How to Conduct a South Carolina Business Entity Search

The South Carolina business entity search, sometimes called a business name search, is a valuable tool to learn more about companies in the state. Whether you’re an established business owner who needs to access the state website to request business documents or a new business owner who wants to check name availability, the search tool is your go-to resource for looking at the information on file with the SC Secretary of State.

But performing your own search can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a search like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll walk you through how to use the search effectively. We’ll also cover important business name guidelines and what to do after searching.

Let’s get started.

South Carolina Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address: 1205 Pendleton Street Suite 525 Columbia, SC 29201	Physical Address: 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525 Columbia, SC 29201
Telephone: (803) 734-2170	Website: https://sos.sc.gov/

South Carolina 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, South Carolina has several rules about naming your business. 

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

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a word like “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” “limited,” or one of their abbreviations. Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or “limited company” or an accepted abbreviation.
• Your name can’t state or imply that you’re conducting business activities that aren’t permitted by law or by your formation documents.

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 South Carolina Business Search by Business Name

South Carolina allows you to look up a business by its company name or by the name of the registered agent who represents it. In this section, we’ll be covering how to search by a company name, but keep reading if you want to search by agent.

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

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the business entity search homepage (pictured below).

Next, you’ll want to choose the search setting that best suits your search goals. Here are your options:

• Begins with: This default setting will retrieve records for any businesses with names that start with the search term(s) you entered. For example, if you searched “Smith,” this setting would retrieve results like “Smith & Allen Consulting,” “Smith, LLC,” and similar names.
• Contains: This setting acts more like a keyword search, retrieving all of the business names that include the search terms you type. For example, when we searched “ZenBusiness,” we found our own name and “Mozen Business Consulting” as the only results.
• Exact Match: This setting retrieves any business names that are an exact match to the name you search, making it a go-to search option if you’re researching name availability.

Pick the search setting that best suits your search goals. For example, if you don’t know a company’s full name, but you know that it includes the words “best landscaping,” you’d want to use the “Contains” setting. Once the search filter is set, type in your search terms and click “Search” or hit “Enter.”

Step 2: Review your SC SOS search results

Within a few seconds, the search tool should retrieve a list of all the business names on file that match your search terms. For example, when we searched “Smith,” our results page looked like the image below.

On this first results page, you’ll see the full business name, incorporation date, entity type, entity status, and state of incorporation for each matching business. In some cases, you might also see a “Former” tag by a business name if that was a name the company previously used.

If desired, you can click on a company name to view additional information about it.

On this page, you can see the company’s entity ID number, its registered agent information, and even some of its official business documents on file with the state, such as its Articles of Organization. You can also use this page to request documents for the business (you’ll need an account to access these services, though).

How to Check Name Availability

If you’re starting a new business, you need to check that your desired business name doesn’t infringe on an existing, protected name. So you’ll need to run an availability check.

The South Carolina Secretary of State will direct you to the same search page we just covered to run a name availability search. Once there, you’ll need to set the search to “Exact Match.” Then, type in the full business name you’re hoping to use (not including the business designator).

Ideally, you’ll see a message saying, “This name is available.” If that happens, the database didn’t find any names that match yours, so it should be good to use it yourself. But if there are any names on file that match the name you searched, the tool will display a yellow message: “This name is currently being used.” Under that message, you’ll see a listing for the claimed name.

One quick note: keep in mind that this search database isn’t 100% up to date, so there is a small chance that a name could be listed as available when it’s actually claimed. There will be a final check when you file your reservation or registration paperwork.

How to Search by Registered Agent Name

South Carolina also allows you to look up a business by the name of its agent (should you know it). To get started, navigate to the agent search homepage (pictured below).

Next, type in the agent’s name. Ideally, you’ll type their full name (first and last), but you can also type just the last name if that’s all you know. Then click “Search” or hit “Enter.”

The search tool will pull up a list of all the agents whose names match your search terms. For example, here’s what our results list looked like when we searched “John Smith.”

On this results page, you’ll see the full name of each agent, the name and type of the entity they represent, and the entity’s incorporation date. If you want to learn more about a particular company, click on its business name to see its information page. There, you can see more information, request documents, review the filing history, and add a filing. To request forms or make a filing, you’ll need to log into the site or create an account.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in South Carolina

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 South Carolina company name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your South Carolina business name (optional)

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

You can get a South Carolina name reservation by filing an application with the Secretary of State; there are different reservation forms for different entity types. Your filing fee will vary by business type, too. For example, LLCs pay $25 while corporations pay just $10.

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days; renewals aren’t permitted. 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 South Carolina will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a business in South Carolina is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a South Carolina LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. 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 Palmetto 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.