New Jersey LLC Name Search

You can check name availability for your new business by doing a New Jersey LLC name search.

We’ll help you establish your New Jersey LLC with a distinctive and legally recognized name.

Recommended: Northwest ($29 + State Fees) will register your business name when you form an LLC.

Check LLC Name Availability in New Jersey

1. Do a New Jersey Business Name Search

You can use the New Jersey Business Entity Search to check the availability of your desired name.

To perform the most effective search, type in the name you would like to use, excluding identifiers like “LLC.” This will return all entities using the same or similar names. If your business name is several words, you can even search just the first two words to ensure you pull up all possible similar names.

Be sure to conduct a thorough search before completing your paperwork to avoid rejection.

2. Search Available Domain Names

Another important consideration to make when selecting a business name is whether or not your desired web domain name is available.

Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important. This seemingly small step can make a big difference in how prospective customers find your business.

The best way to determine if your desired URL is available is to search for it online using your preferred domain registry, such as GoDaddy.

3. Follow New Jersey Naming Guidelines

These are the guidelines as set forth by the state of New Jersey for naming an LLC.

Business Entity Identifier

When naming your business in New Jersey, it's important to include a business entity identifier to indicate the type of entity you are forming. For a limited liability company (LLC), your business name must contain one of the following:

• "Limited Liability Company"
• "LLC"
• "L.L.C."

You can also use the abbreviations "Ltd." and "Co." For example, a valid business name could be "ABC Plumbing Ltd."

Distinguishability

New Jersey law requires that your business name be distinguishable from any other active business name or reserved name in the state. 

This means your name should not be too similar to existing business names to avoid confusion among consumers. 

Conducting a thorough search of existing business names is recommended to ensure your proposed name is unique and distinguishable.

Acceptable Words/Terms

When selecting a business name, be cautious not to include words or terms that falsely imply a connection to a regulated industry for which you do not have the necessary authority to operate. Examples of such terms include "bank," "university," "insurance," and "police." 

Using these terms in your business name without proper authorization may mislead customers and violate New Jersey regulations.

Not sure what to name your business? Check out our LLC Name Generator.

Registering Your New Jersey Business Name

Whether you're prepared to launch your LLC or still in the planning phase, the next step is to secure your business name.

Register Your New Jersey LLC Name

Registering your LLC name in New Jersey is a relatively straightforward task. Your business name becomes officially registered when you file the New Jersey Certificate of Formation. This critical document marks the formal establishment of your business in the state.

The New Jersey Division of Revenue's website provides detailed instructions on how to fill out the form and pay the necessary state filing fee.

Keep in mind: Utilizing a professional LLC formation service can simplify the process by handling the registration of your LLC name and the establishment of your LLC. To learn more, refer to our Best LLC Services review.

Reserve Your New Jersey Business Entity Name

New Jersey’s Secretary of State Department of the Treasury handles all LLC naming questions and requests. Business names can be reserved for 120 days for domestic entities. Foreign entities will have names reserved until the end of the calendar year. If you have yet to form your business entity using the reserved name when the business name reservation expires, you may renew the name reservation.

When reserving your name, you will have to pay a filing fee. You can file either online or by mail, each option has its own advantages. While you will end up paying more if you file online, your application will be expedited and have special priority. If you want to keep your filing costs down, you may want to consider filing a paper application by mail instead.

After choosing a name for your LLC, take the next step and create a unique logo with our Free Logo Generator.

New Jersey Name Reservation

File Online with the State of New Jersey

- OR -

File by Mail

The fee is $50 by mail or online and cheques must be made out to the “Treasurer, State of New Jersey.” For expedited services add $25.

Mail to:
NJ Division of Revenue,
PO Box 308, Trenton, NJ 08646

Considering Using an LLC Formation Service?

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Find out which is best for you.

Other Considerations

While reserving the name for your LLC is straightforward, there are some other things you should think about when choosing the best name for your business. You may want to do a Trademark and Social Media search for your name to see if it's available for use across the internet. This will help ensure you have full, unrestricted use of your business name.

Trademark Search

Conducting a trademark search of your business name and associated slogans or logos before registering can help prevent costly litigation in the future. Discovering that another entity has trademarked your business name does not automatically disqualify you from using it.

However, it is important to know who is using the name, what industry they operate in, and where they are located to be sure you do not inadvertently infringe upon anyone’s intellectual property rights.

To complete this step: 

• Search New Jersey’s trademark records to see if your business name or associated slogans, logos, or others are in use by another business in your state. 
• Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s electronic records to find any federally registered trademarks associated with your business name.

Social Media Search

Just as important, or more so, than finding a domain name that fits your business is ensuring that your business name is available for use across social media platforms. You can do this by simply searching your business name on each major site, or use a tool such as Namecheckr to search across all platforms at once.

Bottom Line

Having a name for your business is an important first step for creating a successful LLC, and one that is incredibly easy to do. Once you have found your preferred name using New Jersey's Business Entity Search, you'll want to secure your domain name so that your customers will be able to find your business online. Reserving your name will help you stand out from the competition. With your name secured, you will be ready to take the next steps to formalize your LLC.

What's Next?

Now that you have your name, it's time to take the next steps to establish your LLC. Check out our full guide on how to form an LLC in New Jersey, where we can guide you every step of the way.

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