According to the state’s guidelines, all businesses are expected to perform a Rhode Island Secretary of State business search before forming an LLC.
This guide is intended to assist you to check the Rhode Island LLC name availability. While it is critical to select a business name in accordance with the state’s guidelines, make sure that no other entity in Rhode Island is using it other than your Rhode Island LLC.
1. Discover the Guidelines for Naming an LLC
Before making a final decision on your LLC name, our team strongly suggests that you ensure that your business entity name meets the state’s guidelines.
In fact, choosing a business name remains the first and most essential step in establishing an LLC. It’s important to note that you must pick a business name that satisfies the state requirements and can be easily searched by your potential clients online.
In summary, the naming guidelines are as follows:
- Your company's name should contain the abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.) or "limited liability company."
- Be certain that your LLC's name does not include words that may cause confusion between your limited liability company and governmental institutions, such as the State Department or the FBI.
- If your name contains restricted words, such as Bank or University, additional paperwork or the services of a licensed individual, such as an attorney or doctor, may be necessary.
For more information, you can visit the Secretary of State’s naming guidelines here.
2. Conduct a Rhode Island LLC Name Search
The Rhode Island Entity Search is a useful tool for checking whether or not your chosen LLC name is available in the state. As a result, it is critical to complete this step before you do an LLC name reservation request.
To conduct a Rhode Island business name search, enter your chosen name and leave out specific identifiers, including “LLC,” then leave the other boxes blank. As a result, you will recognize other Rhode Island businesses with the same or similar names. If you were unable to locate your chosen business name then it is presumably available.
What To Do If Your Preferred Name Is Unavailable
After doing a comprehensive Rhode Island LLC search, it was found that your preferred name was already in use. So, what are your current plans?
Your only option is to create a new LLC name that is both legal and acceptable to the state. It should also be distinct from the one you previously selected.
This strategy may be tough for foreign companies looking to expand.
Whether or whether your LLC is recognized by its original name in other states, you must comply with the Secretary of State’s naming standards; you must change it if it is the same or too similar to an existing LLC name in Rhode Island.
3. Choose a Web Domain Name
Another critical factor is whether your chosen LLC name has an available domain name. For example, it is crucial to have a URL that obviously matches your LLC name. This small detail can have a significant impact on your potential clients’ ability to search your business online.
Furthermore, a common way to determine whether or not your chosen name is available is to search a domain registry like GoDaddy.
Find a Domain Now
4. Reserve Your LLC Name in Rhode Island
You can do a Rhode Island LLC name reservation for a period of 120 days with the Secretary of State Services Division. Except for Limited Partnerships, there is no mechanism for name reservation renewal.
You must complete an application online or by mail to reserve a company name. You must pay a filing fee while reserving your name. Make checks payable to the Rhode Island Secretary of State. There is an extra charge for submitting online.
Best LLC services
Best LLC services are those with a great value/price ratio that provide the maximum amount of services, high-quality work and won’t cost you a fortune. Here are some of them that we would recommend, as we researched and reviewed each one in detail and can vouch for them.
Additional Considerations
Conducting a Rhode Island LLC lookup may appear simple, but there are a few things to consider when selecting the business name that best meets your needs. Additional research always comes in handy; therefore, our team recommends performing a Rhode Island LLC name check through Social Media and Trademarks to be sure that you are eligible to use your chosen LLC name.
Search for a Trademark
Searching for a trademark will assist you in developing several aspects of your business, including the name, logo, and even a slogan. It will also allow you to avoid costly and potentially costly litigation. As a result, discovering that other business entities have trademarked the name that you have chosen does not automatically preclude you from taking it.
However, determining the LLC that is using your chosen name, their industry, as well as their location is critical to ensuring that you do not inadvertently violate the business owner’s property rights.
The following are the steps to conducting a trademark search:
- Discover the state’s trademark records to see if your chosen name or associated slogan is already in use by another entity.
- Search the records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to find local trademarks that are linked with your potential business entity name.
