How To Register My Name

How To Register A Business Name

To register a business proper noun, outset check to make sure your proper noun is unique by doing a business entity proper noun search, domain name search, and a federal trademark search. Afterward, depending on your business's needs, y'all may reserve a name, class an LLC or Corporation with it, file a DBA, or submit an amendment to the legal name of your business concern.

Follow these steps to register your concern proper name:

Make sure the business name is unique and available
Determine your concern entity naming needs
Register the concern proper noun

How to Register a Business Name

Annals a Business Name

Step i: Make Sure The Business organization Proper name is Unique and Bachelor

The kickoff step in registering a new business proper name is to make sure it's unique, meaning that no one else in your state has formed a company with, or reserved, that name. Yous can practice this past searching the following things:

Business Name Availability
Domain Proper name Search
Federal Trademark Records
Searching the Web

Business Name Search

The first search you will need to perform is a business organisation entity name search, which is typically on your State'south Secretary of State website. This is the well-nigh important step in the process because if you endeavour to file for a name that is already taken, your filing will exist denied.

Search requirements can vary depending on your business needs. For example, a unique and available proper noun is required for:

Filing for formal business structures like LLCs and corporations
Filing a name reservation for an LLC or corporation earlier filing
Filing a DBA for an existing business, both formal or informal

In some states, a state-level proper name search is non required for informal business structures like sole proprietorships or full general partnerships. Cull your state from the dropdown above to see its rules.

Domain Proper noun Search

We recommend that you cheque to encounter if your business proper name is available as a web domain (URL) likewise. Fifty-fifty if you don't plan to make a business concern website today, y'all may want to buy the spider web accost to prevent others from acquiring it. Information technology'south costless to search.

Find a Domain At present

Federal Trademark Search

Next, a quick search on the U.S. Trademark Electronic Search Arrangement will tell you whether someone else has already trademarked your name. Once you know the proper noun is available, you tin choose to apply for a trademark for your business, although the cost is sometimes too high for a startup or fledgling business.

Regardless of whether you will be registering a trademark, information technology's proficient to know if your name is already taken.

To learn more than well-nigh trademarks and the steps you will need to become i, read our How to Trademark Your Business Name guide.

Search the Web

Finally, when doing your research, it'south a good idea to cheque and see what else comes up when you lot search your prospective business proper noun online on sites like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and more. Doing this volition evidence you who else will show upward on these platforms, whether they accept a big online presence, and how tough they may be to compete with while you lot're building your brand.

It's besides smart to meet if anyone else in your industry already has a similar proper name to the one yous desire to utilize. You can exercise this by looking up some search terms related to your manufacture and make. You may make up one's mind on a dissimilar business name to brand yourself stand out.

Step 2: Determine Your Concern Entity Naming Needs

At present that you know how to notice a unique proper name, y'all'll demand to know what to practise with one. This will be unlike based on your called business entity.

If you oasis't already chosen one, choosing the best business structure for your new venture is an of import stride because unlike business organization structures have unlike benefits, disadvantages, and naming rules.

Concern structures can exist formal or informal and are the way that your business is set upward, operated, and taxed. We cover all the following naming needs for the post-obit business organisation structures:

Limited Liability Companies
C Corporations
Sole Proprietorships
General Partnerships

Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)

An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is the simplest way of structuring your business to protect your personal assets in example your business is sued. LLCs require unique names that must follow certain naming requirements, here are a few mutual ones:

Your name must include the phrase "express liability visitor," or i of its abbreviations (LLC or L.Fifty.C.).
Your name cannot include words that could confuse your LLC with a government bureau (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
Restricted words (e.g. Bank, Attorney, University) may crave additional paperwork and a licensed individual, such as a md or lawyer, to be function of your LLC.

Cull your state from the dropdown above to see a full list its LLC naming rules.

Common LLC Naming Scenarios:

What y'all will demand to exercise with your LLC's proper noun depends on if yous are already in business or are forming a new LLC. For step-by-footstep instructions of common LLC naming scenarios, skip ahead to:

Name Reservation for Soon-To-Be-Opened LLCs
Forming a LLC
Filing a DBA For an Existing LLC
Submitting an Amendment to an LLC's Legal Proper noun

Corporations

A corporation is a separate legal entity from its owners with a basic operational structure consisting of shareholders, officers, directors, and employees. A C corp business structure will protect your personal assets. Corporations require a unique proper noun and must run across certain naming requirements, here are a few mutual requirements:

Your name must incorporate the word "corporation," "company," "incorporated," "limited" or an abridgement of one of these terms.
Your name must exist distinguishable from whatever existing business in your state.
Your proper noun cannot include words that could confuse your corporation with a regime agency (FBI, Treasury, State Section, etc.).

Choose your country from the dropdown above to meet a full listing its corporation naming rules.

Common Corporation Naming Scenarios

What you volition demand to do with your corporation'due south name depends on if yous are already in business, or are forming but forming the business. For stride-by-stride instructions of common corporation naming scenarios, skip ahead to:

Name Reservation for a Soon-To-Be-Opened Corporation
Forming a Corporation
Filing a DBA for an Existing Corporation
Submitting an Amendment to the Corporation'southward Legal Name

Sole Proprietorships

A sole proprietorship is the simplest concern type . A sole proprietorship is an informal business organisation structure that doesn't provide personal asset protection and does non need to be filed with the country.

