Louisiana LLC Name Search
To find out if your desired business name is available, you’ll need to perform a Louisiana LLC name search. You can do this online using the Louisiana Secretary of State’s free Commercial Search database.
Found the perfect name? Make sure it’s available as a web domain and secure it today with GoDaddy.
Louisiana LLC Name Search Quick Summary
- You can check if your desired Louisiana LLC name is available through the Secretary of State’s Commercial Search database.
- To search, enter your desired business name into the “Search by Entity Name” field and look at the results to see if any businesses are using the same or a similar name.
- You can also search the database using alternative methods like Officer Name, Agent Name, or Charter Number if you need to find specific businesses.
- If your search returns no matching results, your name is likely available and you can move forward with either reserving it or filing your LLC formation documents.
- If you do find similar names, make sure to review them by clicking the “Details” button to check each business’s current status (i.e., active, inactive, merged).
- Once you confirm that your desired LLC name is available, you can move forward with filing your LLC formation documents through the Louisiana GeauxBIZ portal.
- If you aren’t ready to start your business yet, you can also reserve your name for 120 days by paying a $25 fee through the Louisiana Secretary of State.
- 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 Louisiana.
- Before registering your LLC name, it’s a good idea to check for a matching domain name and social media handles to make sure you can build a consistent online presence for your brand.
Check LLC Name Availability in Louisiana
1. Do a Louisiana Business Name Search
You can use Louisiana’s Business Filings 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 Louisiana Naming Guidelines
When creating a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Louisiana, there are a few important state naming guidelines that you should be aware of. Here are the main rules to keep in mind:
LLC Identifier
The name of your company must include the term “limited liability company” or its abbreviations “L.L.C.” or “L.C”. For low-profit LLCs, the options include “low-profit limited liability company”, “L3C”, or “l3c”. Keep in mind that the state does not accept ‘LLC’ or ‘LC’ without punctuation, which means that your official name will need to include ‘L.L.C.’ or ‘L.C.’ with the periods.
Lawful Names
The name should not indicate or imply any unlawful purpose, nor should it contradict the company’s articles of organization. You cannot include the phrase “doing business as” or the abbreviation “d/b/a” in the name.
Unique Names
The chosen name must be distinguishable from other registered business entities in the state of Louisiana. This includes corporations, partnerships, other LLCs, reserved names, or trade names. If the name is not unique, exceptions may be granted under certain conditions.
Government Implications
The name should not suggest that the LLC is a government agency, at either the state or federal level.
Offensive or Misleading Language
Avoid using words or phrases that may be deemed immoral, deceptive, or scandalous. Also, the name should not suggest a charitable or non-profit nature unless it’s accurate.
Professional Terms
If your LLC name includes words like “engineer”, “engineering”, “surveyor”, “surveying”, or derivatives thereof, you need to notify the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board at least ten days before the certificate of organization issuance.
Financial Terms
If your LLC name contains words like “bank”, “banker”, “banking”, “savings”, “safe deposit”, “trust”, “trustee”, “building and loan”, “homestead”, or “credit union”, you’ll need approval from the Commissioner of the Office of Financial Institutions.
Insurance Terms
The word “insurance” can only be included in the name if the LLC is an independent insurance agency or brokerage firm.
Please remember, a name violation doesn’t invalidate the existence of an LLC, but the state or any interested parties may apply to a court to stop an LLC from doing business under a violating name. It’s advisable to follow the naming rules to avoid any legal implications.
Not sure what to name your business? Check out our LLC Name Generator.
Registering Your Louisiana Business Name
Regardless of whether you’re ready to launch your LLC or are still in the planning phase, we’re here to guide you through the process.
Register Your Louisiana LLC
Registering your LLC name in Louisiana is a relatively straightforward task. The official registration of your business name occurs when you file your LLC’s Articles of Organization. This significant document signifies the formal establishment of your LLC in the state.
The Louisiana Secretary of State’s website offers comprehensive instructions on how to fill out 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 Louisiana Business Entity Name
Louisiana’s Secretary of State Commercial Division handles all LLC naming questions and requests. Business names can be reserved for 120 days.
To reserve a business name online you will need to create a GeauxBiz account. You can also file an application by mail. Be sure to conduct a thorough search before completing your application to avoid rejection.
When reserving your name, you will have to pay a filing fee. Checks must be made out to the “Secretary of State.”
After choosing a name for your LLC, take the next step and create a unique logo with our Free Logo Generator.
Louisiana Application for Reservation of Name
File Online with GeauxBiz
– OR –
File by Mail
DOWNLOAD FORMFee: $25 + $30 for 24-hour filing or $50 for 2-4 hour processing (optional)
Mail to:
Commercial Division
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
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 Louisiana’s trademark records by using the Business Filings 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. 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 Small Business Administration, Louisiana is now home to over 511,000 active small businesses operating in the state.
With this volume, finding a distinguishable name for your Louisiana LLC can seem more competitive than ever.
Even so, you shouldn’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.
FAQs
You can perform an LLC name search in Louisiana by visiting the Louisiana Secretary of State’s business search portal. Input your proposed LLC name into the search bar and review the generated list to verify that your chosen name is unique and not already taken.
By conducting a Louisiana LLC name search, you ensure your proposed LLC name is unique within the state. This step is critical to avoid possible legal disputes and trademark infringement cases, which could occur if your LLC name is too similar to that of an existing business.
It’s recommended to conduct a Louisiana LLC name search during the early planning stages of your LLC. However, if a significant amount of time has passed since your last search and the name has not been registered, a new search should be done before registration.
Yes, in Louisiana, your LLC name must be unique, should include “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.,” and cannot contain words that may confuse it with a government agency or suggest a purpose it does not serve.
Yes, once your desired LLC name is confirmed as available through the Louisiana LLC name search, you can reserve it by filing a Name Reservation application with the Louisiana Secretary of State and paying the required fee. This reservation lasts for 120 days.
Yes. If you want to operate under a name different from your official registered LLC name, you must file a Trade Name (often called a “DBA” or “Doing Business As”) with the Louisiana Secretary of State. Keep in mind that trade name registrations are valid for 10 years and require a $75 filing fee through the GeauxBIZ portal.
In Louisiana, only names that are substantially different in spelling, wording, or overall impression from existing registered entities are considered distinguishable by the Secretary of State. Minor changes like grammar, punctuation, or entity identifiers aren’t enough to make a name distinguishable.
Yes, performing a preliminary name availability search on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Commercial Database is completely free. You will only pay fees when you are ready to officially reserve a name ($25) or file your LLC Articles of Organization.