North Dakota Business Entity Search

Check your name against North Dakota 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.

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.

North Dakota LLC naming rules

N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-11 and N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-11(1)(e), (2)

Your name must include one of

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

Your name must not

  • • "Corporation", "incorporated", "limited partnership", "limited liability partnership" or "limited liability limited partnership", or an abbreviation of any of them
  • • "Limited" or "company" on their own, without association to "limited liability company" or its abbreviations
  • • A word or phrase indicating or implying that the company is organised for a purpose other than a lawful business purpose or one stated in its articles, or that it may not be organised under the chapter

When is a name too close to one already registered?

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

These do

  • • The name must be distinguishable in the records of the Secretary of State from every domestic and authorised foreign LLC, corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership and limited liability limited partnership
  • • It must also be distinguishable from reserved names, fictitious names, trade names, and registered trademarks and service marks
  • • The Secretary of State decides whether a name is distinguishable and may adopt rules for making that decision

Names North Dakota will accept with the other company's consent

  • • The written consent of the holder of the rights to the conflicting name, filed with the articles. North Dakota asks only for consent, with no undertaking to change the holder’s name
  • • Or a certified copy of a judgment of a North Dakota court establishing your prior right to use the name in North Dakota

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

  • • North Dakota checks trade names, trademarks and service marks as well as entity names, which most states do not
  • • A name reservation lasts twelve months and can be renewed for further twelve-month periods (§ 10-32.1-12)
  • • A company whose existence expired or was involuntarily terminated can reclaim its name by refiling, unless someone else has adopted or reserved it in the meantime (§ 10-32.1-11(7))
  • • We have not published a direct link to the business search because the Secretary of State’s portal did not return a usable page when we checked, and we only publish a link once we have loaded it ourselves

Exceptions worth knowing

  • • The name must be expressed in letters or characters used in English as they appear in the ASCII table, so accented letters and other non-ASCII characters cannot be used
  • • A company that survives a merger, or acquires all or substantially all of another organisation’s assets including its name, may use that organisation’s name (§ 10-32.1-11(5))

North Dakota Secretary of State

Entity search
Run the search from the North Dakota Secretary of State website. We only publish a direct link once we have loaded it ourselves.
Phone
701-328-2900

North Dakota business name questions

How do I search North Dakota business entity names?

North Dakota Secretary of State runs the official register. Search there for the exact name you want. Before you do, use the checker above to confirm the name satisfies N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-11, because a name can be unused and still be refused for breaking the naming rules.

What must a North Dakota LLC name contain?

Under N.D. Cent. Code § 10-32.1-11, the name must include one of: Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., LLC.

What words are not allowed in a North Dakota LLC name?

North Dakota does not allow: "Corporation", "incorporated", "limited partnership", "limited liability partnership" or "limited liability limited partnership", or an abbreviation of any of them; "Limited" or "company" on their own, without association to "limited liability company" or its abbreviations; A word or phrase indicating or implying that the company is organised for a purpose other than a lawful business purpose or one stated in its articles, or that it may not be organised under the chapter.

What makes two North Dakota business names too similar?

North Dakota requires the name to be distinguishable on the register but does not publish a mechanical list of what counts. The name must be distinguishable in the records of the Secretary of State from every domestic and authorised foreign LLC, corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership and limited liability limited partnership

Can I use a name that is already taken in North Dakota?

Sometimes. The written consent of the holder of the rights to the conflicting name, filed with the articles. North Dakota asks only for consent, with no undertaking to change the holder’s name The consent has to be filed with your formation document.

Does a name search reserve or protect my North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota

Check a name in another state

Sources for North Dakota

  1. N.D. Cent. Code ch. 10-32.1, Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (§ 10-32.1-11, Limited liability company name; § 10-32.1-12, Reserved name) — North Dakota Legislative Branch (checked Oct 5, 2026)
  2. Business Services (contact) — North Dakota Secretary of State (checked Oct 5, 2026)