Illinois LLC or INC Business Name Search

Starting a new business is a daunting task as it entails several small processes and much documentation. As an entrepreneur, one of the most important and primary tasks is selecting a name for your business. At the same time, it is extremely crucial to ensure that your chosen name is not already being used by another entity. You can conduct an Illinois business name search for the same. There are several state guidelines to be followed while before and after conducting this search and this is where this guide will assist you. This guide has been created to help you gain an insight into state naming rules and process of Illinois business entity search.

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Illinois Business Entity Search

The job of choosing the right name for your company should not be taken lightly as there are several aspects to consider. Sometimes, entrepreneurs choose a name in a hurry and forget to conduct an Illinois business name search. This leads to copyright and other related issues in the future especially from the operational perspective. We can divide the business naming process into three steps and they are:

Identify the right business name
Check for Illinois business name availability
Reserve or register the company name if it is available

So, how do you identify a name that will be right for your business? Here are some tips that may help you choose a strong business name:

It is important to keep your business name short – 6 to 8 letters and yes, it should be easy to remember
You need to avoid any complicated names like Hoegaarden or Balenciaga
Try and ensure the name is catchy and memorable like Arrow or Lee
It is important to brainstorm business names that reflect on the purpose of your company like “Jacks Burgers”
You can use online business name generators
Always as a rule, follow the state naming guidelines
A business name should be dynamic in nature keeping in mind future expansion
Try not to choose a name that is similar to that of a competitor
Your chosen name should not cause any trademark infringement
The chosen name should be web-friendly and domain name is easily available

It is important to note that the Illinois business name rules and guidelines will differ for different entity structures.

What is an Illinois business name search?

There are different types of entities in Illinois from which to choose. You can choose to register LLCs, partnerships, corporations, nonprofits, and even foreign entities. One of the important parts of the registration or incorporation process is the reservation or registration of a business name. This is possible only when your chosen name undergoes an Illinois business name search. This is basically a process of finding out whether the name you choose is available for reservation or not. This process is also known as business entity search or business registration lookup.

Each state has its own searchable database of names. This database also helps existing business owners and registered agents find specific records, such as a company’s current status (active/inactive). Let’s look at an example to understand the concept and process of an Illinois business name availability search.

Example: You want to establish a new LLC or corporation in Illinois. The primary activity of the business is printing posters and marketing material. It is based in Chicago, IL. You want to name it “Chicago Printworks”. Once you have chosen this name, the next step is conducting an Illinois business name search. When you conduct this search, it will bring up a company with the same name based in Chicago, IL. This entity shows active status. It simply means that you will not be able to use the name chosen by you. You can change the name a little to something like “Chicago Printing Works” and conduct Illinois business name availability again, and then it will show that the name can be reserved.

Naming your Illinois LLC

If you have decided to register a limited liability company in Illinois, the first step will be to choose a company name and reserve it. This will be considered the legal name of your LLC. This name will be used everywhere, from branding collaterals to opening a business bank account. It will also be mentioned in the Articles of Organization and other LLC-related documents. Hence, it becomes crucial to choose a name that is compliant with the Illinois business name rules and guidelines.

After conducting a proper Illinois LLC name search, you must also reserve this business name. The search needs to be conducted for both domestic and foreign LLCs. There are two important aspects to consider while naming your limited liability company. They are as follows.

General LLC naming rules

One of the most important areas to focus on when naming your limited-liability company is Illinois business name rules and regulations. The naming of an LLC and reservation of such a name is governed by provisions of Article 1, Section 1-15 of the Illinois Limited Liability Company Act. The general rules for an LLC name are:

The name should have words like Limited Liability Company or abbreviations like LLC or L.L.C.
It may also contain a combination of words and abbreviations like “limited liability company,” “limited liability company,” or “limited liability co.”
This name should be distinguishable from any other in the Secretary of State Department of Business Services database. You can check this by searching for the name of an Illinois LLC.
There are “Word Restrictions” that you need to check before finalizing a name. The state prohibits using specific words like trust, trustee, banking, and fiduciary.
An LLC name should also remain distinguishable from that of another entity type. Thus, you cannot use terms like Corp., Incorporated, L.P., and Ldt. among others.
Your chosen name should not contain symbols. You can use Arabic numerals, letters of the English alphabet, and Roman numerals.

