How to Conduct a Wyoming Business Entity Search

Wyoming 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, Wyoming has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other existing companies in Wyoming, 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 Wyoming business name should follow: 

• LLCs need to include some form of the phrase “limited liability company” or “LLC.” Wyoming corporations can use “Inc.” as a designator, but they aren’t required to. For full details about what company designations are (or aren’t) required for your business name, check your entity type’s statutes.
• Your name can’t imply that you’re doing business activities that aren’t consistent with the business purpose stated in your formation documents.
• You need additional approval to use certain words in your name, such as “Bank,” “Institute,” or “Trust.”

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 desired LLC name or corporation name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one.

How to Search Existing Businesses by Company Name

The Wyoming business entity search allows you to search existing companies in two ways: by name or by their filing ID number. In this section, we’ll cover how to search by business name.

Start by navigating to the business search page. There, you’ll be able to enter the name of a business into the provided field. If you know the full business name, type that in.

If you only know part of the business name you’re searching for, the filters below the search bar become important. These filters will help you refine your search. The “Starts With” feature lets you find results that begin with the same words you search, and the “Contains” feature will show you every business name that includes the words in your search.

For example, let’s say we wanted to look up a business, and we know that the company name starts with the word “America.” For that search, we’d type “America” in the “Filing Name” search field, click the “Starts With” filter, and then click “Search.”

When you hit “Search,” you’ll be provided with a list of all the entities that match your search criteria. Here’s what a search of “America” might look like:

Scroll through the results until you find the result that matches the business you want to learn about. Click on that business name, and you’ll see another page. This page shows you a lot of public information about the selected business, including the filing history, registered agent information, current business status, and more. The “Parties” tab at the bottom of the page can show you information about an entity’s organizers, officers, or directors, if applicable.

From here, you can perform another search or file your annual report.

How to Search Existing Businesses by Filing ID Number

You can use the same search page to look up a Wyoming LLC or corporation by its filing ID number (provided you know it). This search should yield the exact business you’re looking for.

Start by typing in the filing ID number into the second field, labeled “Filing ID.” Then click “Search.”

The only result displayed on the following page should be the entity that matches the filing ID number you typed in. You’ll get a “No Results Found” message if the ID doesn’t match any businesses on file.

Click on the business name to see additional information.

This last page will present you with the business entity’s primary address, filing history, information about the company’s registered agent service, and other details made available by the Wyoming Secretary of State.

From here, you can perform another search or file your annual report.

How to Use the Wyoming Business Entity Search to Check Name Availability

The last way you can use the Wyoming business search is to check name availability. This search will help you avoid infringing on any existing business names.

To start, navigate to the search tool (it’s the same page that we linked above). You’ll be using the “Filing Name” feature for this search, and you’ll need to use the “Contains” filter.

Enter the name you’re hoping to use for your new business into the search bar and hit “Search.”

The results page will give you a pretty good picture of whether your name is available or not. If no results pop up, then there’s a good chance that your name is available. But Wyoming recommends a few extra steps to be sure.

For one, type in a plural version (or versions, if there are several possibilities) of your business name and search that. In Wyoming, making a word plural is not enough to create distinguishability, so checking this will help see if your desired name really is available.

The same principle applies for names with articles or special characters, like “&” instead of “and” or names that are only different because of words like “The” or “A.” If your desired name has one of these words or symbols, search the name once with those items and then once without them. These extra searches will help you avoid a rejected filing for a duplicate name.

Additionally, if your name search does yield a matching result, double-check the entity’s status. If it’s “Active,” then the name is unavailable. But if it’s “Inactive,” you’ll need to check the sub-status of the business. If the sub-status is “Archived,” then you can still use that business name. This happens because the state archives businesses that have been inactive or out of good standing for two years; archived business names are no longer reserved.

The Secretary of State’s office provides some helpful tips for searching name availability if you’d like additional information on this search process.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Wyoming

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 Wyoming business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Wyoming business name (optional)

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

You can file a Wyoming business name reservation pretty easily by submitting an application to reserve your name. The state has different forms for business types, so make sure you file the correct one. 

LLCs and corporations pay $60 to reserve a name. After the paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation is 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 a limited liability company 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 Wyoming will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Wyoming business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Wyoming 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 Cowboy 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.