All businesses must conduct a Connecticut LLC name search before forming an LLC.
Our guide is intended to assist you to check your Connecticut LLC name availability. While it is critical to select a business name in accordance with the state’s guidelines, make certain that no other entity in Connecticut is using it.
1. Discover the Guidelines for Naming an LLC
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 Connecticut’s needs and that it is easily searched by your potential clients.
In brief, the naming guidelines go as follows:
- Your business entity name must mention the abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.) or “limited liability company”.
- Make sure your name doesn’t include words that can raise confusion between your LLC and a government agency, such as the FBI and the State Department.
- Additional paperwork or a licensed individual– like a lawyer or doctor– may be required if your name includes restricted words, such as University and Bank.
2. Conduct a Connecticut LLC Name Search
Use the Connecticut LLC name search before submitting your Connecticut LLC name reservation request.
To carry out an effective Connecticut LLC lookup, enter the desired name, omitting identifiers such as “LLC.” This will return any entities with names that are the same or similar.
What To Do If Your Preferred Name Is Unavailable
So you went through the Connecticut Business Entity Records and conducted your Connecticut Secretary of State business search, and there it was: your fictitious name was already in use. So, what should you do now?
If you register your LLC in Connecticut, your only choice is to brainstorm and come up with a new legal name. It is important to note that your name should not appear to be particularly close to the one you previously picked. Next, once you’ve found an LLC name that meets the Secretary of State’s standards, reserve it as quickly as possible.
The procedure may grow more difficult for international business organizations.
Although your LLC may be well-known by its name in other states, you may be unable to use it in Connecticut due to name availability. As a result, you’ll need to carry out a new Connecticut business search and come up with a “fictitious name,” or one that you can only use in the state.
3. Find Web Domain Names
Aside from the Connecticut LLC lookup, another important 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.
Find a Domain Now
4. Reserve Your LLC Name in Connecticut
All LLC name inquiries and requests are managed by the Connecticut Secretary of State’s Business Services Division.
A Statement of Reservation of Name must be filed online in order to reserve a business name. For 120 days, an available business name can be reserved. You must pay a filing fee while reserving your name.
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Additional Considerations
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.
Search Through Trademark
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:
- In order to discover if your chosen business name, slogan, or logo is used by other entities in Connecticut, search the trademark records of the state.
- 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.
Search Through Social Media
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 perform a Connecticut LLC name check on all social media platforms at once.
Conclusion
Choosing a name is the first and most significant step in founding an LLC in Connecticut. You are fine to proceed as long as the name is legal and distinct from the remaining business entities in the state.
After doing a Connecticut Business Entity Search and deciding on an LLC name, you may wish to pick a domain name that compliments it to assist your clients to discover your business online.
By completing the Connecticut LLC name reservation form, you may set yourself apart from the competitors. Securing your selected business entity name can assist you in the next steps of establishing your firm in Connecticut.
- Come up with a name for your business. Make sure that your legal name complies with Connecticut’s Secretary of State’s naming requirements before finalizing your documentation.
- Choose a registered agent. Every limited liability company is required to have an agent who manages the serving of process in Connecticut; this can be a person or a firm who accepts legal papers on behalf of the business.
- File Articles of Organization. A Connecticut LLC is formed by submitting articles of organization to the Secretary of State.
- Prepare an Operating Agreement. This is a document that specifies how the LLC will function, how it will be managed, and the rights and obligations of each employee.
- Get an EIN. An EIN is a nine-digit number provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to businesses to assist them to be identified for taxation purposes. It is fundamentally a company’s Social Security number.
- Pay state taxes. You will be required to register with the Department of Revenue Services either online or on paper.
- File annual reports. All Connecticut LLCs must submit an annual report to the Secretary of State. The report is due between January 1 and April 1 of the year following the calendar year in which the LLC was created.
According to Connecticut’s Secretary of State standards, your LLC’s name must include:
- Limited Liability Company,
- LLC or
- L.L.C.
Your company’s name must not contain any terms or phrases that imply or indicate that it was formed for a purpose other than that mentioned in its articles of formation.
To modify your Connecticut LLC’s Certificate of Organization, you must submit a Certificate of Amendment to the Connecticut Secretary of State. In addition to the amendment, you must pay a $120 filing fee.
Simply type your prospective business name into the free Business Name Search tool. You may also do a Connecticut business search of the state’s registration, which will reveal whether the state has any companies or LLCs with that name.
- The main expense of forming an LLC is the $120 filing fee with the Connecticut Secretary of State for your LLC’s Certificate of Organization.
- The annual report fee costs $80.
- A Connecticut foreign LLC registration costs $120.
If certain changes occur within your LLC or if you wish to add extra information, you may need to update your Connecticut Certificate of Organization. Any changes to the LLC’s Certificate of Organization must be reported to the Secretary of State by filing a Certificate of Amendment.
Connecticut does not need DBA name licensure at the state level. Trade names in Connecticut are registered at the town where the business will be performed or transacted. There is no trade name registration at the state level.
What's Next?
Now that you have your entity name, it's time to take the next steps to establish your Connecticut LLC. Check out our full guide on how to form an LLC in Connecticut, where we can guide you every step of the way.
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