One of the first and most important steps of any new business is finding the perfect name for your Louisiana LLC.

Checking the LLC name availability in Louisiana is an important step in the business formation process. It ensures your business name is distinguishable from the names of other Louisiana businesses so that you do not violate anyone’s intellectual property rights.

Our Louisiana LLC Name Search guide will show you how you can find available business names in Louisiana, and how to reserve and register your business name.

How to Search for a Louisiana LLC Name

Below are the four steps that you need to follow in order to conduct an LLC name search in Louisiana.

Step 1: Follow the Louisiana LLC Naming Guidelines

Louisiana’s LLC naming guidelines are strict about a few rules. To name your business correctly, you will need to keep them in mind.

• You cannot chose a name that implies that your LLC is anything other than what it was outlined to be in your articles of organization. 
• You need approval to use words like “engineer,” or “surveying,” from the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board.
• You cannot use the word “insurance” unless you are running your own brokerage firm or independent insurance agency. 
• You cannot use a business name containing the abbreviation “DBA” or “doing business as.”
• You need approval to use words such as “credit union,” “bank,” or “homestead.”
• You must include the words “LLC,” “LC,” or “limited liability company” in your business’s name. 
• You cannot make a name that could be confused with a governmental agency.
• You must include the abbreviation L3C or l3c (or the words “low-profit limited liability company”) if you are going to be a low-profit limited liability company.
• You have to make your business name distinguishable from other businesses.

For more help with these guidelines, continue reading the sections below.

Selecting a name is just one of the several requirements when forming an LLC. To avoid improper or incomplete LLC formation documents, we recommend using the assistance of an LLC formation service.

Step 2: Look Up Louisiana LLC Name Search Availability

The next step is to conduct a Louisiana LLC name search. Below are a few ways to do a business name search in Louisiana.

• LLC Name Search: Search the Louisiana Business Filings search to check if your chosen business name is available. You may also try typing your business or trademark on any search engine to check businesses with similar names. This will also ensure your trademark is unique, meets the state’s requirements, and frees you from any legal hassles in the future.
• Domain Name Search: If your business name is still available, you must register for a domain name. Having a URL that matches your business name is important since this is how your potential and existing clients can find your business.

To determine the availability of your chosen URL, use a domain registrar, such as GoDaddy.

Step 3: Reserve Your Louisiana LLC Name

To reserve your Louisiana business name, you should submit a form called “Transmittal Information For All Business Filings.” It costs $25 to file this paperwork. You can expedite it for $30 or use priority expediting for $50.

You can reserve a business name for up to 120 days by filing a reservation and paying the $25 fee.

Using a Louisiana DBA for Your LLC 

In Louisiana, a DBA (“doing business as”) names are the names businesses use to represent themselves instead of using their legal name. These names are like aliases.

If you decide that you want to run your business under a different name than its original LLC name, you can use a DBA. Fill out the trade name form with your DBA request. It costs $25 to do this.

LLC owners sometimes choose to brand their businesses with a DBA. Most sole proprietors and general partnerships use a DBA to create a brand other than their surnames.

Step 4: Register a Louisiana LLC Trade or Service Mark

Wondering if you can create a trade or service mark? Take a look at the federal trademark database to find out if someone else has already “marked” your name for use. If not, you’re ready to register your own.

Check for the availability of your LLC name. Then, secure it through the system. Once you do, move on to applying for any trade or service marks you want to use.

When you register your LLC’s marks, you’re giving notice that other businesses may not use them in the future. You’re also protecting them for your own use.

Register your trademark or service mark with the Louisiana Secretary of State. You can submit your application or call the Secretary of State at (225) 925-4704 to have the appropriate forms sent to you.

Louisiana Secretary of State Contact Information 

Mailing Address

Louisiana Secretary of State
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Physical Address

8585 Archives Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Email: To reach the Commercial Division by email, fill out this form.

Phone: (225) 925-4704