How to Conduct a New Hampshire Business Entity Search

The NH business lookup, usually called the New Hampshire business search, is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to learn more about businesses in the state. Whether you’re an established business owner who needs to look up company filings or a new entrepreneur checking name availability, the business search is a go-to resource for you.

But using the tool can feel a bit daunting at first, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll walk you through how to use the New Hampshire search. We’ll also cover important business naming guidelines and what you should do after searching a business name.

Let’s get started.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Contact Information

New Hampshire 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, New Hampshire has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire business name should follow: 

• Your business name should include a designator. For example, corporations need to include the word “corporation,” “incorporated,” “limited, or an acceptable abbreviation; LLCs, on the other hand, would need to include the words “limited liability company” or an abbreviation like “LLC” with or without periods.
• Your name cannot imply that you’re conducting activities that aren’t permitted by law or by your formation documents.
• Your name can’t imply government affiliation. You also can’t use the same name as a political organization without approval from that organization.
• Names that are vulgar or grossly offensive aren’t permitted.
• New Hampshire has a list of restricted words, such as “bank,” “farmer’s market,” “engineering,” and more. If you want to use these words, you must meet state requirements or get the appropriate approvals to use them.

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 Run a New Hampshire Business Name Search

The New Hampshire business search actually offers you several different methods to look up information for existing business entities registered in the state: a business name search, a filing number search, a business ID search, or a registered agent search. In this section, we’ll cover the business name search category.

Step 1: Set your search filters and type your search

To get started, navigate to the business search page (linked above) and double-check that the search is set to “business name.”

Then, you’ll need to set your filters. Here are your options:

• Starts With: This filter will display results that begin with the terms you search. For example, if we searched “America,” this search type would display names that had “America” as their first word.
• Contains: This filter shows business names that include your search phrase. Going back to our “America” example, this search might display results that include “America,” “American,” or even “Americana.”
• Exact Match: This search option only shows results that match your search terms precisely (disregarding entity identifiers). This is the best method to use if you’re trying to check name availability.
• All Words: This search option gives you a list of business names that include your search term(s) anywhere in the name, regardless of positioning. For example, we ran a search of “Smith Construction” using the “All Words” search. The search displayed obvious results like “Smith Construction Inc.” However, it also showed results where the two words were somewhat separated, such as “Smith Allen Construction” or “Smithfield Construction Company.”

Beside the search bar, you’ll also see a checkbox labeled “Show me similar sounding business names.” This isn’t required, but it’s helpful if you want to see what business names are similar to yours to help ensure that yours stands out.

Step 2: Review your search results

No matter what search filter you use, the business name search will pull up a list of results that match your search terms. For example, here’s the result list you might see if you ran a “Starts With” search of “Smith.”

This page will show you a lot of basic information about a company, including its full business name, business ID, home state (for foreign entities), previous name (if applicable), business type, principal office address, registered agent name, and status.

If you click on a business name, you’ll be directed to another page that shows even more information. Here, you can learn a company’s duration, formation date, email, phone number, annual report year, fiscal year information, principal information, and more. At the very bottom of the page, you’ll see buttons to review the company name history, address history, shares, and more.

If you need to review their business filings, the “Filing History” button at the bottom will direct you to the filings made, such as annual reports or formation documents. You can download copies of these files, if needed.

How to Search the New Hampshire Secretary of State Database by File Number

Whenever a New Hampshire corporation or LLC submits a filing, a unique number is assigned to that form. If you know that filing number, you can use it to search for the filing company’s other information.

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the search page and set the tool to the search labeled “Filing #.” Then, type the filing number into the search bar and hit “Search.” This search method should only yield one result, such as the one pictured below.

You can click on the company name to review other information about the company, see its other filings with the New Hampshire Department of State, and more.

How to Search by Business ID Number

The State Department issues a unique business ID number to every single New Hampshire LLC, corporation, or other business structure that registers with the state. If you know that ID number, you can use it to immediately look up a company’s information.

To get started, make sure that you’ve selected the “Business ID” search field, and then type the number into the tool.

Like the filing number search, this search method should only yield one result (or a “No data found” alert if you typed it wrong). That makes this search the most direct way to look up detailed information for a specific business. On the results page, you can review information about the company that matches that ID number.

How to Search by a Registered Agent

The registered agent search is a bit unique because you can use it in two ways. First, you can use it as a standalone search, or you can add it onto another search (such as a name search) to help filter your results.

If you want to search by registered agent name alone, all you need to do is type in the registered agent’s name and hit search. The search tool will pull up all the businesses that are represented by an agent that has the name you searched. For example, when we searched “Smith” in the agent category, the search tool gave us this list:

As before, you can click on a name to view more business information about a particular company.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in New Hampshire

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 New Hampshire business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your New Hampshire business name (optional)

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

You can get a New Hampshire name reservation by filing an Application for Reservation of Name form with the Corporation Division. For most entity types, there is a $15 filing fee for reserving a name. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days. 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 New Hampshire will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a New Hampshire business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a New Hampshire 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 Granite 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.