State Business Entity Search

Business name rules by state

Nevada and Wyoming each list 9 endings for an LLC name, the longest lists among the 51 states here, and Minnesota lists 2.

Check a name's ending and restricted words

Example: a check of "Blue Heron Bakery LLC" against Iowa's rules.

  • Ends with "LLC", an ending Iowa lists for an LLC.
  • No ending from Iowa's list for a corporation was found at the end of this name.

Get the matching domain name

Type a business name to check its .com, .net, .org and .us.

"Not registered" is the registry's answer at this moment. It is not a promise that the name can be bought at the standard price, since some unregistered names are reserved or sold at a premium. The buttons open Spaceship, a domain registrar, where the price is shown.

This checks the ending and the restricted words the state publishes. It does not tell you whether another company already holds the name. Only the state's own search can show that.

A private website, not a government site. Every state entry links to that state's official search.

Each state writes its own list into law, and a name without one of its endings is refused.

By the State Business Entity Search team. Endings come from the statutes and agency documents of 51 states, listed at the end. Last updated November 13, 2026.

How the checker reads a name

Pick the state where you will file. The checker looks at the last words of the name and compares them with the endings that state lists for an LLC and for a corporation. Periods, commas and capital letters are ignored, so "L.L.C." and "llc" count as the same ending.

It then looks for single words the state restricts, such as "bank" where a state names it. A flagged word is not a refusal. It means the state asks for an approval or a license before it accepts the name.

The checker cannot tell whether another company already holds the name. For that, run the business entity search by state or open the state's own search from its entry.

LLC name endings by state

"LLC" is spelled out on the lists of 49 of these 51 states. Texas and Pennsylvania allow an abbreviation without listing one.

