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

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

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

How to Search for an Oklahoma LLC Name

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

Step 1: Follow the Oklahoma LLC Naming Guidelines

When naming an LLC in Oklahoma, it’s important to understand the specific guidelines established by the state. To ensure compliance with these regulations and establish a lasting presence, it’s a necessity to take the time to plan ahead and do the appropriate research.

Doing your homework before officially registering your LLC will help avoid costly mistakes down the road. Also, choosing a descriptive, memorable title for your business can help differentiate you from competitors and capture the attention of potential customers.

When creating a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in Oklahoma, there are several guidelines to be aware of regarding the naming of the business:

• The LLC name must include the words “Limited Liability Company” or an abbreviation, such as “LLC” or “L.L.C.”
• The name may not include words that are considered descriptive of the company’s purpose or another business entity, such as “Insurance,” “Banking,” “Corp,” or “Inc.” Certain words require approval and licensing from the proper authorities. 
• The name must be distinguishable from any other registered LLC in the state. This is performed by a search of the database maintained by the Oklahoma Secretary of State.
• It is also not allowed to use terms that might suggest a connection to the government, such as “Treasury” or “FBI.”
• The name should also not include any restricted wording typically associated with a professional organization, such as “Dr.,” “Architect,” “Lawyer,” “Nurse,” or “Medical.” These require state licensing.
• It is not allowed to include offensive language or profanity in the name.

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 Oklahoma LLC Name Search Availability

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

• LLC Name Search: Search the Oklahoma Secretary of State Name Availability 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 a domain name next if you want to represent your brand or organization with a website. 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 Oklahoma LLC Name

To officially register an LLC in the State of Oklahoma, filing for your Articles of Organization has a fee of $100.

If you’d like to reserve an LLC name in Oklahoma and officially file at a later date, you’ll need to submit a name reservation form. The name reservation filing fee is $10.

You can reserve a business name for 60 days with the Oklahoma Secretary of State Entity Filing Service. Under “Popular SOS Online Services,” you’ll find the Name Reservation option. To claim your name, ensure that you file an official LLC formation form within the initial 60-day reservation period.

Using an Oklahoma DBA for Your LLC

In Oklahoma, a DBA (“doing business as”) name is known as a trade name. An Oklahoma trade name allows you to use a name other than your business’s legal name when operating.

If you want to keep your legal business name but conduct another business activity under a different name, you can usually create a DBA name and legally operate under a new name. The fee for getting an Oklahoma Trade Name is $25.

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 an Oklahoma LLC Trade or Service Mark

Doing a name search on the federal trademark database will tell you whether another business or person has already “marked” your name.

Once you verify the availability of your LLC name and secure it, you can choose to apply for a trade or service mark for your business.

Registering your LLC business “mark” (refers to trade and service marks) with the Oklahoma Secretary of State not only distinguishes the goods or services your business provides, but also creates a statewide notice that any entity or person cannot use any of your marks (such as brand name, slogans, and logos).

For these reasons, it is important for an LLC owner to register a mark with the Oklahoma Secretary of State.

The filing fee for an Oklahoma trade or service mark registration is $50 per class. (“class” means goods and services).

Oklahoma Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Oklahoma Secretary of State
Colcord Center
421 NW 13th St., Suite #210
Oklahoma City, OK 73103

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.

Phone: (405) 522-2520