What if the Florida registry shows an inactive company with my name?

Only active registrations block a name. Of the 12.81 million entities in our copy of the Florida registry, 4.11 million are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Florida allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.

Does a Florida registration protect my name in other states?

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

What does a Florida 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.

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

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $125 for an LLC and $70 for a corporation, then annual report, $138.75 (llc) / $150 (corp), due may 1 — a $400 late fee if missed.

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

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Florida that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Credit Union and Olympic. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Florida each year?

The Census Bureau counted 712,436 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +13.6% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

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

Florida’s Sunbiz registry is the largest in the country — nearly 13 million records in our copy — and it moves fast: a $125 LLC filing is usually accepted within a few business days. The expensive mistake here isn’t the formation, it’s the annual report: $138.75 if filed by May 1, $538.75 the day after. A name that is clear on Sunbiz today can be filed by someone else tomorrow, so the reservation ($25) is cheap insurance while the paperwork is drafted.

Is it taken in Florida? — Enter the name exactly as you'd file it; the Florida registry, USPTO and domain registrars are checked together.

Check this name →

How to check a business name in Florida

Check the name as you'd file it. With the designator (LLC) attached — Florida compares the whole string.
Verify at the source. The official Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) search is the record that counts; registrations change daily.
Don't stop at the state line. A clear Florida result says nothing about federal trademarks or the domain; the checker covers both in the same run.

Inside the Florida registry

Our copy of the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) records holds 12.81 million entities: 52% LLCs, 43% corporations and 4% nonprofits. About 4.11 million of them are active; the rest are dissolved or otherwise inactive — and only the active ones block a name.

The most common words in Florida business names are Services, Group, Enterprises, Solutions, Investments and Management. Those are the words most likely to produce a 'not distinguishable' refusal when combined the obvious way. 51% of names end in an LLC designator. The average registered name is 24.4 characters long.

Florida naming rules: what the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) will and won't accept

Every Florida filing is screened for a single thing before anything else: the name must be distinguishable from all other names on Sunbiz records. Swapping 'Inc.' for 'LLC', adding 'The', or changing a comma does not make a name distinguishable here. An LLC name must end in LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company; a corporation uses Corporation, Corp., Incorporated and Inc., among others.

A few words are gated. In Florida that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Credit Union 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 $125, a corporation $70 and a name reservation is $25 and holds the name for 120 days. $25 for an LLC name, $35 for a corporation name (fee schedule, verified 2026-09-21) Sunbiz online filings typically 2-5 business days.

The ongoing obligation: Annual report, $138.75 (LLC) / $150 (corp), due May 1 — a $400 late fee if missed. An entity that stops filing loses good standing, and with it the exclusive claim to its name.

Per the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), (850) 245-6052 — fee schedule. Fees change; confirm before filing.

How busy is Florida right now?

Businesses in Florida filed 712,436 new business applications in the twelve months to August 2026 — +13.6% on the year before, the 1st-highest total of any state and 30.5 per 1,000 residents (ranked 3rd per person). April was the busiest month with 83,425 applications, and Florida accounts for 11.5% 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: 392,025 applications in calendar 2019.

What people are checking in Florida

78 Florida names were checked on this site in the past 90 days, and 84% of them came back clear at the state level. The words that came up most: Decor, Bakehouse, Orly, Plant and Garden. (Aggregate figures only — we don't publish individual searches.)

How Florida decides whether a name is taken

Three things the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) 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 Florida 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 Florida and still infringe a federal mark, so run both — the checker on this page does.

Naming rules, fees and reservation windows come from Florida statute and change; treat the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)'s current guidance as final before you file. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)

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

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

Using the official Florida search

Search here first. The checker above covers the Florida registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
Open the official Florida 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

What if the Florida registry shows an inactive company with my name?: Only active registrations block a name. Of the 12.81 million entities in our copy of the Florida registry, 4.11 million are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Florida allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.
Does a Florida registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Florida's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Florida lookup.
What does a Florida 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 Florida before I file?: Yes. The Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) charges $25 to reserve a name for 120 days — $25 for an LLC name, $35 for a corporation name (fee schedule, verified 2026-09-21). A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
How much does it cost to register a business name in Florida?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $125 for an LLC and $70 for a corporation, then annual report, $138.75 (llc) / $150 (corp), due may 1 — a $400 late fee if missed.
Are there words I can't use in a Florida business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Florida that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Credit Union and Olympic. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Florida each year?: The Census Bureau counted 712,436 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +13.6% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

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

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