StateEndings the state lists for an LLCWhere the list is
California Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., Ltd. (for Limited), Co. (for Company) California Corporations Code section 17701.08
Texas limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation of one of these phrases Texas Business Organizations Code, chapter 5
New York Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C. New York Limited Liability Company Law section 204
Illinois Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., LLC 805 ILCS 180/1-10
Florida limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC Florida Statutes 605.0112
Georgia limited liability company, limited company, LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C. Secretary of State Rule 590-7-20-.01
North Carolina limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC, ltd. liability co., limited liability co., ltd. liability company N.C. Gen. Stat. 55D-20(a)(2)
Ohio limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC, limited, ltd., ltd Ohio Revised Code 1706.07(A)
Maryland limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC Maryland Code, Corporations and Associations, section 1-502(b)
Michigan limited liability company, L.L.C., L.C., (with or without periods or other punctuation), low-profit LLC: low-profit limited liability company, L.3.C. or l.3.c. Michigan Compiled Laws 450.4204 (Michigan Limited Liability Company Act, 1993 PA 23, section 204)
Pennsylvania company, limited, limited liability company, or an abbreviation of one of those terms (the statute does not list the abbreviations) 15 Pa.C.S. § 204(c)
Virginia limited company, limited liability company, L.C., LC, L.L.C., LLC Code of Virginia § 13.1-1012(A)
Delaware Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., LLC 6 Del. C. § 18-102
Massachusetts limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC Massachusetts General Laws chapter 156C, section 3
Missouri limited company, limited liability company, LC, LLC, L.C., L.L.C. Missouri Revised Statutes 347.020
Indiana limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC Indiana Code 23-0.5-3-2(d)
New Jersey LTD Liability Co., LTD Liability Company, Limited Liability Co., Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. New Jersey Department of the Treasury
Arizona limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3112
South Carolina limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC, Ltd. (for "Limited"), Co. (for "company") South Carolina Code of Laws 33-44-105
Utah limited company, limited liability company, L.C., L.L.C. Utah Code 48-3a-108
Colorado limited liability company, ltd. liability company, limited liability co., ltd. liability co., limited, l.l.c., llc, ltd. Colorado Revised Statutes 7-90-601(3)(c)
Oregon limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC Oregon Revised Statutes 63.094
Connecticut limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC, Ltd. (for "limited"), Co. (for "company") Connecticut General Statutes section 34-243k
Iowa limited liability company, limited company, L. L. C., LLC, L. C., LC Iowa Code section 489.112(1)
District of Columbia limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC D.C. Official Code section 29-103.02(f)
Louisiana limited liability company, L.L.C., L.C., low-profit limited liability company (L3C only), L3C, l3c Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1306
Nevada Limited-Liability Company, Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, Limited, Ltd., L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC Nevada Revised Statutes 86.171
Tennessee Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C. T.C.A. 48-249-106
Minnesota limited liability company, LLC Minnesota Statutes 322C.0108
Wisconsin limited liability company, limited company, LLC, LC Wisconsin Statutes 183.0112
Oklahoma limited liability company, limited company, LLC, LC, L.L.C., L.C. 18 O.S. section 2008
Washington limited liability company, limited liability Co., L.L.C., LLC Revised Code of Washington 23.95.305
Kentucky limited liability company, limited company, LLC, LC Kentucky Revised Statutes 14A.3-010
Arkansas Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC Arkansas Secretary of State, Doing Business in Arkansas handbook (2026), Section 4
New Hampshire limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC New Hampshire RSA 304-C:32
Alabama Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., LLC Alabama Secretary of State, LLCs page (cites Code of Alabama 10A-1-4.02 and 10A-1-5.11)
New Mexico limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC NMSA 1978, Section 53-19-3
Rhode Island Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. (with or without punctuation), LLC Rhode Island Department of State
Nebraska limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC, Ltd. (for limited), Co. (for company) Neb. Rev. Stat. 21-108
Idaho Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, L.L.C., LLC, LC Idaho Secretary of State
Mississippi limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC Revised Mississippi Limited Liability Company Act, section 79-29-109 (the Secretary of State's posted copy of the 2010 Act)
Wyoming limited liability company, LLC, L.L.C., limited company, LC, L.C., Ltd. liability company, Ltd. liability co., limited liability co. Wyoming Statutes 17-29-108
Kansas L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, LIMITED COMPANY K.S.A. 17-7920
Hawaii limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC, Ltd. liability company (Limited may be abbreviated Ltd.), limited liability co. (company may be abbreviated Co.) Form LLC-1 Articles of Organization (Section 428-203, Hawaii Revised Statutes); the form does not cite the statute for the name wording
West Virginia limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC, Ltd. (for Limited), Co. (for Company) WV Code §31B-1-105
Maine limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC, L3C (low-profit LLC), l3c (low-profit LLC) 31 MRSA §1508
Montana limited liability company, limited company, l.l.c., l.c., llc, lc Montana Code Annotated 35-8-103
Vermont limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC 11 V.S.A. § 4005
Alaska limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC Alaska Statutes 10.50.020
North Dakota limited liability company, L.L.C., LLC North Dakota Century Code 10-32.1-11
South Dakota limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., LLC, L.C., LC South Dakota Codified Laws 47-34A-105

Corporation name endings by state

42 of the 51 states list their corporation endings in the documents used, and "incorporated" is on 40 of those lists.

