Recently one of my startup business clients asked me, “Does my LLC name have to match my business name or website name? Many entrepreneurs are confused about LLC names. To help you, I have compiled advice from attorneys and startup experts to answer your LLC name questions.
Your LLC name does NOT have to BE your business name or MATCH your website name. Your LLC name is your company’s legal entity name while your business name is your brand name to market to your customers. However, you WILL need to include the designation LLC in your business name on your State business registration application.
Read on to learn if your LLC name needs to be included in your business name, what are the legal requirements for LLC names, and also if you should add your LLC name to your business cards or website.
How to Name Your LLC: Legal Regulations & Rules
Every US State has slightly different rules regarding LLC names, however, these legal regulations and rules are common to the majority of States.
State differences tend to be slight such as allowing different abbreviations for LLC such as; L.L.C. or L.C. Some states list more disallowed professional terms if unrelated (unrelated to your type of products) including Underwriters, Surety, Trust, Insurance, Realtor and Attorney.
- Must include one of these words; Limited Liability Company, LLC or LC, to indicate that your business legal entity is an LLC
- Cannot match an existing LLC name – Your LLC name must be unique to your company and cannot be the same as one already registered with your State.
- Cannot contain words for other business entity types such as DBA, incorporated or corporation – which would be misleading to consumers.
- Cannot contain words unrelated to your business products or services – such as a bank, medical, or legal – if your company does not provide these services. If you are planning to start one of these types of businesses, consider forming a Professional LLC called a PLLC.
Wondering if your domain name and business name should match?
Here is my expert advice that I give my marketing clients
LLC Name vs Business Name Uses
| Name Usage | LLC Name | Business Name (Or trading name, trade name) |
| EXAMPLE | ABC Partners LLC | Alex Bill & Cindy Caterers |
| Business Registration Application | YES | YES – must include LLC within business name such as this: Alex Bill & Cindy Caterers, LLC |
| Legal Contracts | YES | NO |
| Loan Applications | YES | NO |
| Bank Accounts & Credit Cards | YES | NO |
| Vendor Credit Applications | YES | NO |
| Rental Leases | YES | NO |
| Trademark Registrations | YES | NO |
| Business Cards | NO | YES |
| Store Signs | NO | YES |
| Logo | YES and NO – more details | YES |
| Website | YES and NO – more details | YES |
Search for LLC Name Availability
As you learned above, one of the legal requirements and rules for LLC names is that they must be unique and not taken by another business registration in your State.
Here’s how you can can search:
- DIY LLC Name Search – Use your State’s business registration database and search for your LLC name availability. Use my links to your US State LLC Name databases
Know that there are complex legal rules that differ by State. These types of slight word variations listed below do not qualify as creating distinguishability and thus will not be acceptable as LLC names uniqueness because they are deceptively similar:- Single, Plural and Possessive Words
- A, An or The
- And, Or and &
- Hyphens, Periods and Commas
- Alphanumeric
FYI: If you want to change the domain name on an existing website – it IS possible.
Links to US States LLC Name Search Databases
Alabama
Alabama Secretary of State: Business Entity Records
Alaska
Alaska Division of Corporations: Search Corporations Database
Arizona
Arizona Corporation Commission: eCorp Business Entity Search
Arkansas
Arkansas Secretary of State: Business Entity Search
California
California Secretary of State: Business Search
Colorado
Colorado Secretary of State: Business Database Search
Connecticut
Connecticut Secretary of State: Business Registry Search
Delaware
Delaware Division of Corporations: Business Entity Search
Florida
Florida Department of State: Search Records
Georgia
Georgia Secretary of State: Business Search
Hawaii
Hawaii Business Registration Division: Search for Businesses
Idaho
Idaho Secretary of State: Business Search
Illinois
Illinois Secretary of State: Corporation & LLC Search
Indiana
Indiana Secretary of State: Business Search
Iowa
Iowa Secretary of State: Business Entities Search
Kansas
Kansas Secretary of State: Business Entity Search Station (BESS)
Kentucky
Kentucky Secretary of State: FastTrack Business Organization Search
Louisiana
Louisiana Secretary of State: Business Filings Search
Maine
Maine Secretary of State: Corporate Name Search
Maryland
Maryland Department of Assessments & Taxation: Business Entity Search
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Corporations Division: Business Entity Search
Michigan
Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs: Business Entity Search
Minnesota
Minnesota Secretary of State: Search Business Filings
Mississippi
Mississippi Secretary of State: Business Name Search
Missouri
Missouri Secretary of State: Business Entity Search
Montana
Montana Secretary of State: Business Search
Nebraska
Nebraska Secretary of State: Corporate & Business Search
Nevada
Nevada Secretary of State: Business Search
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Secretary of State: Business Search
New Jersey
New Jersey Division of Revenue: Business Entity Name Search
New Mexico
New Mexico Secretary of State: Business Search
New York
New York Division of Corporations: Corporation & Business Entity Database
North Carolina
North Carolina Secretary of State: Business Search
North Dakota
North Dakota Secretary of State: Business Search
Ohio
Ohio Secretary of State: Business Name Search
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Secretary of State: Business Entities Search
Oregon
Oregon Secretary of State: Business Name Search
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Department of State: Business Entity Search
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Secretary of State: Search for an Entity
South Carolina
South Carolina Secretary of State: Business Name Search
South Dakota
South Dakota Secretary of State: Business Information Search
Tennessee
Tennessee Secretary of State: Business Information Search
Texas
Texas Comptroller: Taxable Entity Search
Utah
Utah Secretary of State: Business Name Search
Vermont
Vermont Secretary of State: Business Search
Virginia
Virginia State Corporation Commission: Business Entity Search
Washington State
Washington Corporations & Charities Filing System: Advanced Business Search
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs: Business Filings Search
(you need to create a CorpOnline account)
West Virginia
West Virginia Secretary of State: Business Entity Search
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions: Search Corporate records
Wyoming
Wyoming Secretary of State: Search for Business Names
FAQ: LLC Names
Do I need to put LLC on my business cards?
In most States, it is not legally required to included your LLC designation on your business cards, however, it could be an advantage to add LLC onto your business cards.
Including your full business name with LLC communicates to clients your professionalism. It also notifies them that they are engaging in business with a legal entity – your LLC – and if they choose to sue your company they will not be able to get your personal assets.
Most brand name companies do not elect to include LLC on their business cards because they want customers to focus on their branding message.Do I need to put LLC on my website?
No and yes.
No, you do not have to include LLC in your company name on your graphic banner headers on your website pages. Here is where you focus on your brand name.
Yes, you should include LLC in your company name on your legal pages such as terms of use, disclaimers and privacy policy.Should I put LLC on my logo?
In most cases, no you should not include LLC in your logo. Logos are visual representations of your branding messages and do not need to contain extra legal abbreviations to get in the way.
Some professions and States require including LLC in logos for attorneys, bankers, and insurance agents. Check with your business lawyer.
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