Register Your Business Name: State Resources

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last updated June 11, 2018

If you're considering opening a small business, there are a number of different issues you will need to consider, including choosing the proper business name for your new venture. Each state has its own requirements for choosing, registering, and doing business under a particular business name. With the differing rules and regulations in each state, it's important to make sure you research the laws and know the requirements.

FindLaw has done the legwork for you. We've put together a handy state resources chart for registering your business name in 50 states, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Here you'll find links to the different Secretary of State offices throughout the country and more.

Alabama	Business Entity Search: From the Alabama Secretary of State. Offers information on searching active and inactive names of corporations qualified to transact business in Alabama; Alabama Name Reservation: From the Alabama Secretary of State. Offers information on reserving a name for a "for-profit" corporation
Alaska	Alaska Corporation Search: From the Corporations Section of the Department of Community and Economic Development; Reserving or Registering a Business Name in Alaska: From the Corporations Section of the Department of Community and Economic Development
Arizona	Registered Name Information Search From the Arizona Secretary of State: Search for registered names of Partnerships, Trade names and Trademarks on file with the Secretary of State, as well as Corporations and Limited Liability Companies on file with the Corporations Division of the Corporation Commission; Corporate Name Search From the Corporations Division of the Arizona Corporation Commission. Search for names of Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, as well as Partnerships, Trade names and Trademarks on file with the Secretary of State. Trade Names and Trademarks Handbook [PDF] From the Arizona Secretary of State. Search for registered names.
Arkansas	Business Entity Search: From the Arkansas Secretary of State. Trademarks Search: From the Arkansas Secretary of State. A Doing-Business-As (DBA) Certificate is required for any sole proprietorship or general partnership operating under a fictitious name or names other than the owners. To do a business name search for a sole proprietorship or partnership, contact the county clerk's office in the county where the business is located.
California	California Business Search: From the Secretary of State. Search for California corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies currently registered with the Secretary of State. Corporation Name Availability: From the Secretary of State. Offers information on checking the availability of a company name, reserving a corporate name, and more. You must contact the city and/or county clerk and/or recorder where the principal place of business is located for information regarding filing or registering fictitious business names.
Colorado	Business Name Search: From the Colorado Secretary of State. Search for names of corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships and limited liability limited partnerships. Trade Name Search: From Colorado Department of Revenue. Search trade names (or DBAs "doing business as") of sole proprietorships and general partnerships registered with the Department of Revenue; Trade Name Registration: From the Colorado Secretary of State.
Connecticut	Concord database: From Connecticut Secretary of the State. Search for the names of LLCs, LLPs, LPs, and corporations that are registered.
Delaware	Name Availability Search: From the Delaware Secretary of State. Check the status of any entity registered in the state of Delaware. DBA's or Doing-Business-As names are registered in the Prothonotary's office in the county in which you are doing business.
District of Columbia	Business License Verification: Search From the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs: LSDBE Certified Contractors: From the Office of Local Business Development. Search a database of all certified local, small, and disadvantaged business enterprises; Register a Business From the Government of the District of Columbia. General information about different registration processes for partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies; Apply for a Basic Business License From the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Florida	Corporate/LP/LLC Search by Name: From the Florida Dept. of State Division of Corporations; Fictitious Name Inquiry: From the Florida Dept. of State Division of Corporations; Fictitious Name Registration: From the Florida Dept. of State Division of Corporations.
Georgia	Search Corporate Database: From the Georgia Secretary of State; Trademark & Service Mark Database; Online Business Reservation: From the Georgia Secretary of State.
Hawaii	Business Name Search: From the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
Idaho	Search For Business Entities: From the Idaho Secretary of State. Also includes Assumed Business Names (DBAs); Idaho Business Registration System
Illinois	Corporation/LLC Search: From the Illinois Secretary of State.
Indiana	Business Services: From the Indiana Secretary of State. Offers business entity name search and check name availability services online.
Iowa	Iowa Secretary of State Corporation Search: From the Iowa Secretary of State.
Kansas	Corporation Searches: From the Information Network of Kansas.
Kentucky	Business Name Availability Search: From the Kentucky Secretary of State.
Louisiana	Corporations Database: From the Louisiana Secretary of State..
Maine	Search Corporate Names: From the Maine Secretary of State.
Maryland	Corporate Charter: From the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Information about corporations in Maryland: Maryland Trade Name Search: Start a Business: Name Your Business From the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development.
Massachusetts	Search For Business Entities: From the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Corporations: About Name Reservations From the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Massachusetts Counties, Cities and Towns.
Michigan	Search For Business Entities: From the Michigan Corporation Division
Minnesota	Business Name Search: From the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State.
Mississippi	Business Services: From the Mississippi Office of the Secretary of State.
Missouri	Search for a Business Entity: From the Missouri Office of the Secretary of State.
Montana	Search for a Business Entity: From the Montana Office of the Secretary of State.
Nebraska	Corporate And Business Entity Searches: From the Nebraska Secretary of State.
Nevada	Search by Corporation Name: From the Nevada Secretary of State.
New Hampshire	Business Name Lookup: From the New Hampshire Secretary of State
New Jersey	Business Name Search: From the New Jersey Dept. of Revenue; Business Entity Name Availability Check & Reservation - Registration Service New Jersey Business Gateway Services. Fee required.
New Mexico	New Mexico Corporation Registry: From the New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State.
New York	Corporation and Business Entity Database: From the New York Department of State. Includes businesses and not for profit corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships and more.
North Carolina	Search Corporations by Name: From the North Carolina Secretary of State.
North Dakota	Business Record Search: From the North Dakota Secretary of State; North Dakota Small Business Development Center (NDSBC); New Business Registration: From the State of North Dakota.
Ohio	Business Search by Name: From the Ohio Secretary of State: Guide to Name Availability: From the Ohio Secretary of State: Information for Businesses: From the Ohio Department of Development, Office of Small Business. This page links you to some of the government services and information you need as a business of the State of Ohio, including the Business Names Search.
Oklahoma	Business Name Availability Search: From the Oklahoma Secretary of State; Trademark Search: From the Oklahoma Secretary of State; Application for Reservation of Name [PDF] From the Oklahoma Secretary of State; Oklahoma Statute Title 54 § 81: Regarding Fictitious Business Names.
Oregon	Business Name Search: From the Oregon Secretary of State; Reserving a Name: From the Oregon Business Guide; Assumed Business Name Registration: From the Oregon Business Guide; Oregon Revised Statute, Chapter 648: Assumed Business Names From the Legislative Counsel Committee of the Oregon Legislative Assembly; Oregon Small Business Development Center.
Pennsylvania	Corporation Records Search From the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau; Name Availability: Information From the Pennsylvania Department of State Corporation Bureau; Choosing a Business Name: FAQs From Pennsylvania Open for Business; Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center; How do I obtain a domain name for my business?: From the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center.
Puerto Rico	Business Name Search: Puerto Rico Secretary of State (SOS) Business Entity And Corporation Search: Doing Business in Puerto Rico.
Rhode Island	Corporation Search: From the Rhode Island Secretary of State Corporation Bureau; How do I determine if an entity name is available for use? From the Rhode Island Secretary of State; Rhode Island Statute 7-1.1: Business Corporations From the State of Rhode Island; Rhode Island Cities & Towns: From the State of Rhode Island.
South Carolina	Corporation Name Search: From the South Carolina Secretary of State; Business Registration: From the South Carolina Business One Stop: South Carolina Cities and Towns: From the South Carolina Information Highway
South Dakota	Corporation Name Search: From the South Dakota Secretary of State; Name Availability Information: From the South Dakota Secretary of State; South Dakota Cities and Towns.
Tennessee	Business Name Availability Search: From the Tennessee Secretary of State; Name Availability Guidelines [PDF]: From the Tennessee Secretary of State; How do I register my business name?: From Tennessee Small Business Development Center; Tennessee Counties From the State of Tennessee
Texas	Corporate Name Search: From the Texas Secretary of State. You may login as a temporary user for searching only; Trademark Information - Where to Find Business Names From the University of Texas Libraries'; Why file an assumed name certificate? From North Texas Small Business Development Center; County Clerk Offices: From the Texas Secretary of State
U.S. Virgin Islands	Business Entity And Corporation Search: From the Virgin Islands Secretary of State (SOS)
Utah	Business Entity Search: From the Utah Department of Commerce.
Vermont	Business Name Search: From the Vermont Secretary of State; Business Name Rules: From the Vermont Secretary of State; Business Name Reservation: From the Vermont Secretary of State; Register a Trade Name: From the Vermont Secretary of State; Start a Vermont Business: From the Vermont Secretary fo State.
Virginia	Business Name Search: From the Virginia State Corporation Commission
Washington	Corporation Records Search: From the Washington Secretary of State; Registering Your Business: From Washington State Department of Revenue; Trade Name Registration: From State of Washington Business Licensing Service; Washington Cities and Towns: From Municipal Research & Services Center.
West Virginia	Company Registration Records Search: From the West Virginia Secretary of State Corporations Division; West Virginia Counties: From West Virginia Web.
Wisconsin	Corporate Registration Research Search: From Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions; Corporation Name FAQs From Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions; Name Availability Guide; From Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions; Where can I register my business name? From the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center; List of County Registrars From the Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association. The Register of Deeds in each county has a "Registration of Firm Name" application, a voluntary process to register sole proprietorships and general partnership business names; Trade Names and Trademarks: From the Wisconsin Secretary of State.
Wyoming	Public Access to Corporations: From the Wyoming Secretary of State. Check the status of any entity registered in the state of Wyoming.

Hiring a Business and Commercial Law Expert

State business name laws are constantly changing and require intensive legal research. Contacting a business and commercial lawyer is your best course of action, as well as conducting exhaustive legal research to verify that you are following all the procedures to register your business name. A local attorney can help protect you and your business interests.

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