Before creating a Washington LLC, all firms should do a Washington State Business Name Search.
In this Washington Secretary of State Business Search tutorial, we’ll teach you how to verify LLC name availability.
Go Ahead:
Use the Washington Naming Guidelines.
Conduct a Washington Business Name Search and Look for Available Domain Names
Reserve the Name of Your Washington Business Entity
Search for a Washington LLC Name Image Naming Your Washington LLC
Table of Contents
1. Adhere to the Washington Naming Guidelines.
Before finishing your business name search, we suggest double-checking that your company name complies with the standards.
The first and most significant step in forming your LLC is deciding on a name. Make certain that the name you chose conforms with Washington’s naming rules and is readily searched by prospective customers.
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 might be confused with a government entity (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 Washington LLC.
2. Conduct a Washington Business Name Lookup
Before submitting your name reservation request, you may verify the availability of your selected name using the Washington Business Name Search. To conduct the most effective search, enter the entity name you want to utilize, eliminating identifiers such as “LLC,” and leave all other fields blank. 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 Washington business entity.
The Corporations & Charities Division of the Washington Secretary of State handles all LLC name inquiries and requests. For 180 days, business names may be reserved. 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 make an application by mail to reserve a company name. You must pay a filing fee while reserving your name. Cheques should be made payable to the “Secretary of State.” Expedited filing requires an extra cost.
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 Washington’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. To do this, search for your company’s name on all major websites, using a service like Namecheckr to scan across all platforms at once.
In conclusion
Choosing a name for your company is a vital first step in forming a successful Washington LLC, and it is a simple process. After you’ve selected your ideal name using the Washington Business Entity Search, you’ll want to obtain your domain name so that your clients can find you online.
Using a Name Reservation Form to reserve your name can help you stand out from the crowd. You will be ready to take the following steps to establish your LLC after you have obtained your company name.