How to Conduct a Louisiana Business Entity Search

The Louisiana business filings search, sometimes called the Louisiana business name search or business entity search, is a valuable resource for learning about business entities in the state. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner who needs to buy certified copies for your business or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who needs to run a name availability search, the business filings search is your go-to tool to find the information you need.

But using the Louisiana Secretary of State’s search tool can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the essential steps to run a business search. We’ll also cover Louisiana’s essential naming rules and what you should do after searching a business name.

Let’s get started.

Louisiana Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125	Physical Address: 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Phone: (225) 922-2880	Website: https://www.sos.la.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Louisiana Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Louisiana has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Louisiana, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Louisiana business name should follow: 

• Your business name should include a designator. For example, a corporation needs to include the word “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” “limited,” or an acceptable abbreviation of one of those words. Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or its abbreviation, “L.L.C.” 
• Your name cannot imply that you’re conducting activities that aren’t permitted by law or by your company’s formation documents. 
• You may not include the phrase “doing business as” in your business name. 
• Your name can’t state or imply that your business is a state or federal government agency.
• Business names cannot be scandalous, immoral, or deceptive. 
• Certain words, like “engineer,” “insurance,” “credit union,” or “architect,” require authorization from industry-related boards to be used in a business name.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one.

How to Search by Louisiana Entity Name

Technically, the Louisiana Department of State allows you to search in several different ways, including the company name, the company’s charter number or filing number, and by the name of an officer or agent.

In this section, we’ll focus on searching by a business name. Keep scrolling to view the other search types.

Step 1: Pick your search settings and type your search terms

To get started, navigate to the business search homepage. By default, the search is set to “Search by Entity Name.” You’ll need to confirm that the setting is maintained for this search type. Your search page should look like the image below.

Once you’ve confirmed that the search is set to check names, type your search terms into the search bar. It’s recommended to type the full business name (without including a designator like “Inc” or “LLC”). If you don’t know the full business name, type as much of it as you know — the more specific your search, the fewer results you’ll have to sort through.

Finally, click “Search.”

Step 2: Review your search results

After you hit the “Search” button, you’ll see a list of results for the business names that match your search terms. Alternatively, if there was an exact match for your search, you’ll be directed to the company’s information page immediately.

For sake of illustration, here’s the first list of search results we saw when we searched “Smith.”

On this first results page, you can see the full business name of each matching business, its company type, and its home city. You can also tell a company’s status at a glance; active companies are displayed in bold font, and inactive ones are shown in standard text. You can click on the “Details” button (on the far right) to learn more about a particular company.

On this second page (which, incidentally, would be the first results page if you typed a search with an exact match), you can review more information, including the company status, charter number, registration date, domicile address, mailing address, and any previous names. You can also see information about the company’s annual report status, registered agent, officers or members, and any amendments they have on file.

At the very top of the page, you can request a Certificate of Good Standing or certified copies of a business filing. If applicable, you can also print off your annual report for filing, subscribe to get updates about the business, or print a detailed report about it.

Checking Name Availability Using the Entity Name Search

The Louisiana state department doesn’t technically offer a strict name availability checker, but you can use this search tool to run a preliminary check. Simply type in the full business name you hope to use (without a designator) and hit “Search.”

Ideally, the search tool will show a message of “Total results: 0.” If that happens, there’s a good chance that you have a unique business name. But if there are any exact matches, then your desired business name is already claimed by an existing Louisiana entity. It’s also a good idea to search keywords from your desired name to check if any names are too similar to yours (even if they aren’t a strict match). This extra step can help you check that your name stands out.

Remember, this search is just preliminary; the state website is just a tool, and only a formal inquiry with the Secretary of State’s office can confirm availability.

How to Search by Charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s office assigns a unique identifying number to every corporation, LLC, or other business type that registers with the office. Likewise, if you reserve a business name (more on that later) or get a trade name, then you’ll have a unique number assigned to those filings. You can use these ID numbers to look up a company’s information.

The advantage of a number search is that you’ll only see one result, so you won’t have to sort through lots of database results.

To get started, navigate to the search homepage and change the setting to “Charter Number, Trade Registration Number, or Name Reservation Number.”

Here, type in the charter, registration, or reservation number you have and click “Search.” As long as you typed the number correctly, you should be taken directly to the information page for the company that matches that filing number. There, you can review information about the company, request certificates, print an annual report, and more.

How to Search by Officer or Agent Name

The final way to look up a business is by the name of an individual who’s affiliated with the company. This could include the company’s registered agent, an officer or director for a corporation, a manager or member for an LLC, or a similar person. Here’s how.

As before, you’ll need to navigate to the search homepage, but this time you’ll set the search type to the final setting, “Officer Name or Agent Name.”

Ideally, you’ll type in the full first and last name of the individual you’re searching for. You can type just a last name or a last name and first initial if you don’t know the person’s full name. But for the most specific results, it’s best to type the full name. Next, click “Search.”

You’ll be directed to a list of all the individuals whose names match your search terms. For example, when we searched “John Smith,” this is what our results page looked like:

On this first page, you’ll see each person’s full name, the full name of the business they’re affiliated with, and their role in that company. You’ll also see the name of the city where the company is based.

If you need to view more detailed information about a particular company, click on the “Details” button to view the company’s details, access certified copies for it, and more.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Louisiana

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Louisiana business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Louisiana business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Louisiana allows you to reserve a business name.

You can get a Louisiana name reservation by filing a Reservation of Corporate/Limited Liability Company/L3C/Partnership Name form with the Secretary of State’s office. There’s currently a $25 filing fee for this form. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days; Louisiana doesn’t allow you to renew a name reservation. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in Louisiana will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Louisiana business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Louisiana LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want it to be easy for your customers to find your business website. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Pelican State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.