What does a Missouri LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., 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 Missouri before I file?

Yes. The Missouri Secretary of State charges $25 to reserve a name for 60 days — renewable twice, to 180 days total. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

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

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $50 for an LLC and $58 for a corporation, then corporations file an annual registration report ($20 online); missouri llcs file no annual report.

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

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Missouri that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer and Cooperative. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Missouri each year?

The Census Bureau counted 116,931 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +30.7% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

Does a Missouri registration protect my name in other states?

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

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

Missouri LLCs owe the state nothing after formation — no annual report, no franchise tax — which makes the $50 filing a genuine one-time cost. The name reservation is short (60 days) but can be renewed twice, and the registry search returns fictitious names alongside entities, so a DBA someone registered years ago can be the conflict you didn't expect.

Check a Missouri 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.

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How to check a business name in Missouri

Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Missouri registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Missouri 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. Missouri will hold it for 60 days for $25. Confirm at the official Missouri Secretary of State search first.

Missouri naming rules: what the Missouri Secretary of State will and won't accept

Missouri applies one test to every proposed name: it must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State. 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., L.C. and Limited Liability Company; a corporation uses Corporation, Corp., Incorporated and Inc., among others.

A few words are gated. In Missouri that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer and Cooperative — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

On cost: forming an LLC costs $50, a corporation $58 and a name reservation is $25 and holds the name for 60 days. renewable twice, to 180 days total Online llc filings are immediate.

After you file: Corporations file an annual registration report ($20 online); Missouri LLCs file NO annual report. Skip it and the state eventually dissolves the entity, releasing the name back into the pool.

Source: the Missouri Secretary of State, (573) 751-4153 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.

How busy is Missouri right now?

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 116,931 business applications from Missouri in the twelve months ending August 2026 — +30.7% on the year before, the 16th-highest total of any state and 18.7 per 1,000 residents (ranked 14th per person). July was the busiest month with 13,274 applications, and Missouri accounts for 1.9% of all U.S. filings.

That volume is the reason exact-name checks age quickly here: the registry changes by the hundreds every business day.

Where America starts businesses — all 50 states ranked →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 58,748 applications in calendar 2019.

How Missouri decides whether a name is taken

Three things the Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri and still infringe a federal mark, so run both — the checker on this page does.

Naming rules, fees and reservation windows come from Missouri statute and change; treat the Missouri Secretary of State's current guidance as final before you file. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Missouri Secretary of State

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

Official Missouri business entity search — the state's own lookup.
Missouri Secretary of State — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Before you file in Missouri: 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 Missouri 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 — Missouri 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

What does a Missouri LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., 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 Missouri before I file?: Yes. The Missouri Secretary of State charges $25 to reserve a name for 60 days — renewable twice, to 180 days total. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
How much does it cost to register a business name in Missouri?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $50 for an LLC and $58 for a corporation, then corporations file an annual registration report ($20 online); missouri llcs file no annual report.
Are there words I can't use in a Missouri business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Missouri that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer and Cooperative. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Missouri each year?: The Census Bureau counted 116,931 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +30.7% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
Does a Missouri registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Missouri's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Missouri lookup.

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

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