Utah Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup
Utah has ranked at or near the top of the country for business formation per resident for years, and it's cheap to join in: $59 to form and an $18 annual renewal. The Division's public search no longer requires a login, and it returns name reservations alongside registered entities, so a reserved name shows as taken.
Check a Utah 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 Utah
- Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Utah registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
- Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Utah 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. Utah will hold it for 120 days for $22. Confirm at the official Utah Division of Corporations search first.
Utah naming rules: what the Utah Division of Corporations will and won't accept
The rule that matters most in Utah is distinguishable from names on the Division's records. In practice that means a name that differs from an existing one only by punctuation, spacing, capitalization or the entity suffix will be refused. 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 Utah that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer, Cooperative, Olympic and University and others — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.
On cost: forming an LLC costs $59, a corporation $59 and a name reservation is $22 and holds the name for 120 days. Online filings usually immediate to 2 business days.
After you file: Annual renewal, $18, due in the anniversary month. Skip it and the state eventually dissolves the entity, releasing the name back into the pool.
Per the Utah Division of Corporations, (801) 530-4849 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.
How busy is Utah right now?
Businesses in Utah filed 84,706 new business applications in the twelve months to August 2026 — +29.1% on the year before, the 23rd-highest total of any state and 24.2 per 1,000 residents (ranked 7th per person). April was the busiest month with 8,818 applications, and Utah accounts for 1.4% 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: 49,669 applications in calendar 2019.
What makes a name available in Utah?
- It must be distinguishable from names already on the Utah registry — usually more than a difference in punctuation, spacing, or an entity suffix.
- Only active registrations block a name. A dissolved or revoked entity with the same name typically doesn't stop you — though a recently inactive one can carry a reinstatement risk worth knowing about (our checker flags exactly that case).
- Entity suffixes are required, not decorative. An LLC's legal name must carry an LLC designator; a corporation needs Inc., Corp., or an equivalent accepted in Utah.
- Registry clearance is not trademark clearance. The Utah Division of Corporations checks its own records only — it will register a name that infringes a federal trademark. Check both.
About the Utah Division of Corporations
The Utah Division of Corporations maintains Utah's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Utah business names. Useful official resources:
- Official Utah business entity search — the state's own lookup.
- Utah Division of Corporations — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.
Using the official Utah search
- Search here first. The checker above covers the Utah registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
- Open the official Utah 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 Utah business name?
- Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Utah that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer and Cooperative. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
- How many new businesses start in Utah each year?
- The Census Bureau counted 84,706 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +29.1% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
- Does a Utah registration protect my name in other states?
- No. It protects the name inside Utah's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Utah lookup.
- What does a Utah LLC name have to end with?
- One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company and Limited 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 Utah before I file?
- Yes. The Utah Division of Corporations charges $22 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 Utah?
- The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $59 for an LLC and $59 for a corporation, then annual renewal, $18, due in the anniversary month.
Still choosing a name? Try the Utah business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.
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