Florida Business Entity Search
Check your name against Florida 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.
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.
Florida LLC naming rules
Fla. Stat. § 605.0112 and Fla. Stat. § 605.0112(1)(b)
Your name must include one of
- Limited Liability Company
- L.L.C.
- LLC
Your name must not
- • Language stating or implying the company is organised for a purpose other than one authorised by the LLC Act and its articles of organization
- • Language stating or implying the company is connected with a state or federal government agency, or with a corporation or other entity chartered under the laws of the United States
When is a name too close to one already registered?
This is what catches most filings. Florida 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
- • A suffix
- • A definite or indefinite article
- • The word "and" and the symbol "&"
- • The singular, plural or possessive form of a word
- • A punctuation mark or a symbol
These do
- • Anything beyond the five differences listed above, judged against all other entities and filings on file with the department
Names Florida will accept with the other company's consent
- • A name that is not otherwise distinguishable may be registered with the written consent of the other entity, filed at the same time as the name, but only if the name is not identical to that entity’s name
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
- • Sunbiz search is free and needs no account, unlike several other states
- • The Division of Corporations advises running a preliminary search by name before submitting the document
- • Filing the name is for public notice only. It creates no presumption of ownership beyond what common law already gives you
- • The Division’s printed Chapter 605 booklet still carries the 2013 text of this section and omits the five-part list above. Work from the statute, not the booklet
Exceptions worth knowing
- • Fictitious name registrations, general partnership registrations and limited liability partnership statements are excluded from the comparison, so clearing those does not clear your LLC name
- • A company formed before July 1, 2007 is only held to the distinguishability rule once it files something that would otherwise affect its name
- • A company formed before January 1, 2014 may keep an abbreviation or designation allowed under earlier law until it dissolves or amends its name
- • A company formed before January 1, 2020 whose name does not clearly indicate it is an LLC may keep that name until it dissolves or amends it
Florida Department of State
Division of Corporations
- Phone
- (850) 245-6051
Florida business name questions
How do I search Florida business entity names?
Florida Department of State runs the official register at https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ByName. Search there for the exact name you want. Before you do, use the checker above to confirm the name satisfies Fla. Stat. § 605.0112, because a name can be unused and still be refused for breaking the naming rules.
What must a Florida LLC name contain?
Under Fla. Stat. § 605.0112, the name must include one of: Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., LLC.
What words are not allowed in a Florida LLC name?
Florida does not allow: Language stating or implying the company is organised for a purpose other than one authorised by the LLC Act and its articles of organization; Language stating or implying the company is connected with a state or federal government agency, or with a corporation or other entity chartered under the laws of the United States.
What makes two Florida business names too similar?
Florida does not treat these as differences: A suffix; A definite or indefinite article; The word "and" and the symbol "&"; The singular, plural or possessive form of a word. Two names that differ only in those ways are the same name to the filing office.
Can I use a name that is already taken in Florida?
Sometimes. A name that is not otherwise distinguishable may be registered with the written consent of the other entity, filed at the same time as the name, but only if the name is not identical to that entity’s name The consent has to be filed with your formation document.
Does a name search reserve or protect my Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida
Check a name in another state
Sources for Florida
- Fla. Stat. § 605.0112, Name (2024) — The Florida Senate (checked Aug 10, 2026)
- Florida Revised Limited Liability Company Act booklet, incl. division telephone directory — Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (checked Aug 10, 2026)
- Search Records: search by entity name — Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (checked Aug 10, 2026)