Search via Social Media
Lastly, it is important to have a doozy and available business name on social media networks. This can be done with the use of online tools like Namecheckr, which helps you to search all social media platforms simultaneously.
Conclusion
Choosing a Rhode Island LLC name may be both thrilling and difficult. You can proceed with the formation procedure as long as the name you choose is legal and distinct.
Following your Rhode Island entity search and selection of an LLC name, you may need to choose a domain name that correlates to it so that potential clients can quickly locate your LLC on the internet.
Finally, you may use a Rhode Island LLC name reservation form to be ahead of your competitors.
- Choose your LLC name. Before filing your documents, you must check that your selected LLC name conforms with the Secretary of State’s naming requirements.
- Assign a registered agent. In order to form an LLC, you must appoint a person or company as a registered agent to handle process serving. They must accept legal documents on your behalf.
- Submit the articles of organization. A Rhode Island LLC is formed by submitting an Articles of Organization (Form 400) to the Rhode Island Department of State.
- Draft an operating agreement. This is a contract that details the day-to-day operations of an LLC as well as the rights and responsibilities of each member. Although an operating agreement is not required by law for LLCs, we strongly advise you to create one.
- Get an EIN. Regardless of whether your LLC employs workers or not, it must get its own IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN). You may get an EIN by filling out an online application on the IRS website.
- File an annual report. All domestic and international LLCs allowed to conduct business in the state must submit a Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form 632) and pay a $50 filing fee with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
It’s important to note that your desired LLC name must include these words:
- Limited Liability Company;
- LLC; or
- L.L.C.
In addition, your name should not include words that can confuse the public; it should clearly reflect the product or service you offer.
To modify your limited liability company in Rhode Island, submit the completed Certificate of Amendment-Domestic Limited Liability Company (DSCB: 15-8512/8951) form to the Department of State Corporation Bureau through mail, in person, or online.
It is critical that the name of your LLC be distinct from the names of any existing businesses on file with the Rhode Island Department of State. To ensure that your preferred name is available, you may do a free name search on their website.
- The Rhode Island Department of State charges $150 to file the Certificate of Organization.
- The LLC name reservation fee is $50.
Renewing the name of your LLC is not mandatory in Rhode Island, but it is strongly advised. For instance, if your LLC does not supply the same product or service as indicated in the articles of organization, you must renew your LLC name to clearly represent the product or service you market.
If your company is incorporated, you must register your DBA with the Rhode Island Department of State. The Fictitious Business Name Statement will request your new DBA name as well as details about your company. There are several forms available based on your company’s structure.
What's Next?
Now that you have your entity name, it's time to take the next steps to establish your Rhode LLC. Check out our full guide on how to form an LLC in Rhode, where we can guide you every step of the way.
- Alabama LLC
- Alaska LLC
- Arizona LLC
- Arkansas LLC
- California LLC
- Colorado LLC
- Connecticut LLC
- Delaware LLC
- District of Columbia LLC
- Florida LLC
- Georgia LLC
- Hawaii LLC
- Idaho LLC
- Illinois LLC
- Indiana LLC
- Iowa LLC
- Kansas LLC
- Kentucky LLC
- Louisiana LLC
- Maine LLC
- Maryland LLC
- Massachusetts LLC
- Michigan LLC
- Minnesota LLC
- Mississippi LLC
- Missouri LLC
- Montana LLC
- Nebraska LLC
- Nevada LLC
- New Hampshire LLC
- New Jersey LLC
- New Mexico LLC
- New York LLC
- North Carolina LLC
- North Dakota LLC
- Ohio LLC
- Oklahoma LLC
- Oregon LLC
- Pennsylvania LLC
- Rhode Island LLC
- South Carolina LLC
- South Dakota LLC
- Tennessee LLC
- Texas LLC
- Utah LLC
- Vermont LLC
- Virginia LLC
- Washington LLC
- West Virginia LLC
- Wisconsin LLC
- Wyoming LLC