Before forming Alabama LLC, all businesses must conduct an Alabama Secretary of State business search. 

Our guide is designed to help you check the availability of your LLC name. While it is important to choose a business name according to the state’s guidelines, be sure that no other entity in Alabama is using it. 

Our team recommends that you ensure that your LLC name satisfies the state’s guidelines before finalizing the business name. 

In fact, deciding on a business name is the first and most crucial step in establishing an LLC. Make sure to pick an LLC name that complies with Alabama’s state needs and that it is easily searched by your potential clients.

The Alabama Business Entity Search is an efficient source that will help you check the availability of your chosen LLC name. Therefore, this is an important step to complete before filing the name reservation request. To carry out an effective Alabama business name search, type your chosen name and omit certain identifiers, such as “LLC”, and keep the remaining boxes blank. Thus, you will be able to identify other Alabama businesses with the same or similar names. If you weren’t able to find your desired name in the list, it means that it is available.

If you opt to file your business entity name online, the site will presumably encourage you to conduct an Alabama LLC lookup prior to submitting the form. Whereas, if you choose to file by mail, it is best if you perform your Alabama Secretary of State business search thoroughly before completing the required paperwork; hence, this will help you avoid rejection. 

So you looked through the Business Entity Records, searched your desired LLC name, and there it was – your fictitious name already in use. What should you do next?

If your LLC is formed in Alabama, your sole option is to brainstorm and come up with another legal name. Note that your name shouldn’t be seemingly very similar to your previously chosen one. Next, once you find an LLC name that complies with the Secretary of State’s requirements, go ahead and reserve it as soon as possible.

As for foreign business entities, the procedure may become more challenging. 

While your LLC is renowned by its name in other states, there is a chance that you will not be able to use it in Alabama depending on the name availability. As a result, you will need to create a “fictitious name,” or one that you will be able to use only in the state. 

In addition, while you foreign qualify your limited liability company, you can add a fictitious name in the Application for Registration.

The third crucial aspect to take into account is whether your chosen business entity name has an available domain name. For instance, it is important to hold a URL that clearly complements your LLC name. This seemingly small detail can majorly impact your potential prospecting clients’ ability to find your LLC online. 

In addition, the simplest way to discover whether your desired name is available or not is to search through the domain registry of your choice, such as GoDaddy.

All business entity questions and requests are managed by the Secretary of State Business Entities Division of Alabama. They will need all local and foreign LLCs to have their Certification of Name Reservation prior to filing formation-related documents with the purpose of ensuring that the business name is available to use. Moreover, you can request the certificate online or by mail. 

During the name reserving process, a filing fee will be applied. In addition, individuals who aren’t subscribed to the Alabama Interactive will be required to pay an extra $28 fee to enable them to submit their requests online. Furthermore, there will be no additional fees if you decide to file by mail. 

While reserving your business name is seemingly straightforward, there are certain things to keep in mind while choosing the LLC name that best fits your needs. Extensive research is always helpful; therefore, performing a Social Media and Trademark search is a good idea to ensure that you are able to use your desired business name. 

Performing a trademark search can help you create not only a business entity name but also a unique slogan and logo. Additionally, it will allow you to avoid expensive and potential litigation. Thus, finding out that another company has trademarked your LLC name doesn’t mean that you are ineligible to use it. 

However, discovering the entity that is using your desired name, what industry they work in, and their current location is crucial to be sure that you don’t accidentally violate the property rights of the business owner. 

The steps to complete a trademark search goes as follows:

1. In order to discover if your chosen business name, slogan, or logo is used by other entities in Alabama, search the trademark records of the state.
2. To find officially registered trademarks that are linked to your desired LLC name, search the electronic records of the U.S. Patent and the Trademark Office. 

Similar to the availability of a web domain name for your business, having a unique and available LLC name across all social media platforms is equally important. To do that, you can use various online tools, such as Namecheckr, and you will be able to check all social media platforms at once. 

The first and most important step in forming an LLC in Alabama is coming up with a name. As long as the name is legal and distinctive from the remaining business entities in the state, you are good to go. 

Once you’ve decided on an LLC name after conducting an Alabama Entity Search, you may want to find a domain name that complements it to help your customers find your company online. 

You can stand out from the competition simply by completing the Alabama LLC name reservation form. Securing your preferred business entity name will help you move forward in the upcoming steps of establishing your business in Alabama.