StateEndings the state lists for a corporationWhere the list is
Texas corporation, company, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one of these terms Texas Business Organizations Code, chapter 5
New York Incorporated, Corporation, Limited, Inc., Corp., Ltd. New York Business Corporation Law section 301
Illinois corporation, company, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one of these words 805 ILCS 5/4.05
Florida corporation, company, incorporated, Corp., Inc., Co., Corp, Inc, Co Florida Statutes 607.0401
North Carolina corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. N.C. Gen. Stat. 55D-20(a)(1)
Ohio company, co., corporation, corp., incorporated, inc. Ohio Revised Code 1701.05(A)(1)
Maryland Company (if not preceded by the word "and" or a symbol for it), Corporation, Incorporated, Limited Maryland Code, Corporations and Associations, section 1-502(a)(1)
Michigan corporation, company, incorporated, limited, corp., co., inc., ltd., (with or without periods) Michigan Compiled Laws 450.1211 (Business Corporation Act, 1972 PA 284, section 211)
Pennsylvania corporation, company, incorporated, limited, abbreviations of those terms, association, fund or syndicate (also allowed) 15 Pa.C.S. § 203(a) (business corporations)
Virginia corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Code of Virginia § 13.1-630(A)
Delaware association, company, corporation, club, foundation, fund, incorporated, institute, society, union, syndicate, limited 8 Del. C. § 102(a)(1)
Massachusetts corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., ltd. Massachusetts General Laws chapter 156D, section 4.01
Missouri corporation, company, incorporated, limited Missouri Revised Statutes 351.110
Indiana corporation, incorporated, company, limited, Corp., Inc., Co., Ltd. Indiana Code 23-0.5-3-2(a)
New Jersey Inc., Corp., Corporation, Ltd., Co., Company New Jersey Department of the Treasury
Arizona association, bank, company, corporation, limited, incorporated Arizona Revised Statutes 10-401
South Carolina corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. South Carolina Code of Laws 33-4-101
Utah corporation, incorporated, company, corp., inc., co. Utah Code 16-10a-401
Colorado corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Colorado Revised Statutes 7-90-601(3)(a)
Oregon corporation, incorporated, company, limited, or an abbreviation of one or more of those words Oregon Revised Statutes 60.094
Connecticut corporation, incorporated, company, Societa per Azioni, limited, corp., inc., co., S.p.A., ltd. Connecticut General Statutes section 33-655(a)
Iowa corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Iowa Code section 490.401(1)(a)
District of Columbia corporation, incorporated, company, limited, Corp., Inc., Co., Ltd. D.C. Official Code section 29-103.02(a)
Louisiana corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1-401
Tennessee corporation, incorporated, company, corp., inc., co. T.C.A. 48-14-101(a)(1)
Minnesota corporation, incorporated, limited, company, Co. Minnesota Statutes 302A.115
Wisconsin corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Wisconsin Statutes 180.0401
Oklahoma association, company, corporation, club, foundation, fund, incorporated, institute, society, union, syndicate, limited 18 O.S. section 1006
Washington corporation, incorporated, company, limited, Corp., Inc., Co., Ltd. Revised Code of Washington 23.95.305
Kentucky corporation, company, limited, Corp., Inc., Co., Ltd. Kentucky Revised Statutes 14A.3-010
Arkansas Corporation, Incorporated, Company, or an abbreviation of one of these words Arkansas Secretary of State, Doing Business in Arkansas handbook (2026), Section 3
New Hampshire corporation, incorporated, limited, corp., inc., ltd. New Hampshire RSA 293-A:4.01
Alabama Corporation, Incorporated, Corp., Inc. Alabama Secretary of State, Domestic Corporations page
New Mexico corporation, company, incorporated, limited NMSA 1978, Section 53-11-7
Rhode Island corporation, company, incorporated, limited, inc., co., corp., ltd. Rhode Island Department of State
Nebraska corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Neb. Rev. Stat. 21-230
Kansas ASSOCIATION, CHURCH, COLLEGE, COMPANY, CORPORATION, CLUB, FOUNDATION, FUND, INCORPORATED, INSTITUTE, SOCIETY, UNION, UNIVERSITY, SYNDICATE, LIMITED, CO., CORP., INC., LTD. K.S.A. 17-7919
Montana corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. Montana Code Annotated 35-14-401
Vermont corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. 11A V.S.A. § 4.01
Alaska corporation, company, incorporated, limited Alaska Statutes 10.06.105
North Dakota company, corporation, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviation of one or more of these words North Dakota Secretary of State, Corporation page (cites NDCC chapter 10-19.1)
South Dakota corporation, incorporated, company, limited, corp., inc., co., ltd. South Dakota Codified Laws 47-1A-401

Picking an ending that travels

"LLC" is spelled out on 49 of the 51 lists here, and Texas and Pennsylvania accept an abbreviation of their listed phrases. That makes it the safe choice for a company that may register in more than one state. Spelled-out forms such as "Limited Liability Company" are also widely listed. Shorter forms such as "LC" or "Ltd. Co." are accepted in some states and missing from others, so check each state where you plan to register.

