FAQ's: Company Name

Choosing your company name is a matter of your preference. You can choose the name of your company based on the purpose of the business or create a name that is unique and significant to you. You will need to add a corporate/LLC indicator to your name, such as: “Inc.”, “Corp.”, “ Ltd.” or “LLC” etc. You can check our State Specific Information page for details specific to your state. Further you should do a web search on the company name to see if it is being used locally or nationally. You can also search the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to see if anyone has the name registered.

When choosing the name of your company, you should keep in mind that the name you choose may not be available so you should think of and provide 3 names to be searched. Your company name must not be “deceptively similar” to any existing name in that state and must be “distinguishable on the record” of your state. You should also provide the corporate/LLC indicator for type of business you are forming, such as “Inc.”, “Corp.”, “ Ltd.” or “LLC” etc. Please note that there are also some restricted words that either require approval or are not allowed to be used at all. Requirements on what is needed in the name of your business varies by state. You can check our State Specific Information page for details specific to your state. Further, when choosing the name of your business, keep in mind that periods, spaces, comas, and the business type such as LLC, Corp., Etc. will not make the name available if it is similar to other company names.

A name check is the process by which Accumera LLC will check to see if your proposed company name(s) is available. Please note that the name is not guaranteed to be available until it is formally reviewed and filed with the Department of State. We suggest waiting until you have formal confirmation from us before you print letterhead, business cards, or reserve websites. If you need confirmation that a name is available we can prepare and submit a name reservation. Contact us for more details on filing a name reservation.

We have to perform a name check to verify whether the name of the company that you wish to form is available and to make sure that there are no conflicts with any other businesses with that name. If we do not do a name check, it could cause the state to reject the filing which would lead to additional costs and time.

The name check is completed by searching the electronic Department of State database or by calling the Department of State directly for availability.

A name check does not take very long. Name checks are quite simple and normally only take a few minutes to complete.

If the name you choose is not available, you will be asked to provide additional names to be checked. We suggest you provide us with three (3) name choices, in order of preference, to search through the database in case your first choice is not available. If none of the names you choose are available, you will be asked to provide another name which will also be searched.

Most states offer the ability to file a name reservation. A name reservation is a filing done with the Department of State in order to reserve a company name for a specific period of time. You can only reserve a name if it is not already being used by another company. Contact us if you would like us to file a name reservation for you.

Name reservations vary by state. Your business name can be reserved anywhere between 60 and 120 days before you have to reapply with the Department of State. You have the ability to extend or refile the name reservation if needed. You can check our State Specific Information page for details about name reservations in your state. Information will be listed under ‘Company Name”.

Once your company is filed we will notify you via email that the name has been accepted.