Washington Secretary of State Business Search

1. Follow Washington 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 LLC. Be sure to choose a name that complies with Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington LLC.

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

2. Do a Washington Business Name Search

Before filing your name reservation request, you can use the Washington Business Name Search to check the availability of your desired name. To perform the most effective search, type in the entity 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 paperwork 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 Washington Business Entity Name

The Washington Secretary of State's Corporations & Charities Division handles all LLC naming questions and requests. Business names can be reserved for 180 days. If you have yet to form your business entity using the reserved name when the business name reservation expires, you may renew the name reservation.

To reserve a business name, you must file an application by mail. When reserving your name, you will have to pay a filing fee. Cheques must be made out to the “Secretary of State.” An additional fee is required for expedited filing.

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 Washington’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. To do this, search for your business name on each major site, using a tool such as Namecheckr to search across all platforms at once.