California Business Entity Search

Check your name against California law before you file. The state's search tells you whether a name exists. It does not tell you whether yours is legal, or whether it is too close to one already on the register. This does both.

Search the official California register Form this LLC for $399

What this does not check

  • • Whether the name is already taken. That needs the state’s live register, which we link below.
  • • Trademarks. A name can be free on the state register and still infringe a federal or common law mark.
  • • Domain and social handle availability.
  • • Whether the name is available in any other state you later register in.

California LLC naming rules

Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.08 and 2 CCR § 21004 (Business Entity Name Regulations, eff. April 2022)

Your name must include one of

  • Limited Liability Company
  • LLC
  • L.L.C.
  • Ltd. Liability Co.
  • Limited Liability Co.
  • Ltd. Liability Company

Your name must not

  • • bank
  • • trust
  • • trustee
  • • incorporated
  • • inc.
  • • corporation
  • • corp.
  • • insurer
  • • insurance company
  • • any words suggesting it issues policies of insurance or assumes insurance risks

When is a name too close to one already registered?

This is what catches most filings. California compares your name against what is already on the register, and a difference that looks obvious to you may not count.

These do not make a name different

  • • The presence or absence of business entity identifiers
  • • Upper case versus lower case letters, or superscript and subscript letters or numerals
  • • Distinctive lettering or typeface, punctuation, symbols, or spaces
  • • Worked example: "A B C Corp.", "AB C Corp.", "A.B.C. Corp" and "A-B-C Corp." are not distinguishable from one another
  • • Worked example: "Good Time Rest Home, LLC" and "Goodtime Rest Home LLC" are not distinguishable
  • • Worked example: "D.R.E.A.M. Incorporated" and "Dream Corporation" are not distinguishable

These do

  • • One or more different letters or numerals, or a different sequence of the same letters or numerals, that is plainly recognizable by sight
  • • Worked example: "Got Ham LP" is acceptable against "Gotham, LP"

What California Secretary of State will not take into account

Every one of these is a reason founders expect to win an argument about a name, and none of them works.

  • • The purpose of the business entity
  • • Whether the existing entity is actively trading, has a telephone listing, or has premises
  • • Where the proposed entity intends to do business relative to the existing one
  • • Whether the existing entity is about to change its name, dissolve, surrender, convert or merge out of existence
  • • Whether a letter of consent could be obtained from the existing entity
  • • Whether the applicant is more or less important, extensive, widely known or influential
  • • Whether the applicant has ordered stationery, opened a bank account or signed a contract expecting the name to be available
  • • Any rights under common law or statute for unfair competition, trademarks, trade names, service marks or copyright
  • • Whether the name has been approved for use by another agency

Our comparison cannot judge: Repeated or dropped letters. Texas treats "Texxas Strong" as the same name as "Texas Strong". Words that sound alike. Texas treats "Xpress Auto" as the same as "Express Auto". Words that mean the same thing in another language, where the state translates them. Anything the filing officer decides at their own discretion, which every state reserves.

Searching the official register

  • • The Secretary of State states that the online business search is only a preliminary search and is not a formal name availability search
  • • Availability is checked only against like entities: an LLC name is compared with other LLC names, not with trademarks or fictitious business names
  • • A name may be reserved for 60 days, renewable, but not for consecutive 60-day periods; at least one day must separate reservations
  • • Any opinion given by Secretary of State staff on name similarity is advisory only. Availability is finally determined only when the filed document is reviewed

California Secretary of State

Business Programs Division

Phone
(916) 653-6814

California business name questions

How do I search California business entity names?

California Secretary of State runs the official register at https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business. Search there for the exact name you want. Before you do, use the checker above to confirm the name satisfies Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.08, because a name can be unused and still be refused for breaking the naming rules.

What must a California LLC name contain?

Under Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.08, the name must include one of: Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., Ltd. Liability Co., Limited Liability Co., Ltd. Liability Company.

What words are not allowed in a California LLC name?

California does not allow: bank; trust; trustee; incorporated; inc.; corporation.

What makes two California business names too similar?

California does not treat these as differences: The presence or absence of business entity identifiers; Upper case versus lower case letters, or superscript and subscript letters or numerals; Distinctive lettering or typeface, punctuation, symbols, or spaces; Worked example: "A B C Corp.", "AB C Corp.", "A.B.C. Corp" and "A-B-C Corp." are not distinguishable from one another. Two names that differ only in those ways are the same name to the filing office.

The other company is not even trading. Does that help?

No. California Secretary of State expressly does not consider the purpose of the business entity; whether the existing entity is actively trading, has a telephone listing, or has premises; where the proposed entity intends to do business relative to the existing one.

Does a name search reserve or protect my California name?

No. A search tells you what is on the register at that moment. It is not an approval, and it gives you no rights in the name. Availability is finally determined only when your formation document is reviewed.

Can StartGlobal form my California LLC?

Yes. Formation is $399 one time with all state and government fees included, and it works from anywhere in the world with no SSN and no US address required.

More for California

Check a name in another state

Sources for California

  1. Business Entity Names: Guidelines & Restrictions (Rev. 04/2022), 2 CCR §§ 21001-21006 — California Secretary of State (checked Aug 10, 2026)
  2. California Corporations Code § 17701.08 (Limited liability company name) — California Legislative Information (checked Aug 10, 2026)
  3. Name Availability — California Secretary of State (checked Aug 10, 2026)