Before creating a New Jersey LLC, all firms should do a New Jersey Business Name Search.
In this New Jersey Secretary of State Business Search tutorial, we’ll teach you how to verify LLC name availability.
Go Ahead:
Adhere to the New Jersey Naming Guidelines.
Perform a New Jersey Business Name Search and Look for Available Domain Names
Reserve the Name of Your New Jersey Business Entity
Table of Contents
1. Follow the New Jersey Naming Guidelines while searching for entities in New Jersey.
Before finishing your business name search, we suggest double-checking that your company name complies with the standards.
The first and most crucial step in forming your New Jersey LLC is deciding on a name. Make sure your name conforms with New Jersey naming regulations and is readily searched by prospective customers.
Your LLC name must be distinct from other registered company organizations in New Jersey. It is a good idea to do more research before submitting your application.
You should ensure that your name, or one very similar to it, is not being used by unregistered firms such as sole proprietorships or partnerships, that it has not been trademarked by another company in your state or industry, and that it is otherwise accessible for use on the internet. This will assist guarantee that you have complete and unlimited usage of your company name.
Please adhere to the following naming guidelines:
The word “limited liability corporation” or one of its acronyms must be in your name (LLC or L.L.C.).
Your name cannot include terms that may cause confusion between your New Jersey LLC and a government body (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
Restricted terms (e.g., bank, attorney, university) may need extra documentation and the participation of a licensed professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your New Jersey LLC.
2. Conduct a New Jersey Business Name Lookup
Before submitting your name reservation request, you may verify the availability of your selected name using the New Jersey Business Entity Search. To conduct the most effective search, enter the desired name, omitting identifiers such as “LLC.” This will return any entities with names that are the same or similar. If your company name consists of many words, you may limit your search to the first two words to guarantee that you find all potential comparable names.
To prevent rejection, undertake a comprehensive search before submitting your papers.
3. Look for Available Domain Names
Another crucial factor to consider when choosing a company name is if the desired web domain name is available. It is critical to have a URL that properly reflects your company name. This apparently little activity may have a significant impact on how potential clients locate your company.
4. Reserve the Name of Your New Jersey Business Entity
All LLC name inquiries and requests are handled by New Jersey’s Secretary of State Department of the Treasury. For domestic businesses, business names may be reserved for 120 days. Foreign entities’ names will be reserved until the conclusion of the fiscal year. When the business name reservation expires, you may renew it if you have yet to incorporate your company organization using the reserved name.
You must pay a filing fee while reserving your name. You may file online or by mail, and either method has benefits. While filing online may result in a higher fee, your application will be expedited and given particular consideration. If you want to save money on filing fees, you can consider submitting a printed application by mail instead.
Other Factors to Consider
While reserving the name for your LLC is simple, there are a few more factors to consider while deciding on the right name for your company. You should do a Trademark and Social Media search for your name to see if it is accessible for usage on the internet. This will assist guarantee that you have complete and unlimited usage of your company name.
Search for a Trademark
Before registering your company name and related slogans or emblems, do a trademark search to avoid potential expensive lawsuits. The discovery that another entity has trademarked your company name does not immediately exclude you from utilizing it.
However, it is critical to understand who is using the name, what sector they are in, and where they are situated in order to avoid unwittingly infringing on anyone’s intellectual property rights.
To finish this step:
Search New Jersey’s trademark records to determine whether your company’s name or any related slogans, logos, or other identifiers are already in use by another company in your state.
Search the digitized records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office for any federally registered trademarks linked with your company name.
Search on Social Media
Finding a domain name that matches your company is just as vital, if not more important, than ensuring that your business name is accessible for usage across social networking platforms. You may do this by simply Googling your company name on each major website, or by using a service like Namecheckr to scan across all platforms at once.