All business entities in Kansas must comply with the Secretary of State’s LLC naming guidelines, which includes conducting a Kansas business name search before creating a limited liability company.
The purpose of our guide is to demonstrate ways that will help you check the Kansas LLC name availability. Along with complying with Kansas’ Secretary of State’s guidelines, it is crucial to take into account that your chosen business name is unique and that it is only used by your company.
1. Discover the Guidelines for Naming an LLC
Before deciding on your business entity name, we strongly advise that you perform a Kansas LLC search.
In fact, the first and most essential step of the process is coming up with a business name. It’s critical to remember that you should pick an LLC name that meets Kansas’ guidelines and can be easily found online by your potential customers.
In summary, the following are the naming guidelines:
- You are required to use either the abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.) or "limited liability company" in your entity’s name.
- It is critical to prevent rising confusion between your LLC and governmental agencies like the Treasury as you choose a name for your company.
- You may be required to complete additional paperwork or need the services of a licensed professional like a lawyer if you opt for including restricted words like Bank or Attorney in your business name.
2. Do a Kansas LLC Name Search
Our team recommends that you use specific tools like the Kansas Business Name Search before filing a name reservation. This tool will help you check whether your potential business name is available for use in your state. To make the most out of your research, enter the desired name, excluding identifiers such as “LLC,” and leave the remaining boxes unfilled. This will return all entities with names that are the same or similar.
Moreover, if you choose more than one word to form your company name, you can limit your search to the first two words to ensure that you find all similar names.
What To Do If Your Preferred Name Is Unavailable
After performing an Kansas LLC lookup and skimming through the Business Entity Records, you discovered that your chosen name was already in use. So, what are your next steps?
If your Kansas LLC name is already registered, your final choice is to create a new legal name. You must keep in mind that your LLC name should not be too close to the one you choose previously. Then, once you’ve decided on a legal business name that adheres to the Secretary of State’s naming requirements, reserve it.
This step may be more difficult for foreign companies registering in Kansas.
Although your LLC’s original name may be recognized in other states, due to the naming rules, you may need to come up with a new name.
3. Choose a Web Domain Name
Having a domain name that corresponds to your potential business name is a minor yet crucial step to take into account before forming an LLC. You must make sure your potential online clients will be able to find your limited liability company easily.
Additionally, you can check the list of domain names available on prominent domain registries, such as GoDaddy, and you can create a URL that compliments your chosen LLC name.
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4. Reserve Your LLC Name in Kansas
All LLC name inquiries and requests are handled by Kansas’ Secretary of State Business Center. Business names can be reserved for a period of 120 days.
To reserve a company name, you must first register an account and then complete an application either online or by mail. Also, you are required to pay a filing fee while reserving your name, and checks should be made to the Secretary of State.
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Additional Considerations
Aside from your state’s naming guidelines, there are several important factors to consider when naming your business. Furthermore, searching in various networks and sources is always beneficial; therefore, our team recommends that you conduct extensive research through Social Media and Trademarks, and you can be assured that you will be able to obtain your desired business name.
Search for a Trademark
Searching for a trademark will help you develop various aspects of your business, such as the name, logo, and even a slogan. It will also enable you to avoid potential and costly litigation. As a result, discovering that other businesses have trademarked the name you’ve chosen does not preclude you from using it.
However, identifying the company that owns your desired entity name, as well as their industry and location, is critical to avoiding inadvertently infringing on the business owner’s property rights.
The following are the steps for conducting a trademark search:
- Perform a trademark search to discover whether your chosen name or slogan is ready for you to use.
- Search through the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s records if other local business entities currently hold your desired LLC name.
Search through Social Media Platforms
Lastly, having a memorable and easily accessible business name on social media platforms is critical. This is possible thanks to online tools like Namecheckr, which allows you to do a Kansas LLC name check across all social media platforms at once.
Conclusion
You must perform a Kansas Secretary of State business search before establishing your limited liability company. The name you pick should be valid and unique from the names of other businesses in the state.
After completing the Kansas Entity Search and deciding on a company name, you may need to choose a web domain name that matches it in order for potential customers to find your business online.
Just by completing the Kansas LLC name reservation form, you may set yourself apart from your future competitors. Securing your desired LLC name may help you go forward with the creation of your business.
- Finalize your LLC name. Before actually filing your documents, be sure that your LLC name satisfies the Secretary of State’s naming rules.
- Assign a registered agent. Every LLC must assign a person or a firm as their registered agent to administer the serving of process; they must take responsibility for legal papers on behalf of the LLC.
- File articles of organization. Kansas Limited Liability Articles of Organization (Form DL 51-09) are filed with the Kansas Secretary of State to form a Kansas LLC.
- Draft an operating agreement. An operating agreement is a document that specifies the day-to-day operations of an LLC as well as each member’s rights and obligations. The state does not require LLCs to have an operating agreement, but we strongly advise you to draft one.
- Get an EIN. Even though your LLC has no workers, it must get its own IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN) if it has more than one member. You may get an EIN by filling out an online application on the IRS website. There are no filing costs.
- Submit annual reports. The annual report can be submitted as soon as January 1st. Form LC-50, Limited Liability Company Annual Report, must be filed. The report can be submitted either online or by mail.
To form an LLC in Kansas, you must follow the naming rules set by the Secretary of State, which suggest that you add the following words to your LLC name:
- Limited Liability Company
- LLC or
- L.L.C.
Moreover, you must not use words that imply the business was formed for a reason other than what was specified in its articles of organization.
You can make changes to your Kansas articles of incorporation by filing them electronically through the Kansas.gov Business Center website. To get there, browse to the SOS website and select the “Business Filing Center” option. Then you have the option of filing the amendment.
It is critical that the name of your LLC be distinct from the names of any current businesses on file with the Kansas Secretary of State. To ensure that your preferred name is available, you may run a free name search on their website.
- To submit the Articles of Organization, the Kansas Secretary of State costs $165.
- The Kansas Secretary of State will reserve your LLC name for $30 if you file online or $35 if you file by mail.
Businesses in Kansas are required to disclose changes to their Articles of Incorporation/Organization. You must obey state requirements whether your firm is an LLC or a corporation. Whatever the objective of the adjustments, your organization must ensure that they are registered by the state.
No, under state law, the registration or filing of DBAs or fictitious names is not required or permitted.
What's Next?
Now that you have your entity name, it's time to take the next steps to establish your Kansas LLC. Check out our full guide on how to form an LLC in Kansas, where we can guide you every step of the way.
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