Wyoming Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup
Wyoming registers more new businesses per resident than any state — about 145 applications per 1,000 people in the past year, nearly eight times Texas — because it invented the LLC in 1977 and still charges no income tax and asks for no member names. The registry is therefore far more crowded than the population suggests, and 'Wyoming' itself is a reserved word.
Check a Wyoming 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 Wyoming
- Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Wyoming registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
- Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Wyoming 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. Wyoming will hold it for 120 days for $60. Confirm at the official Wyoming Secretary of State search first.
How busy is Wyoming right now?
The U.S. Census Bureau counted 85,527 business applications from Wyoming in the twelve months ending August 2026 — +18.5% on the year before, the 21st-highest total of any state and 145.5 per 1,000 residents (ranked 1st per person). April was the busiest month with 9,036 applications, and Wyoming 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: 19,663 applications in calendar 2019.
Wyoming naming rules: what the Wyoming Secretary of State will and won't accept
Wyoming 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., Limited Liability Company and Limited Company; a corporation uses Corporation, Corp., Incorporated and Inc., among others.
Certain words trigger a review. In Wyoming that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer, Cooperative, University and College — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.
On cost: forming an LLC costs $100, a corporation $100 and a name reservation is $60 and holds the name for 120 days. Online filings are immediate.
Keeping it: Annual report / license tax, $60 minimum (based on in-state assets), due the first day of the anniversary month. Skip it and the state eventually dissolves the entity, releasing the name back into the pool.
Source: the Wyoming Secretary of State, (307) 777-7311 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.
What makes a name available in Wyoming?
- It must be distinguishable from names already on the Wyoming 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 Wyoming.
- Registry clearance is not trademark clearance. The Wyoming Secretary of State checks its own records only — it will register a name that infringes a federal trademark. Check both.
About the Wyoming Secretary of State
The Wyoming Secretary of State maintains Wyoming's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Wyoming business names. Useful official resources:
- Official Wyoming business entity search — the state's own lookup.
- Wyoming Secretary of State — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.
Before you file in Wyoming: 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 Wyoming 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 — Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming before I file?
- Yes. The Wyoming Secretary of State charges $60 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 Wyoming?
- 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 / license tax, $60 minimum (based on in-state assets), due the first day of the anniversary month.
- Are there words I can't use in a Wyoming business name?
- Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Wyoming that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Engineer and Cooperative. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
- How many new businesses start in Wyoming each year?
- The Census Bureau counted 85,527 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +18.5% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
- Does a Wyoming registration protect my name in other states?
- No. It protects the name inside Wyoming's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Wyoming lookup.
Still choosing a name? Try the Wyoming business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.
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