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

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

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

How to Search for a Pennsylvania LLC Name

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

Step 1: Follow the Pennsylvania LLC Naming Guidelines

The naming of a Limited Liability Company (LLC) should follow the guidelines set forth by the state of Pennsylvania. To ensure that you are in compliance, it is absolutely essential to adhere to these regulations, which require LLC names to be unique and distinguishable from all other entities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Furthermore, all names must contain key terms such as “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company.” By incorporating these elements into your LLC name, you can create an engaging yet legally binding business identity that is as powerful as it is meaningful.

Ensure that your chosen name complies with the requirements of Pennsylvania’s LLC naming guidelines as listed below:

• The name of an LLC must contain “Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Company,” “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.C.,” or “LC.”
• The name must be distinct from every other business name registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State: Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations.
• The name must be distinctive from other entities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
• Name cannot include the words “bank,” “trust,” “insurance,” “college,” or any other prohibited word that describes a particular business or legal structure or one that requires state licensing to operate. 
• The name cannot imply a connection to a federal, state, or local government entity or agency.
• The name cannot imply it is a trust, cooperative, or nonprofit organization.
• The name should not be considered deceptive, immoral, obscene, or scandalous.

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 Pennsylvania LLC Name Search Availability

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

• LLC Name Search: Search the Pennsylvania Department of State: Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations through the Business Entity Search to check whether your 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 Pennsylvania LLC Name

To form a domestic LLC in the state of Pennsylvania, the Certificate of Organization filing fee is $125.

If you’d like to reserve your Pennsylvania LLC name and officially register at a later point in time, you’ll need to submit a name reservation request. The name reservation filing fee is $70.

You can reserve a business name for a single 120-day reservation period with a Pennsylvania Name Reservation/Transfer of Reservation (Form DSCB:15-208). If you do not form your LLC in time, your name will be released to the public after the 120-day reservation period expires. However, you can reserve the name again.

Using a Pennsylvania DBA for Your LLC

In Pennsylvania, a DBA (“doing business as”) name is known as a fictitious name. A Pennsylvania fictitious 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 a Pennsylvania fictitious name is $70 by filing the Registration of Fictitious Name form [DSCB:54-311].

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department 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 Pennsylvania Department of State. The filing fee for a Pennsylvania Registration of Trademark or Service Mark is $50 per class (“class” means goods and services).

Pennsylvania Department of State Contact Information

Mailing Address

Pennsylvania Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
401 North Street
206 North Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

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

Phone: (717) 787-1057

Email: RA-CORPS@pa.gov