Name Check
Naming a new business is a step that should be given careful consideration. A name helps customers find and remember your company and to tell them what your company does. Given the prevalence of online commerce today, business owners are often thinking about a website and potential website address when they are naming their companies. Another factor to consider is whether your desired company name is available in your intended state of formation.
The name of a corporation, limited liability company (LLC), limited partnership (LP), limited liability partnership (LLP) or nonprofit corporation must be distinguishable on the records of the state government. If the name is not unique, the state will reject the company’s formation documents.
For more information on selecting a name for your business, and state requirements for names, refer to our state specific pages..
Pricing
To ensure that your company's name is available in your state of formation, BizFilings includes a preliminary Name Check as a part of our all of our formation services as well as our foreign qualification service. BizFilings also offers Name Checks as a stand-alone item for a fee of $25.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a name check?
A. A name check is performed by BizFilings in your intended state of formation to as an initial step to ensure that your desired company name is available in that state.
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Q. Why is performing a name check crucial to formation?
A.The name check typically prevents state rejections due to name availability and ultimately, speeds the process of the formation.
Please note: the name check performed before your formation documents are submitted to the state is a preliminary check. Final approval is granted by the state upon review of your business purpose and acceptance of your formation documents.
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Q. Where is the name check completed?
A. BizFilings’ experienced name check department contacts the appropriate state department before we send your formation documents to the state.
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Q. How long does a name check take?
A. Name checks are typically completed within 24 hours after we receive your order.
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Q. What happens if my name is not available?
A. BizFilings requires two name choices on our formation order form. If both of the names you have requested are not available, BizFilings’ team will contact you for additional name options. Providing BizFilings with two name options when you place your order not only helps to secure a name choice but also helps eliminate any delay in the processing of your order.
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Q. Can you provide some guidelines for naming my company?
A. Choose the name of your company carefully. It is very important that you portray the image you want for your new company. Legally, the name you select must not be "deceptively similar" to any existing corporation, limited liability company (LLC), limited partnership (LP), limited liability partnership (LLP) or nonprofit corporation formed in that state or must be "distinguishable on the record" of your state.
Additionally, the name you choose usually must show your business entity type. Most states require that the company name be followed by a specific ending such as "Corporation", "Incorporated", or an abbreviation such as "Inc." or "Corp" for corporations or "Limited Liability Company" or the abbreviation of LLC for LLCs. These requirements vary by state. Check our state specific page for your intended state of formation for more details.
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Q. In what situations would someone need to order a name check apart from a formation package?
A. Name check can be useful in other situations such as, prior to filing a name change amendment or before filing a name reservation for a company which you intend to form, but are not yet ready to do so at this time.
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