LLC Name Availability Check
Check whether your LLC name is available — free, using your state's official search, with the rules, fees, and traps for your state explained in plain English.
Florida, Texas, California and most states will not tell you in one place whether the LLC name you want is actually usable. The official search is free in every state we cover — but each state hides it in a different system, under a different agency, with different rules for what counts as "too similar." This site walks you through the real check, state by state, in plain English.
How a proper LLC name check works
- Search the official state registry. Only the state's own database counts. Third-party "name search" sites resell or approximate this free data.
- Judge the matches against your state's rules. Every state requires an "LLC" designator and a name that is distinguishable from existing records — but what counts as distinguishable varies a lot by state.
- Check federal trademarks. A name can be wide open with the state and still infringe someone's trademark. The USPTO search is free too.
- Check the domain name. If the matching .com is taken by a competitor, you may want a different name before you build a brand on it.
- File. Either file it yourself on the official state site (cheapest — you pay only the state fee) or pay a formation service to handle the paperwork.
Pick your state
We launch with the ten highest-formation states. Every guide was built by running that state's actual official search and reading its actual name rules — the portal quirks, the fees, the deadlines, and the traps.
Don't see your state yet? More states are added only after we have verified them the same hands-on way — we would rather cover ten states accurately than fifty states approximately.
Do it yourself, or pay a service?
Do it yourself (free)
- You pay only the state filing fee — nothing more.
- You fill in the state's own online form. For a simple LLC it is usually one short form.
- You are your own registered agent if your state allows it, or you appoint one.
- Best if: your situation is simple and you are comfortable following the state's steps. Every state guide here links the official filing page and lists the exact fee.
Pay a formation service
- The service prepares and files the same documents for its own fee, on top of the same state fee.
- Most also act as your registered agent and send compliance reminders.
- Best if: you want the paperwork handled, or you want a registered agent who is not you.
- Examples: Northwest Registered Agent, ZenBusiness, Inc Authority, Tailor Brands. Please read our affiliate disclosure for how links like these may support this site.
Either way, the money you pay the state is the same. A service charges for convenience and extras — never for a better chance of your name being approved.
What this site is — and is not
- Free, no sign-up. Every guide and the checklist tool are free. The tool runs in your browser; we never see the name you type.
- Independent. This site is not affiliated with any government agency. We link you to the official state sites for searching and filing.
- Hands-on verified. Each state page shows the date it was last verified and cites the official sources and statutes behind it. See How We Test.
- Not legal advice. A clean search is a strong signal, not a guarantee — the state decides when your filing is reviewed. For a high-stakes name, a trademark attorney is money well spent.
Name-Check Workflow Tool
Pick your state, choose your entity type, and type the name you want. The tool builds your step-by-step checklist — the official search, the trademark check, the domain check, and your filing options. It runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.