Looking to form a Massachusetts LLC? Before you can officially register your business with the state, you’ll need to choose a name for your company. And part of that process involves conducting a name search to make sure the name you want is available.
Not sure how to go about doing a Massachusetts LLC name search? This blog post will explain the steps you need to take to ensure you choose an available name for your LLC.
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Overview
Go to the Secretary of State’s Business Filings website.
Go to the Secretary of State’s Business Filings website. You can access the website by clicking on the following link: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/sct/sctcoa/coa_disclaimer.htm.
Click on the link for “Business Filings.” This will take you to the page where you can begin your search for a business entity name.
Enter the name of the LLC you are searching for in the “Entity Name” field. If you are unsure of the spelling, you can enter part of the name and use wildcards (*). For example, if you are searching for “ABC Corporation,” you could enter “ABC*” or “* Corporation.”
Click on the “Search” button. This will bring up a list of all businesses that match your search criteria. If there are multiple pages of results, you can click on the “Next” button to view additional results.
Enter the proposed LLC name in the Name field.
The first step in forming an LLC is to search for and reserve a unique name for your LLC. To do this, you must:
-Visit the Secretary of State website.
-Click on the Business Services tab.
-Click on the Corporations Database link.
-Click on the Search Business Database link.
-Enter the proposed LLC name in the Name field. The system will return all business entities with that name, including last names, so make sure to scroll through the results to find your LLC. If the name is available, you can proceed with forming your LLC.
In the drop-down menu, select the “Begins with” option. This will allow you to enter the LLC’s name in the search bar and will return a list of all businesses that have that name or a similar name. You can then select the LLC you are interested in from the list.
You can search the Massachusetts business entity database by name, entity type, file number, charter number, or by officer/director name. Note that the officer/director name search can be very slow.
To search by name:
1. Go to the Massachusetts Secretary of State website.
2. Click on the “Search” button under the “Business Entities” heading.
3. Type in the name you want to search for in the “Name” field. You do not need to enter the entire name, but you must enter at least four characters.
4. Select “One Word” or “All Words” from the drop-down menu next to the “Name” field. If you select “One Word,” the system will return results for any entity whose name includes the word you entered. If you select “All Words,” the system will only return results for entities whose names include all of the words you entered (in any order).
5
Review the results of the search to see if the proposed LLC name is available.
When you have found a name that is available, you will need to file an Application for Certificate of Organization with the state. The LLC must be registered with the state before it can begin to do business.
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