North Carolina Secretary of State Business Search

1. Follow North Carolina Naming Guidelines

We recommend making sure your business name meets guidelines before completing your business name search.

Choosing a company name is the first and most important step in starting your North Carolina LLC. Be sure to choose a name that complies with North Carolina naming requirements and is easily searchable by potential clients.

Be sure to follow these naming guidelines:

• Your name must include the phrase “limited liability company” or one of its abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.).
• Your name cannot include words that could confuse your LLC with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
• Restricted words (e.g. Bank, Attorney, University) may require additional paperwork and a licensed individual, such as a doctor or lawyer, to be part of your LLC.

For a complete list of naming rules in North Carolina, you can read the North Carolina Secretary of State's guidelines.

Not sure what to name your business? Check out our LLC Name Generator.

2. Do a North Carolina Business Name Search

Before filing your name reservation request, you can use North Carolina’s Business Entity 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.

Be sure to conduct a thorough search before completing your application to avoid rejection.

3. 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.

4. Reserve Your North Carolina Business Entity Name

North Carolina’s Secretary of State Business Registration Division handles all LLC naming questions and requests. Business names can be reserved for 120 days. This name reservation is nonrenewable.

To reserve a business name, you must file an application online or by mail. If you file online, you’ll need to create an online account and upload the application. You’ll find under PDF Filing a link to Upload a New Name Reservation. 

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.

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 North Carolina’s trademark records 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. You can do this by simply searching your business name on each major site, or use a tool such as Namecheckr to search across all platforms at once.