Arizona LLC Name Search
To conduct an Arizona LLC name search, you will need to use the Arizona Business Center (the state’s new online filing portal). This will allow you to verify the availability of your desired business name and ensure it meets the state’s distinguishability requirements before filing your formation documents.
Found the perfect name? Make sure it’s available as a web domain and secure it today with GoDaddy.
Arizona LLC Name Search Quick Summary
- To find out if your desired Arizona LLC name is available, you’ll need to conduct a business entity search through the state’s official Arizona Business Center database.
- You can do this through the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) website by selecting “Check Entity Name Availability” and entering your name into the search field.
- Remember that simply changing the legal designator (like “LLC”) or adding punctuation does not make a name unique in the state of Arizona.
- If your search returns no matching results, your name is likely available and you can move forward with either reserving it for 120 days or filing your Articles of Organization.
- Make sure to also check the Arizona Secretary of State trademark database and the USPTO website to confirm that your name doesn’t infringe on any state or federal trademarks.
- Keep in mind that your final LLC name must include a legal designator like “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC” in order to be accepted by the state of Arizona.
- It’s also good practice to check for available website domains and social media handles at the same time to ensure your brand is consistent and available across all platforms.
Check LLC Name Availability in Arizona
1. Do an Arizona Business Name Search
Use the Arizona Corporation Commission’s 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”, and leave all other boxes blank.
This will return all entities using the same or similar names. If you can’t find the name in your search, that means the name has not been taken and is available for you to use.
NOTE: The Arizona Corporation Commission is not in charge of trade name filings; instead, the Secretary of State handles registration, renewal, and cancellations.
2. Search Available Domain Names
Having a web domain name that clearly matches your business name is important. This seemingly small step can make a big difference in how prospective customers find your business, especially since Google data shows that 76% of local smartphone searches result in a visit within 24 hours.
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 Arizona Naming Guidelines
Setting up a limited liability company (LLC) in Arizona requires adherence to specific naming regulations as outlined by the state. This section will help you understand the requirements clearly.
Arizona LLC Naming Guidelines
Non-Professional LLCs
For non-professional LLCs (i.e., LLCs that do not require a professional owner such as a licensed doctor or lawyer), the following requirements apply:
- The name must include the words “limited liability company” or “limited company”. Alternatively, the abbreviations “L.L.C.”, “L.C.”, “LLC”, or “LC” can be used. If the proposed LLC name does not contain any of these, one must be added.
- The name should not contain words like “association”, “corporation”, “incorporated”, or their abbreviations.
Professional LLCs
If you are establishing a professional LLC (PLLC), the name:
- Must not conflict with any of the rules for non-professional LLCs.
- Should contain the words “professional limited liability company” or the abbreviations “P.L.L.C.”, “P.L.C.”, “PLLC”, or “PLC”, in either upper or lower case letters.
Distinguishability of Entity Names
Per the latest statute revisions, an LLC name should be “distinguishable” from existing entity and trade names on file with the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Arizona Secretary of State. The name is “distinguishable” if it’s different in any significant way. However, some minor differences are disregarded. These include:
- Entity identifiers (Inc, LLC, Corporation, etc.)
- Spaces between words
- Specific punctuation
- Case of the letters
- Use of ampersand (&) versus “and”
- Use of Arabic numerals (1,2,3, etc) and words representing these numerals
- Use of the articles “a,” “an,” and “the”
Meanwhile, the following features DO make a name distinguishable:
- Different order of the same words
- Words spelled differently or creatively
- Abbreviations and unabbreviated versions of the same words
- The use of specific letters and symbols (A-Z, %, $, +, =, @)
- Roman numbers
- The use of the word “Arizona”
- The plural form of a word
- Words in a foreign language
Not sure what to name your business? Check out our LLC Name Generator.
Registering Your Arizona Business Name
Arizona does not require you to reserve a business name before submitting your Articles of Organization. This efficient process makes registering your business name and starting your LLC simultaneously possible.
Register Your Arizona LLC
In Arizona, registering your LLC name is a convenient task. You’ll officially register your business name while filing the Arizona Articles of Organization. This critical document signifies the formal inception of your business in the state.
The Arizona Corporation Commission’s website provides a detailed guide on how to complete the form and pay the necessary state filing fee.
Form an LLC
If you’ve verified your domain name and are good to go, we recommend using a professional LLC formation service like ZenBusiness ($0+ State Fees).
Reserve Your Arizona Business Entity Name
While not required, you have the option to reserve your chosen name by filing a Certificate of Name Reservation. This is a smart move if you aren’t ready to form your LLC yet but want to ensure your name is locked in and available for future use.
When reserving your name, you will have to pay a filing fee. You can file either online or by mail, each option having 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.
Arizona Application to Reserve LLC Name
File Online with the Arizona Corporation Commission
– OR –
File by Mail or In-Person
Fee: $45 (online), $10 (by mail or in-person)
Expedited Mailing Fee: $35
Mail or File In-Person at:
Arizona Corporation Commission
Corporate Filings Section
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Other Considerations
While reserving the name for your Arizona 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 Arizona’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. To do this, you can search for your business name on each major site, or use a tool such as Namecheckerr 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 Arizona’s Business Entity Search, you’ll want to secure your domain name so that your customers will be able to find your business online. With your name secured, you will be ready to take the next steps to formalize your LLC.
FAQs
You can perform an Arizona LLC name search by visiting the Arizona Business Center website. Input the desired LLC name into the search bar and review the results to ensure it is unique and available.
Performing an Arizona LLC name search is important to confirm that your proposed LLC name isn’t already used by another business in Arizona. This can help prevent potential legal disputes and trademark issues in the future.
An Arizona LLC name search should be performed whenever you’re considering a new name for your LLC. Additionally, if a significant amount of time has passed since your last search and you have not registered the name, it’s advisable to search again before registration.
In Arizona, your LLC name must end with “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.,” and it must be distinguishable from other businesses. It cannot include words that may confuse it with a government agency or suggest it serves a purpose it does not.
Yes, once you’ve confirmed the availability of your preferred name, you can reserve it for 120 days by filing a name reservation application with the Arizona Corporation Commission and paying the required fee.
Your LLC name is the official legal title of your business that provides liability protection, and it is registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission. A Trade Name, often called a DBA or “Doing Business As,” is simply a secondary name you use for branding or marketing purposes, and it must be registered separately with the Arizona Secretary of State.
No, name reservation is completely optional in Arizona. You can file your Articles of Organization immediately without a reservation. However, if you have a name you want to secure but are not quite ready to file your official formation documents, reserving it can hold the name for 120 days.
No. Unlike most other states, Arizona does not require you to file an annual report or pay an annual fee to maintain your LLC. However, you are still required to keep your entity information, such as your principal address and statutory agent details, updated with the ACC to remain in good standing.
Yes. You must select a statutory agent (often referred to as a registered agent in other states) when you officially register your LLC. For context, this is a person or service designated to accept legal mail and official government correspondence on behalf of your business, and they must have a physical address in Arizona.