Forming an LLC requires a different business name, which must be unique and adheres to the guidelines. The great thing is Washington State’s Secretary of State page includes a name availability checker. Check out LLC Name Search to learn more.
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in learning more about starting a Washington State LLC or forming an LLC in general, you can check out How to Start an LLC.
On this page, you’ll learn about the following:
How to Name an LLC in Washington State
Time needed: 5 minutes.
There are guidelines to follow in doing a Washington State LLC name search. To learn more, check out LLC Naming Guidelines or read Foreign LLC Application for Registration if you’re planning to register a foreign LLC.
- Check Name Availability
Search the Business Entity Records in Washington State’s Official Secretary of State page to check if your chosen business name is available. You may also try typing your trademark, business, or domain name on any search engine to generate businesses with similar names and to ensure your trademark is unique and meets the state’s requirements.
Check out How to File a DBA to learn more about registering a DBA or trademark. For social media pages, use Social Searcher to avoid using similar page names. - Check Domain Availability
If your business name is still available, you must register for a domain name using Namecheap, Google Workspace, or other domain name sites. So customers can easily find your business over the Internet. Use the Kinsta app to manage your domains efficiently.
- File Name Reservation
A Name Reservation Certificate is required along with a Certificate of Formation. You can reserve a name online, by mail, or in person with a $30 filing fee (plus tax for online).
File your Certificate of Formation online on the Secretary of State Online Services page of Washington State. You may also download the pdf file of the Name reservation form and submit it with the processing fee to Secretary of State Corporation Division 801 Capitol Way S P.O. Box 40234 Olympia, Washington 98504-0234.
Guidelines to Follow in Naming LLC
- Use a business name with the abbreviation “LLC” or the phrase “Limited Liability Company.”
- Your decided business name must not coincide with any existing government entity. Otherwise, you might have to face legal lawsuits when filing your LLC.
- Use the LLC name availability checker to ensure your business name is unique.
- Get a license first if you plan on using restricted words to avoid any complications.
Note that you must put adequate effort into naming your LLC because this name will be with your business for a long time. Making your LLC name unique is vital as it would prevent people from confusing your business with others, not to mention it would be easier for them to recall your business, products, or services.
How to Do Washington LLC Online Name Search
Business names are equally important. You are required to select a name that is appealing as well as that follows certain guidelines. To check for the name availability, you can try the Washington LLC name search option. Following are the ways in which you can search for any business entity.
By Business Name
To search by the business name, you need to provide the details like business type, business status, and expiration date along with the name of the business in the fields provided. For more refined results, you can also provide a start and end date of registration. Once you press enter, you will get the details of the business entity.
By Registered Agent
Another way to try a business search is by the agent’s name. You need to provide the name of the agent in the search field. You can also provide an address in the search tab. Once you click or press enter, you will get the information about the business registered with the agent’s name provided.
By Governor Name
You can also search for the business entity name by the governor’s name. You have to enter the name in the field provided and press enter.
By Trademark
One more method to search for a business entity name is the trademark search. You have to provide the details like trademark owner name, trademark status, trademark text, etc., and click on the search button. The results displayed will help you in selecting the business name.
How Do I Reserve an LLC Name in Washington
To reserve an LLC name in Washington you need to submit a name reservation request form to the Washington Secretary of State by mail or online by paying a filing fee of $30. It can be expedited by paying an additional amount.
Starting a new business is an exciting and challenging endeavor. One of the crucial steps in the process is reserving a business name. Registering for an LLC name protects your business from any potential legal issues related to the use of an already taken name.
Choosing the right name for your LLC is important because it represents your business brand. Several steps need to be carried out when reserving an LLC name in Washington.
Firstly, before attempting to reserve a name for your LLC, make sure to conduct thorough research for the name’s availability. This is vital, to ensure that there are no similarities or legal conflicts across trademarks and other business forms or names.
Secondly, you have to search the state’s database to see if a similar business name is already reserved. If it is already reserved in the state’s database, you will have to consider another name to avoid trademark infringement legal proceedings. Washington is stringent when it comes to qualified LLC names, which do not have special characters or breach their legal limitations on certain words in reserved names.
Thirdly, to determine how easy it will be to reserve a name, you will also need to check Non-Washington registered names and domain names linked to the specific name to avoid disputes about intellectual property rights.
When formally seeking to reserve your LLC name in Washington State, you pay a nominal fee to the governing authority, Secetary of State.
Completing the reservation is easy: Online filing and in-person processing have become available with technology advancement.
Reserving a name through online filing requires your Washington State Business License. Once obtained, head to Washington State Business Quick Start page- to find LLC names avenue “File Initial or Annual Report”. Then proceed to Requesting a Trademark Registration Name for your LLC through “Need to Establish This Account.”
Alternatively, using in-office processing or traditional mail processing can be a time-intensive procedure. Visit your nearest Secretary of State office for additional information about traditional reservation flow or obtain relevant printed forms.
In conclusion, reservation for your LLC name is of principal importance. Never take chances but formally register for an LLC name; if you choose to skip this vital stage in operating an LLC, you will be forgoing critical actionable commodity: IPR rights for your business brand, limiting past, current, and future proof of legal protection, opening the doors to critical fraudulent activity, and witness potential customers raidere the benefit enjoyed by a more cautious host of business owners.
F.A.Qs
A trade name (doing business as (DBA) name) is the official name under which a proprietor or company chooses to do business.
Having a domain isn’t necessary, but it is recommended. If you have a domain name, customers will find you more accessible through online means with your online website.
For domestic LLC, you can simply brainstorm for another name if the one you pick is no longer available. For foreign LLC, you must think up a “fictitious name,” which you’ll use only in the state.
In Conclusion
LLC names are important as it is the main identity of your business. While naming your LLC make sure to choose the one that suits the nature of your business. Follow the naming guidelines before you start filing your LLC name
How do I obtain an entity name? I was an LLC before at one time and it had a chosen name by my business partner and I under entity and DBA was the business name for example..
Entity: Fafo
DBA: Day and night glass