Virginia Secretary of State Business Search
You can look up an existing business entity by completing a Virginia business entity search.
Our Virginia Business Search guide will give you instructions for looking up all business types, including corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs).
Recommended: Make sure your business name is available as a website domain. Search GoDaddy and secure your URL.
VA Corporation Search
When you register a corporation in Virginia, you’ll need to complete a name search, follow naming guidelines, and then complete corporation registration documents to officially register your name.
We also recommend searching domain names and trademarks at this time.
Complete a Virginia Business Search
When you start a corporation, you have to make sure your business name is available and distinguishable from other business names.
To verify that your business name is unique, you’ll need to complete a business entity search on the Virginia State Corporation Commission Business Entity Search webpage as well as a Name Availability Check.
TIP: If your potential business name has several words in it, you should also search just the first two words to ensure you pull up all possible similar names.
If you find that your business name isn’t available, we recommend taking a look at our Business Name Generator tool and our How to Name Your Business guide for help with coming up with a unique name.
When choosing a business name you'll need to find out whether or not a good web domain name is available. Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important.
Follow VA Corporation Naming Guidelines
Most business filing rejections are due to business name issues. This happens when the name isn’t distinguishable enough from other business names or when the name doesn’t meet state guidelines.
Virginia Corporation Naming Rules:
- Your corporate name must contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd." Such words and their corresponding abbreviations may be used interchangeably for all purposes.
- Your corporate name must not contain any language stating or implying that the corporation will conduct any of the special kinds of businesses under Virginia law unless it proposes in fact to engage in such special kinds of business.
- The name must not include the word "redevelopment" unless the corporation is organized as an urban redevelopment corporation pursuant under Virginia law.
- The name must not include any word, abbreviation, or combination of characters that states or implies the corporation is a limited liability company or a limited partnership or any word or phrase that is prohibited by law for such corporation.
- The name must be distinguishable from that of any other existing business in the state of Virginia. This includes Virginia reserved names. We will help with this step in the search for your business name section below.
Visit the Virginia corporation naming statute for a full list of naming guidelines.
Virginia LLC Name Search
When you register your LLC in Virginia, you’ll need to complete a name search, follow the naming guidelines, and then complete the LLC registration documents to officially register your name.
We also recommend searching domain names and trademarks at this time.
Complete a Virginia Business Search
When you form an LLC, you have to make sure your business name is available and distinguishable from other business names.
To verify that your business name is unique, you’ll need to complete a business entity search on the Virginia State Corporation Commission Business Entity Search webpage as well as a Name Availability Check.
TIP: If your potential business name has several words in it, you should also search just the first two words to ensure you pull up all possible similar names.
If you find that your business name isn’t available, we recommend taking a look at our LLC Name Generator tool and our How to Name Your Business guide for help with coming up with a unique name.
When choosing a business name you'll need to find out whether or not a good web domain name is available. Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important.
US Trademark Search
A quick search on the U.S. Trademark Electronic Search System will tell you whether someone else has trademarked your name. The cost of trademarking a name is usually too high for a startup business, but it’s good to know if your name is already taken.
To learn more about trademarks and the steps you will need to get one, read our How to Trademark Your Business guide.
Follow VA LLC Naming Guidelines
Most LLC filing rejections are due to business name issues. This happens when the name isn’t distinguishable enough from other business names or when the name doesn’t meet state guidelines.
Virginia Naming Guidelines:
- The name of your limited liability company must contain the words "limited company" or "limited liability company" or their abbreviations "L.C.," "LC," "L.L.C.," or "LLC."
- The name must not contain any word, abbreviation, or combination of characters that states or implies the limited liability company is a corporation or a limited partnership or any word or phrase the use of which is prohibited by law for such company.
- The name must be distinguishable from that of any other existing business in the state of Virginia. This includes Virginia reserved names. We will help with this step in the search for your business name section below.
Visit the Virginia LLC naming statute for a full list of naming guidelines.
VA Secretary of State Business Entity Search
If you need to search existing business entities in Virginia, visit the Virginia State Corporation Commission Business Entity Search and include any info you have on the business in the search cells.
VA Business Search FAQ
How do I name a small business?
Naming a small business is often a do-it-yourself job. Small business startup budgets usually won’t support hiring someone to help name your business. For easy step-by-step instructions on naming your small business, visit our How to Name a Business guide.
How do I come up with a catchy business name?
The first step to naming your business is figuring out what business structure you will use for your new company. After that, you will brainstorm at least 4-5 possible names. The more you brainstorm the better. Once you have some names, you can test the names against best practices, name availability, and state guidelines.
Not sure what to name your business? Check out our LLC Name Generator.
Should you name your business after yourself?
Naming your business after yourself has its benefits. Unless you have a name like John Smith, your name can help you find a .com domain name. If you are coming up with innovative ideas or a new approach, using your name can help create a strong brand.
There are also reasons NOT to name your business after yourself. If you don’t want to be the face and name of your business, it won’t work. If your type of client or customer base would prefer a company name, then you should give them a company name to work with.
If you want your business to someday run on its own, without you working there every day, then you shouldn’t use your name.
Can I sell my trademark or buy someone else’s?
Yes, you can sell or buy a trademark. A trademark is considered intellectual property which means it can be sold like property. It’s important to consult with an attorney before buying or selling intellectual property, especially trademarks.
Is my trademark application public?
Yes, your trademark application, including your personal identification information, is public. By law, your trademark information must be easily searchable by the public.
Where should I buy a domain name?
Our top choice in web hosting and domain registrars is GoDaddy. We like their domain search tool— you can search for the exact name you want or make suggestions based on keywords and available names. There are also several other companies to choose from that will provide a good experience.
Visit GoDaddy to search for domain names.
Can I put the word “company” in my business name?
Yes, you can. Neither the term “company” nor any of its abbreviations has any legal connotations. A company is simply an association of individuals.
Do I have to write “LLC” after my company name?
If you choose to use a limited liability company structure for your new business, most states will require that you use LLC after the name. You can also use the full term limited liability company.
If you are marketing your business, you usually don’t have to use LLC after the name.