Check you State Website for Name Availability Guide

Step-by-step guide: Check your state website to see if a business name is available

Before you start (2 minutes)

  1. Write your top 3–5 name options.

  2. Write common variations you might use:

    • With/without “The”

    • Singular vs plural (Studio vs Studios)

    • Spacing/punctuation (Blue Sky vs BlueSky)

    • Common misspellings

1) Find your state’s official business name search page

  1. Open Google (or your browser).

  2. Search: “[Your State] business entity search”
    Examples:

    • “Colorado business entity search”

    • “Texas SOS entity search”

  3. Click the result that is an official state site, usually:

    • Secretary of State (SOS)

    • Department of State

    • Corporation Commission
      (Look for a .gov domain when possible.)

2) Choose the correct search tool

On the state site, look for one of these:

  • Business Entity Search

  • Business Name Availability

  • Corporations Search

  • Entity/Organization Search

  • UCC / Corporate Database (sometimes combined)

If the state offers multiple search types, choose Business Entities / Corporations.

3) Run a broad search first (most important step)

  1. Enter your name using only the key words (not the enders).

    • Instead of: “Sage River Consulting LLC”

    • Search: “Sage River” or even just “Sage”

  2. Run the search.

Why broad first? States often treat similar names as “confusingly similar,” even if the ender or punctuation changes.

4) Review results the right way

When results appear, check for:

  1. Exact matches (same words)

  2. Confusingly similar matches, such as:

    • Same words in different order (“River Sage” vs “Sage River”)

    • Plural/singular (“Studio” vs “Studios”)

    • Spacing changes (“BlueSky” vs “Blue Sky”)

    • Phonetic matches (“4U” vs “For You”)

  3. Status of existing names:

    • Active / In Good Standing (usually a strong conflict)

    • Dissolved / Inactive (may still conflict depending on your state rules)

If you see anything very similar and active, assume you may need a different name.

5) Search again with variations

Repeat the search using:

  1. The full name (including ender): “Sage River Consulting”

  2. Each keyword separately: “Sage”, “River”

  3. Alternate spelling/spacing: “SageRiver”, “Sage-River”

Take notes of anything close.

6) Click into any similar results

Open the record and look for:

  • Entity name

  • Entity type (LLC, Corporation, Nonprofit, etc.)

  • Status

  • Formation date

  • Sometimes registered agent and address (informational)

This helps you judge how “close” it is and whether it’s currently in use.

7) Check name rules (quick scan)

Most states have “naming rules” pages. On the same site, search for:

  • “Name availability”

  • “Naming requirements”

  • “Distinguishable name”

  • “Confusingly similar”

Skim for rules on:

  • Required words (LLC, Inc., etc.)

  • Restricted words (Bank, Insurance, University, etc.)

  • Whether inactive names still block you

8) Don’t forget DBAs / assumed names (important in many states)

Even if an LLC name is available, a DBA (Doing Business As) or assumed name may already be in use.

On your state site (or sometimes the county clerk site), search for:

  • Assumed Name Search

  • Trade Name Search

  • Fictitious Name Search

  • DBA Search

If your state doesn’t manage DBAs centrally, check your county clerk website for a DBA index.

9) Save proof of what you found

  1. Take a screenshot of:

    • Your search terms

    • The results page (showing “no results” or the closest matches)

  2. Save the URL or print to PDF (optional)

This is useful if you’re working with a client or filing soon.

10) If it looks available, do these last checks (recommended)

Name availability on the state site doesn’t guarantee branding availability.

  • Check domain: yourname.com

  • Check social handles: Instagram/TikTok/Facebook

  • Do a Google search: "Your Name" + your industry

Quick decision guide

  • No similar results → Strong candidate

  • Similar + Active → Pick a new name or change keywords

  • Similar + Inactive → Maybe, but verify your state’s “distinguishable” rules