Minnesota LLC Name Search
You'll need to complete a Minnesota LLC name search to check name availability for your business.
We’ll help you start your Minnesota LLC with a unique and legally compliant name that reflects your brand.
Recommended: Northwest ($29 + State Fees) will register your business name when you form an LLC.
Check LLC Name Availability in Minnesota
1. Do a Minnesota Business Name Search
You can use Minnesota’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.” 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.
If you file online you will automatically be prompted to search your desired business name. 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 Minnesota Naming Guidelines
When you're starting a limited liability company (LLC) in Minnesota, the name of your company plays a crucial role. It's important to choose a name that is unique and follows the state's naming guidelines. Below are the important rules and regulations you should follow.
Standardizing Business Names
In the process of standardizing business names:
- Replace '&' with “and.”
- Remove all characters (including spaces), excluding 0-9 and A-Z.
- Names will be evaluated up to 250 characters.
Unique Business Name Criteria
Your business name can be distinguished in several ways:
- Plural forms of words – e.g., "Fine Line Inc" vs. "Fine Lines Inc."
- Use of Roman numerals – e.g., "One" vs. "I"; "Two" vs. "II"
- Numerals vs. words – e.g., "1" vs. "One"; "2" vs. "Two"
- Use of contractions – e.g., "Ass’n" vs. "Association"; "Nat’l" vs. "National"
- Obvious misspellings – e.g., "Concep" vs. "Concept"; "Kwik" vs. "Quick"
- Variations of words – e.g., "EZ" vs. "Easy"; "Hair" vs. "Hare"
- Abbreviations – e.g., "Mr." vs. "Mister"; "St." vs. "Saint"
- Elimination of prepositions and conjunctions – e.g., "Into the Night Co." vs. "To the Night Co."
- Entity designations – e.g., "Edwards LLC" vs. "Edwards Inc."
Not sure what to name your business? Check out our LLC Name Generator.
Registering Your Minnesota Business Name
Once you choose an available name for your Minnesota LLC, it’s time to either register it officially or reserve it for later use.
Register Your Minnesota LLC Name
Registering your LLC name in Minnesota is a straightforward task. Your business name becomes officially registered when you file the Minnesota Articles of Organization. This pivotal document signifies the formal initiation of your business in the state.
The Minnesota Secretary of State's website provides detailed instructions on how to fill out the form and pay the necessary state filing fee.
If you opt for a professional LLC formation service, they can handle the registration of your LLC name and the formation of your LLC, making your journey simpler. To learn more, refer to our Best LLC Services review.
Reserve Your Minnesota Business Entity Name
Minnesota’s Secretary of State Business and Liens Division handles all LLC naming questions and requests. Business names can be reserved for twelve months from the date the application is filed and may be renewed for another twelve months. 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.
To reserve a business name, you must file an application online or by mail. If you file online you will also need to create an account with the Business and Liens System. When reserving your name, you will have to pay a filing fee. Checks must be made out to the “MN Secretary of State.”
After choosing a name for your LLC, take the next step and create a unique logo with our Free Logo Generator.
Minnesota Request for Reservation of Name
File Online with the Minnesota Secretary of State
File Online- OR -
File by Mail or In-Person
Download FormFee: $55 online and in-person, $35 by mail
File In-Person or Mail to:
Minnesota Secretary of State - Business Services
Retirement Systems of Minnesota Building
60 Empire Drive, Suite 100
St Paul, MN 55103
Considering Using an LLC Formation Service?
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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 Minnesota’s trademark records by using the Business Entity Search 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 Minnesota'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 with a Request for Reservation of 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.
FAQs
To verify an LLC name's availability in Minnesota, use the Minnesota Secretary of State's online business search tool. Enter the proposed LLC name into the search bar and review the list of results to ensure your chosen name isn't already registered.
By executing a Minnesota LLC name search, you verify your proposed LLC name's uniqueness within the state. This key step helps avoid possible legal conflicts or trademark infringement cases, which may arise if your chosen name is too similar to an existing business's.
Yes, you should perform a Minnesota LLC name search while brainstorming the name for your LLC. If there's a delay between your last search and when you plan to register the name, ensure you conduct another search to reconfirm its availability.
In Minnesota, your LLC name should be unique, must include "Limited Liability Company", "LLC", or "L.L.C.", and should not contain words that could confuse the public about your LLC's affiliation with a government agency or suggest a purpose it does not serve.
While you cannot directly reserve a name through the search tool, if you've confirmed that your desired LLC name is available through a Minnesota LLC name search, you can reserve the name for 12 months by filing a Name Reservation application with the Minnesota Secretary of State and paying the associated fee.