This business construction must operate under the surname of the possessor. To use a different proper noun, the business owner must file for a DBA (Doing Business As).

Choose your state from the dropdown above to see a total list its sole proprietorship rules.

General Partnerships

General partnerships are similar to sole proprietorships. The difference is that a partnership consists of two or more people. A general partnership is an informal business structure that doesn't provide personal asset protection.

General partnerships must include the surnames of the partners. To use a different proper noun, business owners must file for a DBA (Doing Business As), known as an assumed name.

Choose your state from the dropdown above to see a full list its rules for partnerships.

Stride iii: Register the Business Name

Now that you know your business name is unique, and what you want to do, here's how to get the post-obit actions washed:

Filing a Name Reservation
Form a LLC
Form a Corporation
File a DBA for Existing Businesses
Submitting an Amendment to the Legal Name of an Entity

Choose your state from the dropdown to a higher place to see the state-specific things yous will need to practice to annals your business organization proper name.

Proper noun Reservation

A name reservation is not required to exist filed, in nigh states, to open a new company or file for a DBA.

Notwithstanding, there are benefits to filing a proper name reservation, like if y'all find a unique name for your concern, but do non want to form your LLC or Corporation right away.

The procedures to reserve a business proper name vary state to state.

How to Form an LLC

Registering a business organisation proper name is office of the LLC filing process: once your LLC is filed in the state, your proper noun is registered. While the name can be reserved beforehand, this is typically not necessary to file for an LLC.

Forming an LLC is easy and only requires five unproblematic steps:

Naming Your LLC (If you've gotten this far, you lot should already be set!)
Choosing a Registered Agent
Filing the Articles of Organization
Creating an Operating Understanding
Getting an EIN

How to Form a Corporation

Registering a business organization name is part of the corporation filing process: once your corporation is filed, your proper name is registered. While the name tin can exist reserved beforehand, this is non typically necessary to file.

Forming a Corporation is piece of cake, and only requires a few steps:

Naming Your Corporation (If you've gotten this far, you should already be set!)
Choosing a Registered Agent
Choosing your Corporation'due south Initial Directors and Share Structure
Filing the Formation Documents
Getting an EIN

How to File a DBA

Filing a DBA (Doing Business As) allows your existing or new business to exercise business equally a name other than your legal business name. This can be helpful for getting a brand proper noun established, or to change the name of a business concern without having to file an amendment to an original filing.

A DBA can be filed by all business structures covered in this commodity; even so, LLC and corporation filing tin can sometimes exist unlike than filing for sole proprietorships and full general partnerships in some states.

Submit an Subpoena to the Legal Name of an Existing Concern

To change the legal proper noun of your business organization, you lot will need to file your state's Certificate of Amendment, or a similarly named document, forth with the right filing fee for your business organization entity.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you lot legally name a concern?

To legally name a business, yous will demand to form a company with the desired proper noun, file a DBA, or file an subpoena to modify its legal name.

How can I make my business proper name official?

Making a business name official requires forming a company with it, filing a DBA for an existing company, or submitting an amendment to the legal name of an existing business concern.

See how to do this above in step iii of this guide.

What is a business organisation legal proper name?

A business organization's legal name is the official name of a business entity listed on the formation documents submitted and filed with the country. A legal name tin exist changed past filing an subpoena to the business organisation's formation documents.

A business tin can cull to operate under other names past filing for a DBA, as well known as a trade proper noun, fictitious name, or causeless name. Filing for a DBA does non change a business's legal name.

What is the first step to starting a business?

The start step in starting a business is to cull the right business organisation idea, followed by planning and forming your business organization. Learn how to start a business organization by reading our full, in-depth guide that discusses these subjects and more.

How much does registering a business organisation name cost?

The toll of registering a business name is different depending on your needs and your state'southward filing fees for reserving a business organization proper noun, forming a company, filing a DBA, or filing a legal amendment to your business's proper name.

Find your state in the dropdown above for more specific information.

How practise you pay for a business organisation name?

Paying for a business concern name is done when filing paperwork such as proper noun reservations, formation documents, DBA filings, and legal amendments with the Secretary of State or responsible department in the state the business organization will exist formed or exists in.

Does LLC have to be in a business organisation name?

If a business is formed as an LLC, it is required to have some form of "limited liability visitor" in its legal proper name. This includes abbreviations such as "LLC," "llc," or "l.50.c."

For more data on your state'south specific naming requirements, detect your state in the dropdown above.

What happens if you don't renew your business organization proper name?

The result of not renewing your business name depends on how you registered the business organization proper noun in the first identify. If you reserved your name and didn't renew the reservation, the proper name volition go available for anyone in that country to apply.

If the business concern is either dissolved willingly or by going out of good standing, the proper noun will also become available to utilize past others depending on state laws, unless reinstated.

Tin can I register a business name for free?

No. There are filing fee requirements for reserving a concern proper noun, forming a company with one, getting a DBA, and filing an amendment.

These fees vary by state. Find out more past selecting your state in the dropdown above.

Source: https://howtostartanllc.com/how-to-register-business-name

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How To Register My Name

How To Register A Business Name

Annals a Business Name