Massachusetts LLC Name Search

Check LLC Name Availability in Massachusetts

1. Do a Massachusetts Business Name Search

You can use Massachusetts’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 your business name is several words, you can even search just the first two words to ensure you pull up all possible similar names.

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 Massachusetts Naming Guidelines

When starting a business in Massachusetts, it’s important to choose a name that complies with the state’s guidelines for limited liability companies (LLCs). These requirements are outlined below.

Name Components

Every LLC in Massachusetts needs to have a specific component in its name to clearly indicate its business structure. The name of your LLC:

• Must include “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or one of the following abbreviations: “L.L.C.,” “L.C.,” “LLC,” or “LC.”
• Can include the name of a member or manager of the LLC.

Unique and Distinguishable Names

Your chosen LLC name should be unique and not misleadingly similar to any other existing business name. The name must be distinguishable from:

• Any corporation, limited partnership, or LLC organized under the laws of Massachusetts.
• Any foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, or foreign LLC registered in Massachusetts.

You may use a name that is similar to another organization’s name only if you obtain written consent from that organization. The consent document should be previously filed with the State Secretary.

Choosing a name that meets all the guidelines outlined by Massachusetts will ensure a smoother registration process. It’s recommended that entrepreneurs verify the availability of their chosen name before proceeding with the rest of their LLC registration.

Registering Your Massachusetts Business Name

Whether you’re ready to launch or still laying the groundwork, let’s take a look at how to both reserve and register your LLC’s name with the state.

Register Your Massachusetts LLC

In Massachusetts, registering your LLC name is a fairly straightforward task. Your business name gets officially registered when you file the Massachusetts Certificate of Organization. This vital document signifies the formal commencement of your business within the state.

The Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth’s website provides detailed instructions on how to fill out the form and pay the necessary state filing fee.

Reserve Your Massachusetts Business Entity Name

Massachusetts’s Secretary of the Commonwealth Corporations Division handles all LLC naming questions and requests. Business names can be reserved for 60 days. Reservations may be extended for an extra 60 days with an additional $30.

Massachusetts’s online Business Resources can be found on their website. To reserve a business name, you must file an application in person or by mail. When reserving your name, you will have to pay a filing fee. Checks must be made out to the “Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Massachusetts Business Name Reservation

File by Mail

Download Form

Filing Fee: $30

Mail to:

Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1717
Boston, Massachusetts 02108

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 Massachusetts’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

According to recent data from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts now processes over 67,000 new business registrations per year. 

With this volume, finding a distinguishable name for your Massachusetts LLC is more competitive than ever. Even so, don’t rush the process or settle for the first available name you find. Take the time to choose something memorable that reflects your brand, works as a domain, and won’t limit you as your business grows.