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

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

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

How to Search for a Utah LLC Name

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

Step 1: Follow the Utah LLC Naming Guidelines

If you’re thinking about starting an LLC in Utah, there are a few rules you need to keep in mind to ensure your chosen name complies with the requirements of Utah’s LLC naming guidelines. These include:

• Your chosen business name must be in English or it must use letters from the English alphabet. This rule is quite unique to Utah and it means that the name you choose for your LLC must be English. If the name you want for your LLC happens to be in another language, you will need to either translate it into English or use letters from the English alphabet to spell it out. For instance: If the name you want for your Utah yoga studio is in Arabic, you will need to file it as the English translation of that Arabic word. 
• In Utah, you are not required to use a comma in your name to separate the name and the designator. You can use either version. 
• The following designators may be used in your Utah LLC name: “LC,” “L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “Ltd. Co.,” “Ltd. Company,” “Limited Co.,” “Limited Company,” “Ltd. Liability Co.,” “Limited Liability Co.,” “Ltd. Liability Company,” or “Limited Liability Company.”
• The following designators may not be used in your Utah LLC name: “Inc.,” “Corp.,” “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Association,” “Limited Partnership,” “LP,” or “Cooperative” (unless you plan on registering your LLC as a nonprofit agricultural cooperative).
• The name you choose for your Utah LLC cannot include any words or abbreviations that may be restricted by law. For instance, you cannot create the impression through the use of words that your LLC is a bank, a government agency, or any other misleading impression. Words that are reserved for licensed professionals such as “architects,” “accountants,” “dentists,” and others are also prohibited. Since 2022, you also cannot use the number sequence “911” in your Utah LLC 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 Utah LLC Name Search Availability

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

• LLC Name Search: Search the Utah Business Search tool 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 Utah LLC Name

Once you’ve ascertained that your desired business name is available in Utah, you can reserve the name by filing an Application for Reservation of Business Name with the Utah Division of Corporations. You can file the reservation online at the Utah OneStop Online Business Registration system website or by mail. The fee to file is $22.

Using a Utah DBA for Your LLC

A DBA is a “doing business as” name. This applies if you wish to do business under a different name than the one you’ve registered. For instance, if “XYZ Company LLC” wants to do business as “XYZ Furniture Rental” then the owners will need to file a DBA. In Utah, you will need to file for a DBA designation if you want to do business under a name other than your formal “legal” name. There is also a form you can file, but it can’t be handwritten. The cost to file for a DBA is $22.

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 Utah LLC Trade or Service Mark

A trademark is any name, word, device, symbol, slogan, package design, or combination thereof, that distinguishes and identifies a specific service or product from others.

The Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code recommends that you consult an attorney to ensure appropriate consideration of all the legal implications of your choice of entity and filing. You can register a trademark online or in person. If you choose the online option, you will need to create an account to manage your trademark.

If you go into the Utah Corporations and Commercial Code Department offices to register your trademark, you can use the Application for a State Trademark and ensure you check the box “New Filing.” (Be aware that the aforementioned form cannot be handwritten.) This process can take up to seven business days before it is processed, and the filing fee is $50.

Utah Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address

Business & Commercial Section
Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code
P.O. Box 146705
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6705

Overnight Address

160 East 300 South (or 160 E Broadway)
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

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

Email: corpucc@utah.gov

Phone: (801) 530-4849