Indiana LLC Name Search: Get That Perfect Name

Reasons to Perform an LLC Name Search

Checking for Indiana LLC name availability is the most common reason to perform a search, but it’s far from the only one. Here are a few other reasons you might search for a name:

1) Finding Similar Names

You don’t want potential customers confusing you with another company, especially if that company is a competitor. Your proposed name might be available, but there could also be multiple businesses out there with deceivingly similar ones. If you don’t want your LLC getting mixed up with other businesses, this might prompt you to find a new name.

2) Checking Your Business Status

Once you’ve filed the Articles of Organization and started your Indiana LLC, you can periodically check its status by searching for your existing name. This will confirm your business’ good standing with the state and provide your Business ID, which is required for certain filings.

3) Registered Agent and Office Information

At some point, you might need to send a business service of process. Or, more positively, you might want to partner with them. In either case, you’ll need their Indiana registered agent name and office address, readily available through a name search.

4) Maintaining Current Business Information

When modifying your LLC’s information – like changing your registered agent or principal address to a member or a registered agent service – you will want to confirm the information that the Secretary of State already has on file. A name search will take care of this for you.

How to Perform an Indiana LLC Name Search

When you’re ready to start searching business names, navigate to the INBiz website, which contains a comprehensive Business Search tool, useful for both name availability and existing business searches.

To see if a name’s already in use, enter it in the “Business Name” search bar and click the Search button. Any results? If not, the name is free and you can reserve it or use it on your Articles of Organization. If so, the name is taken and you’ll need to find a way to distinguish your own.

There are several different ways to search for a specific existing business. In the “Business Name” search bar, you may search for a full or partial name. Or, if you know a company’s business ID, filing number, registered agent name, or principal name, you can search by any of those subjects as well. There’s even an advanced search option where you can enter the business type, status, and/or address to further narrow your results. Once you have a list of results, click on any business to find its:

• Business Name
• Business ID
• Entity Type
• Business Status
• Creation Date
• Inactive Date (if applicable)
• Principal Office Address
• Expiration Date
• Jurisdiction of Formation
• Business Entity Report Due Date
• Principal Name
• Registered Agent Name
• Registered Agent Address

If you’re simply searching name availability, you won’t need this information, but it can come in handy if you’re attempting to contact the members or managers of another business or check up on your own.

What if My Name Is Unavailable?

So, you went to the Business Search, plugged in your desired name, hit search, and there it was: your precious name, already in use. What now?

If your LLC is domestic (formed in Indiana), your only option is to start brainstorming ideas for a different one. Just don’t use one that’s too similar. Then, when you’ve found an acceptable, available name, go ahead and either form your LLC or reserve the name for future use.

Is your business expanding to Indiana from another state? Foreign entities have a different naming process. If you’ve been operating under a particular name in another state but that name is unavailable in Indiana, you’ll need to register an “alternate name.” This is the name that your LLC will use for all your Indiana business activities. Simply indicate your alternate name on the Foreign Registration Statement when you foreign qualify your LLC.

How to Make an Indiana LLC Name Distinguishable

Every name on file with the Indiana Secretary of State, whether actual or alternate, must meet the state’s LLC naming requirements. They state that your name must:

• Use a term that indicates its business type, like “limited liability company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC.”
• Be distinguishable and available among all other businesses registered with the Secretary of State.

But what, exactly, makes a name distinguishable? If your desired name is unavailable, you’ll need to either come up with a completely new one or find a way to make your current one unique. The Secretary of State and state code don’t provide specific factors that make a name distinguishable, but typically, the following changes are NOT enough:

• Designators like LLC or L.L.C. (New Company LLC and New Company L.L.C. are considered the same)
• Articles like “a,” “an,” or “the”
• The words “and” and “or”
• Punctuation
• Capitalization

Essentially, to create a fully distinguishable name, you must change the name itself, not just the syntax. If your desired name is unavailable, you’ll need to distinguish it, but you likely won’t want to lose it completely. Try rearranging the words, using unique spellings, adding certain prefixes or suffixes, finding synonyms, adding/removing words, or using acronyms. This way, you can make your name unique while keeping it similar to the original.

What’s Next?

What you do next depends entirely on what your goal is. If you’re checking for name availability and your name is free in Indiana, you can proceed to reserve it or use it on your Articles of Organization.

You have the option to reserve your LLC name if you want to protect it while you prepare to start your business. Filing a name reservation costs $10 and will hold your name for 120 days. If you’re ready to start your business, however, you can just use that name on your Articles of Organization, which will automatically register it.