Business names · links checked
Business name search: the official search for all 50 states and DC
Before you register an LLC, a corporation or a DBA, search your state’s business records for the name. “Most states don’t allow you to register a name that’s already been registered by someone else” (SBA). Below is the official search for every state and DC, from the Secretary of State or the state agency that keeps business records. We opened every link on October 23, 2026, and each row says what happened.
How to search in any state
1. Type only the main words
Leave out LLC, Inc. and “The”. States compare the core of the name. Texas, for example, treats “ACE Woodworks” and “Ace Woodworks”, or “The Truck Stop” and “Truck Stop”, as the same name (Texas name rules, 1 TAC 79.39).
2. Try the close versions too
Search the singular and the plural, “and” and “&”, and common abbreviations. In Texas, a name that differs only by its ending, a common abbreviation or a plural is available only with the other business’s written, notarized consent (1 TAC 79.40–79.42).
3. Read the status
Each state labels records its own way (active, inactive, dissolved, reserved). If a result is unclear, ask the state office before you file.
4. Don’t forget DBAs and the county
Some names live at the county, not the state. In Texas, sole proprietorships and general partnerships file assumed names with the county clerk, while LLCs and corporations file with the Secretary of State (Texas SOS FAQ).
5. Then check trademarks and the .com
An entity name protects your name at a state level; a trademark can protect it at a national level (SBA). Search the USPTO trademark database and check the .com with Spark’s free name check.
Official business name search, state by state
How we checked: on October 23, 2026 we opened every link below with an automated check (curl). “Opened” means the search page answered normally (HTTP 200). Many state sites block automated visitors with a security screen; for those we couldn’t confirm the search page, so the row links the official business page instead and says so. 27 of 51 searches opened for our check.
| State | Official search | Our check |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Business entity search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Alaska | Corporations section → Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing | Search not confirmed: the search page couldn’t be confirmed by our check, so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Arizona | Commission home page → Arizona Corporation Commission | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Arkansas | Business services page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| California | Business search → Secretary of State (bizfile Online) | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Colorado | Business database search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Connecticut | Business records search → Secretary of the State (CT.gov business portal) | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Delaware | Entity search → Division of Corporations | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Search registered businesses (opens DC’s business portal) → Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Florida | Sunbiz home page → Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) Our Florida LLC names guide | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Georgia | Corporations Division page → Secretary of State, Corporations Division | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Hawaii | Business Registration Division page → DCCA Business Registration Division | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Idaho | Business search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Illinois | Business searches page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which didn’t answer our check either, but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Indiana | INBiz business search → Secretary of State (INBiz) | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Iowa | Business services page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Kansas | Secretary of State home page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page showed a security check to our automated check, so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Kentucky | Business entity search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Louisiana | Business filings search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Maine | Corporate name search → Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Maryland | Business entity search → Department of Assessments and Taxation | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Corporations Division page → Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division | Search not confirmed: the search page sent our automated check around a security loop, so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Michigan | Corporations Division page → LARA Corporations Division | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Minnesota | Business filings search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Mississippi | Business services page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Missouri | Business services page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Montana | Business services page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Nebraska | Corporation and business entity search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Nevada | Business page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page showed a security check to our automated check, so this links to the official page, which also showed a security check, but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| New Hampshire | Secretary of State home page → Secretary of State, Corporation Division | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| New Jersey | Business name search → Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| New Mexico | Business services portal (search inside) → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| New York | Department of State home page → Department of State | Search not confirmed: the search page didn’t answer our automated check, so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| North Carolina | Business Registration Division page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| North Dakota | Business records search → Secretary of State (FirstStop) | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Ohio | Business services page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which also blocked our check (HTTP 403), but it’s the official site. Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Oklahoma | Business entity search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Oregon | Business page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page showed a security check to our automated check, so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Pennsylvania | Business page → Department of State | Search not confirmed: the search page showed a security check to our automated check, so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Rhode Island | Corporate database search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| South Carolina | Business name search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| South Dakota | Business search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Tennessee | Business entity search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Texas | Franchise tax account status search (by entity name) → Comptroller (search by entity name); the Secretary of State’s own search costs $1 in SOSPortal Our Texas LLC names guide | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Utah | Corporations page → Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Vermont | Business search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Virginia | Clerk’s Information System → State Corporation Commission (Clerk’s Information System) | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Washington | Corporations and Charities System → Secretary of State (Corporations and Charities) | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| West Virginia | Business organizations search → Secretary of State | Opened (HTTP 200), checked Oct 23, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | DFI home page → Department of Financial Institutions | Search not confirmed: the search page blocked our automated check (HTTP 403), so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
| Wyoming | Business division page → Secretary of State | Search not confirmed: the search page showed a security check to our automated check, so this links to the official page, which opened (HTTP 200). Checked Oct 23, 2026; it may open fine in your browser. |
When the name is free
- Reserve it if you’re not ready to file. In Texas, for example, a name reservation lasts 120 days and costs $40 (Texas SOS FAQ, Texas fee schedule).
- Don’t treat a search as approval. Texas says a final determination “cannot be made until the document is received and processed” and advises: “Do not make financial expenditures or execute documents based on a preliminary clearance” (Texas SOS FAQ).
- Register the DBA if you’ll trade under another name. Most states require it, and it doesn’t protect the name by itself (SBA).
- Buy the domain the same day. “If you want an online presence for your business, start by registering a domain name” (SBA).
Questions people ask
Is a business name search free?
It depends on the state. In Texas, for example, a search in the Secretary of State's SOSPortal costs $1, while the Texas Comptroller's franchise tax account status search lets you look up an entity by name. The searches linked on this page are the official ones, not paid look-alike sites.
If my name is free in my state, can I use it everywhere?
Not necessarily. The SBA says an entity name can protect your business name at a state level, while a trademark can protect it at a national level. Search the USPTO trademark database too.
Does registering a DBA protect my business name?
No. The SBA says registering your DBA name doesn't provide legal protection by itself, but most states require you to register a DBA if you use one.
Why do some states link to a home page instead of the search?
We opened every link with an automated check on October 23, 2026. Some state sites block automated visitors with a security screen, so we couldn't confirm their search page. For those we link the official business page and say so on the row. The search usually opens fine in a normal browser.
What if the name I want is already taken?
Change a real word, not just an ending, a plural or punctuation. In Texas, for example, names that differ only by capital letters, punctuation, spaces, articles or repeated letters count as the same, and a different ending or a plural is available only with the other business's notarized consent.
Not legal advice. State websites change often. This page lists the official links as they were on October 23, 2026. A name that’s free in state records can still conflict with a trademark; talk to an attorney before you invest in a name.
Keep going
how to check if a business name is taken · free name check · Texas LLC names · Florida LLC names · free name generator · do I need to trademark my side hustle name?
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