If you want to verify a brand name availability for your limited liability company (LLC) in Georgia, you can conduct a name search.
Business owners may require a name search if they wish to change the business names or amend their articles of organization for their registered LLCs in Georgia.
Here is our guide to show you how the Georgia LLC name search works, what are the name rules, and more.
What is Georgia LLC Name Search Service?
The Georgia Corporations Division maintains an online database of all registered businesses in the state. New businesses can use this database to search to confirm the name availability and other uses.
Limited liability company members can also conduct an online search before filing for their preferred LLC name. It works like a business directory or database search that shows relevant results for keywords used.
How Does Georgia LLC Name Search Work?
The purpose of an LLC name search is basically to confirm whether the name has already been registered in Georgia or not.
However, you may use this service to find contact details and other information about a particular company as well. For instance, if you want to know the entity type for a particular business in the state.
The Georgia Corporate Division provides four ways to use the online search tool.
The first option is that you can search for an LLC by name. You can input the full name, main words, or a combination of words to search for an LLC registered in Georgia.
The second option is to use the control number of an LLC if you know that. The third option is to search an LLC by its registered agent name.
The fourth option is to search an entity by office location. All of these options work when you know the correct information.
Here are a few quick tips on how to conduct an LLC name search:
- Try to search for an LLC name on the official search portal of the Corporations Division first using the available methods.
- The search bar does not differentiate between the lower and uppercases to search for a name.
- Do not use special characters, symbols, and punctuation marks in the search bar.
- You should search outside the Corporation Division search bar as well.
Georgia LLC Name Search – Result Interpretation
When you input a few keywords to search an LLC name, the search will show different results. Each result type gives a different outcome.
An exact match will show the registered LLC in Georgia. It means the name you want has already been registered by another LLC. Therefore, a matching result means the name is “not available”.
If the search bar does not reveal any registered LLC, it means the name hasn’t been registered yet. Therefore, this name is still available for registration.
In other cases, the search result may show an LLC registered in Georgia but with a different status. These results include: “inactive, Dissolved, expired, and terminated”.
You can contact the Corporations Division office in Georgia to get more details about these LLCs. If the company hasn’t applied for a renewal, you may use the name if there are no legal complications.
Reserved names for LLCs in Georgia may not show up in the search bar though. It means even when the search result shows availability, it may not guarantee that you can take up that name for your LLC.
You can create a list of suggested LLC names in priority order and then apply for these names at the time of registration to confirm the availability.
Why You Should Use Georgia LLC Name Search?
Using the Georgia LLC name search is not a mandatory step in the company registration process. You can register an LLC in Georgia without conducting a name search as well.
The main purpose of the name search is to check the name availability. It is particularly useful for businesses looking to use a brandable name. These businesses use the same name for their website domains, patents, trademarks, and other branding purposes.
Social media marketing is another goal of checking the name availability. If your required name is available as the company name but has already been taken on social media, you can contact and get the social media pages from the owners in time.
Then, a name search can help you avoid copyright and patent strikes from others as well. You may end up using an LLC name that has already been patented by another company.
Finally, you may be able to use an alternative business name other than the registered one for your limited liability company’s official name. It is termed the “doing business as” name for a company.
Top Tips to Conduct an LLC Name Search in Georgia
The first step is to use the Georgia Corporation Division’s search bar for an LLC name availability. However, this shouldn’t be the only way to search for a business name.
You should consider other online business directories like the Google Business search pages as well. Then, conduct the search with the same keywords on popular social media sites relevant to businesses as well.
You can also seek help from a professional like a business consultant or an attorney to find a suitable business name for your LLC registration in Georgia.
Finally, following the name rules in the search process can also help you a bit to find the right match or come up with a good business name.
What are the LLC Name Rules in Georgia?
Knowing the important LLC name rules can help you in the search as well as in the registration process.
- Businesses must use the phrase “limited liability company” or its relevant abbreviations “LLC”, and “L.L.C.” in the name.
- An LLC name cannot include terms like “Inc.”, “Corp”, or “Corporation”, etc.
- LLCs cannot use misleading names using words like “bank”, “trust”, “insurance”, “welfare”, “society”, etc.
- An LLC name in Georgia must be distinguishable from another entity name with similar spellings.
- Using separative letters like “&”, “or”, “and” does not make an LLC name distinguishable.
- The use of abbreviations, articles (a, an, the), punctuation marks, and plural forms of words do not make an LLC name unique from already registered names.
- Using a misleading suffix or prefix is also not allowed.
- You cannot use special characters or symbols in an LLC name in Georgia.
Foreign LLC Name Search in Georgia
Most foreign entities entering Georgia will register the same business names as in other states. These registered names will likely appear in the search bar when you use the Georgia Corporations Division’s online portal.
You can use external search sources to further verify the name availability too. For instance, using online directories of other states is a good idea.
Alternatively, you can use online business directories, Google search, and social media search options to verify whether a particular foreign entity has already been registered in Georgia with the same name.
If a foreign entity has not yet registered in Georgia, you can apply for that name for your LLC as it is still available.
How to Reserve an LLC Name in Georgia?
An important step in the Georgia LLC name search is to reserve the name. If you do not want to immediately register the LLC, you can reserve the name for up to 30 days.
You can apply for an LLC name reservation online or by mail with the Secretary of State Georgia office. The first step is always to conduct a name search.
Then, provide a list of LLC names in your priority order. The next step is to apply online or download the form and send it to the SoS Georgia office by mail.
The name reservation fee for an LLC is $25 when applied online and $35 when applied by mail. The name reservation expires after 30 days and you can renew by simply paying the nominated fees.
