Are there words I can't use in a Delaware business name?

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Delaware that includes Bank, Trust, University and College. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Delaware each year?

The Census Bureau counted 60,938 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +2.8% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

Does a Delaware registration protect my name in other states?

No. It protects the name inside Delaware's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Delaware lookup.

What does a Delaware LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company. 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 Delaware before I file?

Yes. The Delaware Division of Corporations charges $75 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

How much does it cost to register a business name in Delaware?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $110 for an LLC and $109 for a corporation, then llcs: $300 annual tax, due june 1. corporations: annual report + franchise tax ($175 minimum), due march 1.

Delaware Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup

More than a million business entities call Delaware home, most of them formed by companies that have never had an office there. That popularity has a side effect for anyone picking a name: the pool of taken names is enormous relative to the state's size, and the $300 flat annual LLC tax applies whether or not the company ever operates.

Check a Delaware business name now — Enter the exact name you're considering — it's searched against state registry records, federal trademark filings, and domain registrars. Free, no signup to start.

Check this name →

How to check a business name in Delaware

Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Delaware registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Delaware refuses names that aren't distinguishable — a near-miss on the list is the one that will block you.
Reserve or file while it's clear. Delaware will hold it for 120 days for $75. Confirm at the official Delaware Division of Corporations search first.

Delaware naming rules: what the Delaware Division of Corporations will and won't accept

Delaware applies one test to every proposed name: it must be distinguishable upon the records of the Division of Corporations. In practice that means a name that differs from an existing one only by punctuation, spacing, capitalization or the entity suffix will be refused. An LLC name must end in LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company; a corporation uses Association, Company, Corporation and Club, among others.

Certain words trigger a review. In Delaware that list includes Bank, Trust, University and College — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

What it costs: forming an LLC costs $110, a corporation $109 and a name reservation is $75 and holds the name for 120 days. Same-day and 1-hour expedited services available; standard ~1 week.

After you file: LLCs: $300 annual tax, due June 1. Corporations: annual report + franchise tax ($175 minimum), due March 1. Skip it and the state eventually dissolves the entity, releasing the name back into the pool.

As published by the Delaware Division of Corporations, (302) 739-3073 — fee schedule. Fees change; confirm before filing.

How busy is Delaware right now?

In the year to August 2026, Delaware recorded 60,938 new business applications — +2.8% on the year before, the 33rd-highest total of any state and 57.9 per 1,000 residents (ranked 2nd per person). April was the busiest month with 6,330 applications, and Delaware accounts for 1.0% 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: 25,885 applications in calendar 2019.

The four tests a Delaware business name has to pass

1. Nobody active already has it. The Delaware Division of Corporations compares your name against every entity currently on its books; a company that was dissolved or had its registration revoked normally doesn't count, although one that lapsed only recently could be reinstated — the checker calls that out when it sees it.

2. It's genuinely different, not just formatted differently. "Distinguishable" in Delaware means more than a comma, an ampersand, a plural or a different suffix. Sound-alikes and spell-alikes are the usual reason a filing bounces.

3. It carries the right designator. An LLC's legal name has to end in an LLC designator; a corporation needs Inc., Corp., Company or another form Delaware accepts. The designator is part of the name the state records.

4. It doesn't step on a trademark. The registry doesn't look at the USPTO, so a name can clear Delaware and still be a federal infringement. That is why the trademark check runs alongside the registry search here.

Rules, fees and reservation periods are set in Delaware statute and are revised from time to time; for a filing decision, the Delaware Division of Corporations's own published guidance controls. This page is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Delaware Division of Corporations

The Delaware Division of Corporations maintains Delaware's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Delaware business names. Useful official resources:

Official Delaware business entity search — the state's own lookup.
Delaware Division of Corporations — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Before you file in Delaware: a two-minute double check

Run the name through the checker above — registry, USPTO and domain in one pass.
Repeat the search on the official Delaware lookup, spelling the name exactly as it will be filed, with the designator.
For every match returned, note the status. Active blocks; dissolved or revoked usually doesn't; a recent lapse deserves a second look.
Compare spellings, not just exact hits — Delaware treats near-identical names as the same name.
Clear on both? Reserve or file straight away. Names are first-come, first-served.

Frequently asked questions

Are there words I can't use in a Delaware business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Delaware that includes Bank, Trust, University and College. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Delaware each year?: The Census Bureau counted 60,938 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +2.8% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
Does a Delaware registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Delaware's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Delaware lookup.
What does a Delaware LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company. 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 Delaware before I file?: Yes. The Delaware Division of Corporations charges $75 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
How much does it cost to register a business name in Delaware?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $110 for an LLC and $109 for a corporation, then llcs: $300 annual tax, due june 1. corporations: annual report + franchise tax ($175 minimum), due march 1.

Still choosing a name? Try the Delaware business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.

Check other states

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming