licensed to operate in that field. “Bank,” “trust,” “credit union,” “insurance,” and “university” are the usual triggers. Depending on the state, you may need a letter from the relevant licensing board or a copy of your professional license before the Secretary of State will accept the filing. Some states go further; Alabama, for example, prohibits any word or phrase implying you’re engaged in a business you’re not legally authorized to pursue.
Why the State Database Isn’t the Whole Check
Your state’s database covers only entities registered in that state. It tells you nothing about federal trademarks, businesses registered elsewhere, or unregistered names carrying common-law trademark rights. Clearing the state list and stopping there is how filers end up with cease-and-desist letters after they’ve printed business cards.
Run a Free Federal Trademark Search
The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends checking your proposed name against the federal trademark database maintained by the USPTO, because businesses in every state are subject to trademark infringement claims.5U.S. Small Business Administration. Choose Your Business Name The search is free at tmsearch.uspto.gov.6USPTO. Trademark Search
Start with a basic word mark search using your proposed name. Then widen it: common misspellings, phonetic variants, partial matches with wildcards. Look at the goods-and-services classification on each hit. A matching name registered for restaurant services may not conflict with your software consulting LLC, but a match in your industry is a serious problem.
A federal trademark beats a state business registration. If someone owns a federal mark on “Blue Sky” for your industry and you register “Blue Sky LLC” with your state, the trademark holder can force you to stop using the name entirely. Rebranding after you’ve launched a website and signed contracts under the old name gets expensive fast.
Check the Domain and Social Handles
A name that’s legally available but taken as a .com creates practical problems. Before you commit, search the domain through any registrar and see whether the name (or a clean version of it) is free on the social platforms your business will use. Matching your legal name, domain, and handles makes the business easier to find and harder to confuse with someone else’s.
If the Name Is Taken: The DBA Option
If the name you want is registered at the state level, or if you’d rather operate under something different from your LLC’s legal name, you can register a DBA, also called a fictitious name or assumed name. A DBA lets your LLC do business publicly under a different name without forming a new entity.
Requirements vary. In Pennsylvania, any entity conducting business under a name other than its registered legal name must file a fictitious name registration with the Department of State, providing the fictitious name, a description of the business, the principal place of business, and the name of each entity or individual involved.7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Fictitious Names
Know the limits. A DBA does not create a separate legal entity, does not add liability protection beyond what your LLC already has, and does not give you exclusive rights to the name.7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Fictitious Names It also doesn’t change how the business is taxed. It’s a label, not a structure. DBAs are also useful when you expand into another state where your legal name is already taken; you’d typically register under a fictitious name there rather than changing your LLC’s legal name everywhere.
Reserving the Name Before You File
Once your searches come up clean, you may not be ready to file Articles of Organization the same week. A name reservation holds the name while you finalize funding, draft an operating agreement, or handle other pre-launch work.
The application asks for the proposed LLC name exactly as it should appear on your future formation documents, the type of entity you plan to form, and the applicant’s full legal name and mailing address.8Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 501 – Instructions for Application for Reservation or Renewal of Reservation of an Entity Name Most states accept reservations online or by mail; online is faster. Georgia processes online reservations in about 7 business days and paper filings in roughly 15.9Georgia.gov. Reserve a Business Name with Georgia Secretary of State
Reservation periods commonly run 60 to 120 days. New York grants 60 days with the option to extend twice for another 60 days each time.10New York Department of State. Application for Reservation of Name for Domestic and Foreign Limited Liability Companies Texas sets it at 120 days with renewal available in the 30 days before expiration.8Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 501 – Instructions for Application for Reservation or Renewal of Reservation of an Entity Name Fees generally fall between $10 and $35 depending on the state and method; Georgia charges $25 online or $35 by mail.9Georgia.gov. Reserve a Business Name with Georgia Secretary of State They’re typically nonrefundable whether or not the name is approved.
If a reservation lapses before you file, the name returns to the pool. You’d need to file a fresh reservation and pay again, and you can’t renew a reservation for a name that has already been used to complete a formation.11Alabama Secretary of State. Name Reservation Renewal Request Form
Free Name Check Checklist
- Search your Secretary of State’s free database with both exact-match and keyword searches, plus alternate spellings and phonetic variants.
- Search the USPTO’s free tool at tmsearch.uspto.gov for matching or similar marks in your industry.
- Check whether the matching .com (and any other extensions you want) is available.
- Confirm the name is free on the social platforms your business will use.
- Confirm the name doesn’t include words that require professional licensing or government approval in your state.
These searches are free and add up to less than an hour. That’s a small investment against the cost of starting over with a new name after you’ve already built your brand around the old one.