For a corporation, "Inc.", "Corp." and their full words are the common set. Some statutes also accept "Company" or "Limited", and a few leave the choice more open. The tables give each state's list as its law or filing office writes it.

Words that need permission

Apart from the ending, states restrict words that suggest a regulated business. "Bank" and "trust" are the usual examples, and the rule is normally that a banking regulator must approve the name first. Other statutes bar words that imply a government body or a purpose the company is not allowed to have. Where a state names such words in the pages read, its entry lists them and the checker flags them.

Why the ending never makes a name new

Filing offices set the ending aside when they compare two names. "Acme Roofing LLC" and "Acme Roofing, Inc." are one name to them, so a second filer cannot take it by changing the ending. The state name search strips endings for the same reason before it looks for a match.

What does count as a difference varies. Iowa's rule treats a singular and a plural as different names and ignores punctuation, capital letters and "&" against "and". Other states draw the line elsewhere, and each state's entry gives its rule in its own terms.

Once the name passes, the LLC cost calculator adds up what the state charges to file it.

Name ending questions

Does every LLC name need an ending?

Every state covered here requires one. The accepted spellings differ, from 2 in Minnesota to 9 in Nevada and Wyoming.

Can an LLC use Inc. or Corp. in its name?

The LLC statutes read for these states list LLC-style endings only. A name ending in Inc. or Corp. signals a corporation, so file it as one or change the ending.

Does a different ending make my name different from an existing one?

No. Filing offices compare names with the ending left out, so swapping LLC for Inc. does not make a taken name new.