Search LLC name availability on Illinois’s Secretary of State Website

Once you have thought of a strong business name for your LLC, ensure it complies with the Illinois business name rules. The next step is to conduct a business entity search. The website of the Secretary of State—Department of Business Services offers an online option for conducting this search. There are several search options available, but the easiest would be to search using a “business name”. You can also conduct a keyword search or partial word search.

When you opt to search using a “business name”, you can provide the full name of your company. This type of Illinois LLC name search will help identify if any other company or LLC in this state uses the same name. Let’s look at an example to understand this process.

Example: You want to start a bakery in Naperville, IL using the name “Golden Hour Bake House”. You can conduct the Illinois business name availability search using the full name or a part of this name, like “bakehouse”. The search options will reveal both specific names and all names with the word bakehouse. The results show that “Golden Hour Bake House” already exists in Springfield, IL. In such a scenario, you can change a part of the name or the complete name. If you change it to “Twilight Bake House,” then it doesn’t bring up any similar name. This means the changed name is available. Now you can simply fill out the Application to Reserve a Name.

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Naming your Illinois Corporation

A business corporation or a C Corporation is one of the most popular forms of businesses in this state. If you have decided to incorporate then it’s time to choose a name. A corporate name will be the identity of the company and hence you need to be extra careful while choosing this name. It’s important to adhere to Illinois business name rules and related requirements. Once you have chosen a corporate name, the follow up process would be to conduct an Illinois Corporation name search. This process will help you to decide whether your chosen name can be reserved with the state or not. Let’s look at the various aspects to consider when naming your new company.

General Corporation naming rules

The Illinois business name rules will be different for different types of entities although they may remain same for the same type of domestic and foreign entities. State naming guidelines help in minimizing the risk of your chosen corporate name in getting rejected. The corporate name laws are governed by 2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 805 – Business Organizations, 805 ILCS 5/ – Business Corporation Act of 1983; Article 4 – Name. The general rules for a corporate name are:

Whether you form a C Corporation or elect an S Corporation status, the name should contain words like “corporation”, “incorporated”, “limited”, or “company”.
The name can also contain abbreviations like “corp.”, “inc.”, “co.”, or “ltd.”
The name should be unique and distinguishable from the name of any other company operating in the state as this will aid in Illinois business name availability search.
You should not use a name that contains any word or phrase implying that your company is authorized to conduct the business of indemnity, assurance, or insurance.
You should also check the list of restricted words, especially those associated with specific professions or industries. It is important to note that the Secretary of State will be responsible for determining if your name is “distinguishable” from another name.
If you don’t want to use your legal name or the owner’s name then you can adopt a DBA (doing business as) name also known as an assumed name.

Search Corporation name availability on Illinois’s Secretary of State Website

Once you have finalized a name for your corporation, the next step is to conduct an Illinois Corporation name search. The website of the Illinois Secretary of State – Business Services Department offers you the access necessary to conduct this search. This is an online search option and provides several search methods. The search methods you can use include search using a business name, search using file number, keyword, and partial word.

The easiest way is to opt for the search using a “business name.” You can enter your corporate name in the “Search for” box and submit. The Illinois Corporation name search results will display all results for your search word, phrase, or term. It will also include entity name, entity type, file number, registration date, current status, and registered agent’s contact details. Let’s look at an example to understand this process.

Example: You want to start an engineering corporation in Evanston, IL. You want to use the name “Collins Engineers, Inc.”. You can search Illinois business name availability by using the entire name or just “Collins Engineers.” The search options will reveal that this name is currently in use. This corporation is situated in Chicago and enjoys an active status. In such a scenario, you can change this name to “Evanston Engineering, Inc.” or “Collins-Engineering, Inc.”. Such a name is available, and you can then reserve it. Alternatively, you can also file a DBA or assumed name.

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Do you need any assistance with an Illinois business name search?

A business name is the most important form of identity for a company. It helps create a positive first impression amongst customers and is used in various official documentation. It becomes crucial to choose the right name for your company. An Illinois business name search will help you identify a name that you chose and is available for reservation. IncParadise can provide meaningful assistance in naming your corporation or LLC.

We are one of the leading business formation service providers in Illinois. We can assist you in conducting an entity search while ensuring that Illinois business name rules are being followed. If you are planning to form an Illinois corporation or LLC, we can also help you with new business registration. We also provide several additional services to help you comply with your annual state requirements.

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