Washington Business Entity Search

Check your name against Washington 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 Washington 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.

Washington LLC naming rules

RCW 25.15.011 and RCW 23.95.305(5) and RCW 23.95.300

Your name must include one of

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

Your name must not

  • • Cooperative
  • • partnership
  • • corporation
  • • incorporated
  • • Corp.
  • • Ltd.
  • • Inc.
  • • LP
  • • L.P.
  • • LLP
  • • L.L.P.
  • • LLLP
  • • L.L.L.P.
  • • Any word or phrase prohibited by any other Washington statute
  • • Language stating or implying the entity is organised for a purpose other than those permitted by its public organic record (RCW 23.95.300(4))

When is a name too close to one already registered?

This is what catches most filings. Washington 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 variation in the words, phrases or abbreviations indicating the type of entity: corporation, corp., incorporated, Inc., company, co., social purpose corporation, SPC, S.P.C., professional corporation, PC, P.C., professional service, PS, P.S., Limited, Ltd., limited partnership, LP, L.P., limited liability partnership, LLP, L.L.P., registered limited liability partnership, RLLP, R.L.L.P., limited liability limited partnership, LLLP, L.L.L.P., registered limited liability limited partnership, RLLLP, R.L.L.L.P., limited liability company, LLC, L.L.C., professional limited liability company, PLLC or P.L.L.C.
  • • Adding or deleting an article or conjunction such as "the" or "and"
  • • Punctuation, capitalisation, or special characters or symbols
  • • Using an abbreviation, or the plural form of a word

These do

  • • The name must be distinguishable on the records of the Secretary of State from every domestic entity that is not administratively dissolved, every foreign entity registered to do business in Washington, and every reserved or registered name

Names Washington will accept with the other company's consent

  • • The holder of the conflicting name consents in a record and submits an undertaking, in a form satisfactory to the Secretary of State, to change its own name to a distinguishable one
  • • Or you deliver a certified copy of a final court judgment establishing your right to use the name in Washington

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

  • • An administratively dissolved Washington entity stops blocking its name, unlike Iowa where it blocks for five years
  • • Abbreviations count as the same word, so "Smith Bros" and "Smith Brothers" are not distinguishable. The two-name checker does not model abbreviations, so treat a pass that differs only by an abbreviation as a likely rejection

Exceptions worth knowing

  • • You may take another entity’s name outright, including its fictitious name, if you have merged with it or been formed by reorganisation of it (RCW 23.95.300(7))
  • • These rules do not control assumed business names or trade names, so clearing one does not clear the other (RCW 23.95.300(5))
  • • A professional LLC must instead use "professional limited liability company", "professional limited liability" with "Co.", "P.L.L.C." or "PLLC" (RCW 23.95.305(5)(b))

Washington Secretary of State

Corporations and Charities Division

Phone
360-725-0377
Hours
Chat and phone: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific, Monday to Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays
Address
PO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234

Washington business name questions

How do I search Washington business entity names?

Washington Secretary of State runs the official register at https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/BusinessSearch. Search there for the exact name you want. Before you do, use the checker above to confirm the name satisfies RCW 25.15.011 and RCW 23.95.305(5), because a name can be unused and still be refused for breaking the naming rules.

What must a Washington LLC name contain?

Under RCW 25.15.011 and RCW 23.95.305(5), the name must include one of: Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Co., L.L.C., LLC.

What words are not allowed in a Washington LLC name?

Washington does not allow: Cooperative; partnership; corporation; incorporated; Corp.; Ltd..

What makes two Washington business names too similar?

Washington does not treat these as differences: A variation in the words, phrases or abbreviations indicating the type of entity: corporation, corp., incorporated, Inc., company, co., social purpose corporation, SPC, S.P.C., professional corporation, PC, P.C., professional service, PS, P.S., Limited, Ltd., limited partnership, LP, L.P., limited liability partnership, LLP, L.L.P., registered limited liability partnership, RLLP, R.L.L.P., limited liability limited partnership, LLLP, L.L.L.P., registered limited liability limited partnership, RLLLP, R.L.L.L.P., limited liability company, LLC, L.L.C., professional limited liability company, PLLC or P.L.L.C.; Adding or deleting an article or conjunction such as "the" or "and"; Punctuation, capitalisation, or special characters or symbols; Using an abbreviation, or the plural 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 Washington?

Sometimes. The holder of the conflicting name consents in a record and submits an undertaking, in a form satisfactory to the Secretary of State, to change its own name to a distinguishable one The consent has to be filed with your formation document.

Does a name search reserve or protect my Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington

Check a name in another state

Sources for Washington

  1. RCW 23.95.300, Permitted names — Washington State Legislature (checked Oct 5, 2026)
  2. RCW 23.95.305, Name requirements for certain types of entities — Washington State Legislature (checked Oct 5, 2026)
  3. RCW 25.15.011, Name of limited liability company — Washington State Legislature (checked Oct 5, 2026)
  4. Corporations & Charities: Contact Us — Washington Secretary of State (checked Oct 5, 2026)
  5. Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) — Washington Secretary of State (checked Oct 5, 2026)