California Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup
California registers more new businesses than any state, and it applies one of the strictest name standards: a name can be refused for being 'deceptively similar' to an existing one, not merely identical. It's also the state where the name is the cheap part — the $800 minimum franchise tax every year is what people forget to budget for.
Run the California check — One search covers the California registry, federal trademarks and the domain. Free, no signup.
Check this name →How to check a business name in California
- Start with the registry. Search the California registry for the exact name; it's the check that decides whether you can file at all.
- Then the two checks the state doesn't do. A federal trademark reaches across state lines, and the .com decides whether customers find you — both run here automatically.
- Lock it in. California will hold it for 60 days for $10. The system of record is the California Secretary of State; confirm there before paying a filing fee.
How busy is California right now?
The U.S. Census Bureau counted 614,271 business applications from California in the twelve months ending August 2026 — +15.7% on the year before, the 2nd-highest total of any state and 15.6 per 1,000 residents (ranked 30th per person). July was the busiest month with 64,998 applications, and California accounts for 9.9% of all U.S. filings.
Every one of those applications is a name someone else is about to claim — which is why a search that was clear last month deserves a fresh run before filing.
Where America starts businesses — all 50 states ranked →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 365,071 applications in calendar 2019.
California naming rules: what the California Secretary of State will and won't accept
The rule that matters most in California is not the same as, or deceptively similar to, an existing name (a stricter standard than most states' 'distinguishable'). The examiner ignores punctuation, spacing, capitalization and the suffix when comparing, so two names that look different on paper can still collide. An LLC name must end in LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company and Ltd. Liability Co.; a corporation uses Corporation, Corp., Incorporated and Inc., among others.
Certain words trigger a review. In California that list includes Bank, Trust, Trustee, Insurance, Insurer, Cooperative and Olympic — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.
What it costs: forming an LLC costs $70, a corporation $100 and a name reservation is $10 and holds the name for 60 days. Bizfile online filings often same day; paper filings weeks.
After you file: Statement of Information every 2 years ($20 LLC, $25 corp) PLUS the $800 minimum annual franchise tax. Miss it and the entity slides to an inactive status — at which point the name can be taken by someone else.
As published by the California Secretary of State, (916) 657-5448 — fee schedule. Fees change; confirm before filing.
What people are checking in California
In the past 90 days this site checked 71 names against the California registry, and 75% of them came back clear at the state level. The words that came up most: Property, Care, Tee, Shop and Harrington. (Aggregate figures only — we don't publish individual searches.)
How California decides whether a name is taken
Three things the California Secretary of State looks at, and one it doesn't:
- Status. Only entities in an active status hold their names. Dissolved, revoked and withdrawn registrations release the name — with the caveat that a very recent lapse can still be reinstated, which our result notes when it applies.
- Distinguishability. Your name must differ from every active California name by more than punctuation, spacing, capitalisation or the entity designator. Two names that read the same aloud are usually treated as the same name.
- Designator. The recorded name of an LLC ends in an LLC designator and a corporation's in Inc., Corp. or an accepted equivalent; leave it off and the filing is returned.
- Not trademarks. The registry never checks the USPTO. A name can be free in California and still infringe a federal mark, so run both — the checker on this page does.
About the California Secretary of State
The California Secretary of State maintains California's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for California business names. Useful official resources:
- Official California business entity search — the state's own lookup.
- California Secretary of State — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.
Using the official California search
- Search here first. The checker above covers the California registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
- Open the official California entity search and look up your shortlisted name exactly as you plan to file it, including the entity suffix.
- Review matching records — check each match's status (active registrations block a name; dissolved ones usually don't) and how close the spelling is to yours.
- File or reserve promptly. Availability is first-come-first-served; a name that's clear today can be registered by someone else tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
- Are there words I can't use in a California business name?
- Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In California that includes Bank, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Insurer. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
- How many new businesses start in California each year?
- The Census Bureau counted 614,271 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +15.7% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
- Does a California registration protect my name in other states?
- No. It protects the name inside California's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the California lookup.
- What does a California LLC name have to end with?
- One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company and Ltd. Liability Co.. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.
- Can I reserve a business name in California before I file?
- Yes. The California Secretary of State charges $10 to reserve a name for 60 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
- How much does it cost to register a business name in California?
- The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $70 for an LLC and $100 for a corporation, then statement of information every 2 years ($20 llc, $25 corp) plus the $800 minimum annual franchise tax.
Still choosing a name? Try the California business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.
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