83 official statutes and agency documents
  1. California: California Corporations Code section 17701.08, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  2. California: California Corporations Code section 201, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  3. Texas: Texas Business Organizations Code, chapter 5, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  4. Texas: Texas Business Organizations Code, chapter 5, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  5. New York: New York Limited Liability Company Law section 204, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  6. New York: New York Business Corporation Law section 301, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  7. Illinois: 805 ILCS 180/1-10, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  8. Illinois: 805 ILCS 5/4.05, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  9. Florida: Florida Statutes 605.0112, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  10. Florida: Florida Statutes 607.0401, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  11. Georgia: Secretary of State Rule 590-7-20-.01, from the Internet Archive's copy of October 13, 2026.
  12. North Carolina: N.C. Gen. Stat. 55D-20(a)(2), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  13. Ohio: Ohio Revised Code 1706.07(A), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  14. Ohio: Ohio Revised Code 1701.05(A)(1), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  15. Maryland: Maryland Code, Corporations and Associations, section 1-502(b), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  16. Michigan: Michigan Compiled Laws 450.4204 (Michigan Limited Liability Company Act, 1993 PA 23, section 204), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  17. Michigan: Michigan Compiled Laws 450.1211 (Business Corporation Act, 1972 PA 284, section 211), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  18. Pennsylvania: 15 Pa.C.S. § 204(c), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  19. Pennsylvania: 15 Pa.C.S. § 203(a) (business corporations), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  20. Virginia: Code of Virginia § 13.1-1012(A), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  21. Virginia: Code of Virginia § 13.1-630(A), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  22. Delaware: 6 Del. C. § 18-102, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  23. Delaware: 8 Del. C. § 102(a)(1), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  24. Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Laws chapter 156C, section 3, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  25. Massachusetts: Massachusetts General Laws chapter 156D, section 4.01, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  26. Missouri: Missouri Revised Statutes 347.020, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  27. Missouri: Missouri Revised Statutes 351.110, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  28. Indiana: Indiana Code 23-0.5-3-2(d), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  29. New Jersey: LLC name rule, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  30. Arizona: Arizona Revised Statutes 29-3112, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  31. Arizona: Arizona Revised Statutes 10-401, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  32. South Carolina: South Carolina Code of Laws 33-44-105, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  33. South Carolina: South Carolina Code of Laws 33-4-101, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  34. Utah: Utah Code 48-3a-108, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  35. Colorado: Colorado Revised Statutes 7-90-601(3)(c), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  36. Oregon: Oregon Revised Statutes 63.094, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  37. Oregon: Oregon Revised Statutes 60.094, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  38. Connecticut: Connecticut General Statutes section 34-243k, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  39. Connecticut: Connecticut General Statutes section 33-655(a), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  40. Iowa: Iowa Code section 489.112(1), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  41. Iowa: Iowa Code section 490.401(1)(a), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  42. District of Columbia: D.C. Official Code section 29-103.02(f), retrieved November 12, 2026.
  43. Louisiana: Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1306, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  44. Louisiana: Louisiana Revised Statutes 12:1-401, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  45. Nevada: Nevada Revised Statutes 86.171, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  46. Tennessee: T.C.A. 48-249-106, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  47. Tennessee: T.C.A. 48-14-101(a)(1), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  48. Minnesota: Minnesota Statutes 322C.0108, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  49. Minnesota: Minnesota Statutes 302A.115, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  50. Wisconsin: Wisconsin Statutes 183.0112, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  51. Wisconsin: Wisconsin Statutes 180.0401, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  52. Oklahoma: 18 O.S. section 2008, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  53. Oklahoma: 18 O.S. section 1006, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  54. Washington: Revised Code of Washington 23.95.305, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  55. Kentucky: Kentucky Revised Statutes 14A.3-010, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  56. Arkansas: Arkansas Secretary of State, Doing Business in Arkansas handbook (2026), Section 4, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  57. New Hampshire: New Hampshire RSA 304-C:32, retrieved November 14, 2026.
  58. New Hampshire: New Hampshire RSA 293-A:4.01, retrieved November 14, 2026.
  59. Alabama: Alabama Secretary of State, LLCs page (cites Code of Alabama 10A-1-4.02 and 10A-1-5.11), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  60. Alabama: Alabama Secretary of State, Domestic Corporations page, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  61. New Mexico: NMSA 1978, Section 53-19-3, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  62. Rhode Island: LLC name rule, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  63. Rhode Island: corporation name rule, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  64. Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. 21-108, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  65. Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. 21-230, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  66. Idaho: LLC name rule, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  67. Mississippi: Revised Mississippi Limited Liability Company Act, section 79-29-109 (the Secretary of State's posted copy of the 2010 Act), retrieved November 14, 2026.
  68. Wyoming: Wyoming Statutes 17-29-108, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  69. Kansas: K.S.A. 17-7920, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  70. Kansas: K.S.A. 17-7919, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  71. Hawaii: Form LLC-1 Articles of Organization (Section 428-203, Hawaii Revised Statutes); the form does not cite the statute for the name wording, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  72. West Virginia: WV Code §31B-1-105, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  73. Maine: 31 MRSA §1508, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  74. Montana: Montana Code Annotated 35-8-103, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  75. Montana: Montana Code Annotated 35-14-401, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  76. Vermont: 11 V.S.A. § 4005, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  77. Vermont: 11A V.S.A. § 4.01, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  78. Alaska: Alaska Statutes 10.50.020, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  79. Alaska: Alaska Statutes 10.06.105, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  80. North Dakota: North Dakota Century Code 10-32.1-11, retrieved November 13, 2026.
  81. North Dakota: North Dakota Secretary of State, Corporation page (cites NDCC chapter 10-19.1), retrieved November 13, 2026.
  82. South Dakota: South Dakota Codified Laws 47-34A-105, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  83. South Dakota: South Dakota Codified Laws 47-1A-401, retrieved November 12, 2026.