What does an Oregon 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 Oregon before I file?

Yes. The Oregon Secretary of State charges $100 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 Oregon?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $100 for an LLC and $100 for a corporation, then annual report, $100, due by the anniversary date.

Are there words I can't use in an Oregon business name?

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

How many new businesses start in Oregon each year?

The Census Bureau counted 63,965 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, -2.9% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

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

Only active registrations block a name. Of the 560,800 entities in our copy of the Oregon registry, 560,800 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Oregon allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.

Does an Oregon registration protect my name in other states?

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

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

Oregon charges the same $100 for a name reservation as for the formation itself, which is the state's way of saying: just file. Its registry search covers assumed business names (Oregon's term for DBAs) in the same index as LLCs and corporations, so a sole proprietor's registered name blocks yours exactly as a company would.

Check an Oregon 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 Oregon

Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Oregon registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Oregon 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. Oregon will hold it for 120 days for $100. Confirm at the official Oregon Secretary of State search first.

Inside the Oregon registry

There are 560,800 entities in our copy of the Oregon registry: 59% LLCs, 14% corporations and 6% nonprofits.

The most common words in Oregon business names are Services, Construction, Properties, Group, Consulting and Solutions. If your idea leans on one of them, expect close matches; the checker shows you exactly which. 59% of names end in an LLC designator. The average registered name is 22.8 characters long.

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

Oregon applies one test to every proposed name: it must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State. Swapping 'Inc.' for 'LLC', adding 'The', or changing a comma does not make a name distinguishable here. Designators are fixed: LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company for an LLC, Corporation, Corp. and Incorporated for a corporation.

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

What it costs: forming an LLC costs $100, a corporation $100 and a name reservation is $100 and holds the name for 120 days. Online filings are immediate.

After you file: Annual report, $100, due by the anniversary date. An entity that stops filing loses good standing, and with it the exclusive claim to its name.

Source: the Oregon Secretary of State, (503) 986-2200 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.

How busy is Oregon right now?

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 63,965 business applications from Oregon in the twelve months ending August 2026 — -2.9% on the year before, the 31st-highest total of any state and 15.0 per 1,000 residents (ranked 33rd per person). April was the busiest month with 7,814 applications, and Oregon accounts for 1.0% 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: 39,242 applications in calendar 2019.

How Oregon decides whether a name is taken

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

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

About the Oregon Secretary of State

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

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

Using the official Oregon search

Search here first. The checker above covers the Oregon registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
Open the official Oregon 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 does an Oregon 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 Oregon before I file?: Yes. The Oregon Secretary of State charges $100 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 Oregon?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $100 for an LLC and $100 for a corporation, then annual report, $100, due by the anniversary date.
Are there words I can't use in an Oregon business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Oregon that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Engineer. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Oregon each year?: The Census Bureau counted 63,965 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, -2.9% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
What if the Oregon registry shows an inactive company with my name?: Only active registrations block a name. Of the 560,800 entities in our copy of the Oregon registry, 560,800 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Oregon allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.
Does an Oregon registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Oregon's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Oregon lookup.

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

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