Indiana LLC Name Search in 2023

Why is it Important To Do an Indiana LLC Look Up?

Before establishing an Indiana LLC, every company should do an Indiana LLC name search.

Business filers must be familiar with how to perform a search of the Indiana Business Name Database. You will be able to look up your company and examine specific information about it whenever you want once you have registered it with the Indiana Secretary of State.

When seeking to obtain certified copies of any filed documents, you will also need to understand how to run a simple search. Before filing a new Indiana LLC or corporation with the Secretary of State, a search can be done to determine whether a suggested company name is available.

In the section below, we’ll teach you how to use the Indiana Secretary of State Business Entity Search to determine whether an LLC name is available.

Follow Indiana Naming Guidelines

Before you finish your Indiana LLC name search, we advise checking sure your name complies with the rules.

The first and most crucial step in establishing your Indiana LLC is selecting a company name. Make sure the name you select conforms with Indiana’s naming regulations and can be found online by potential customers.

The words “limited liability corporation” or one of its acronyms must appear in your name (LLC or L.L.C.).

Your LLC’s name cannot contain any terms that may be mistaken for those of a public authority (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).

A licensed person, such as a doctor or lawyer, may be required to be part of your LLC if the word “restricted” (such as “bank,” “attorney,” or “university”) is used.

Do an Indiana Business Name Search

You can check the availability of your preferred name using Indiana’s Business Entity Search before submitting your name reservation request. The best way to search is to enter the desired name, leaving off identifiers like “LLC,” or limited liability company, and leaving all other boxes empty. All entities with the same or similar names will be returned by this.

If your company name consists of many words, you may even limit your search to the first two words to guarantee that you find every name that might be similar.

Indiana corporation search name status

Looking through the list of search results to see if any expired names would match the firm is one technique to come up with ideas if a company is having trouble coming up with a solid business name.

To check whether any expired business names would fit, type “Pizza” into the search form to produce a list of current and expired business names.

It is advised to call the Indiana Secretary of State’s office in Indianapolis to see if a name that has expired is still available.

Search Available Domain Names

Whether or not your preferred web domain name is available should be taken into account while choosing a business name. It’s crucial to have a URL that accurately reflects the name of your company. This apparently insignificant action can have a significant impact on how potential clients discover your company.

Use your favourite domain registration, such as GoDaddy, to do an internet search to find out if your desired URL is accessible.

Search by Business Name in Indiana

Step 1

The most popular search strategy is to utilize the business name as a search term. You must first access this website to get started. To narrow down your results, type the name of your company into the top-left entry area and change any search criteria in the Advanced Search section. When you are ready to go forward, click Search.

Step 2

You will see a list of company names created in Indiana that contain the search term(s) you entered. When you have located the firm you want to look into in the results, scroll through them until you do, then click on the blue Business ID number to access the information on that specific company.

Step 3

Finally, all the business information that the Secretary of State has made public will be shown. The information will consist of the major office address, expiration date, filing history, and several other details.

How to Search Business ID or Filing Number in Indiana

Step 1

You must first access this website in order to conduct this sort of search. Enter the ID or filing number into the relevant area after choosing the Business ID or Filing Number option.

Step 2

Only those results related to the business ID or file number supplied in the previous step should be shown. To move on to the following page, click the number in blue.

Step 3

You can study the company information that the Secretary of State has made publicly available on this last page. The information will contain things like the history of company filings, the date of expiration, the incorporators’ names and addresses, and more.

How to do Business Name Search in Indiana by Registered Agent Name

Step 1

To get started with Indiana Business Name Search, go to this website. Go there, fill out the Registered Agent Name entry area with a name, and then click Search.

Step 2

On the next page, you will see a list of all the entities with registered agents whose names correspond to those in your query. To continue, click the blue Business ID number.

Step 3

You may evaluate a multitude of information about the company on this last page. The information will contain the incorporators’ names and addresses, the date of expiration, past filings, and several other crucial details.

How to Do Business Name Search in Indiana by Registered Agent Name

Step 1

To get started, go to this website. Go there, fill out the Registered Agent Name entry area with a name, and then click Search.

Step 2

On the next page, you will see a list of all the entities with registered agents whose names correspond to those in your query. To continue, click the blue Business ID number.

Step 3

You may evaluate a multitude of information about the company on this last page. The information will contain the incorporators’ names and addresses, the date of expiration, past filings, and several other crucial details.

How to Do Business Name Search by Incorporator or Principal Name

Step 1

Go to this page to get started. Click Search after entering an incorporator or principle name in the relevant input area.

Step 2

Each business entity having an incorporator or principal name matching your query will be listed on the screen. To continue, click the blue Business ID number.

Step 3

Finally, you will have access to all the business information that the Secretary of State has made public. The filing history, incorporators’ names and addresses, the date of expiration, and other details will be included in this material.

How to Search Indiana SOS Database for Name Availability

Step 1

You must first access this website in order to do a name availability search. In the top left area, type the business name of the company, then click Search.

Step 2

You will get a picture similar to the one below if the company name is accessible. Depending on how close your intended name is to the others, you may be obliged to change it if the name is in disagreement with those of other companies.

Reserve Your Indiana Business Entity Name

For all of your business-related requirements and issues, including any LLC naming inquiries and requests, Indiana’s one-stop resource is INBiz. For 120 days, business names can be held in reserve.

You must register online in order to submit an application or access the mail-in application to reserve a company name. Before submitting your application, make careful to do a thorough search to prevent rejection.

There is a filing fee that you must pay in order to reserve your business entity name. Make checks payable to the “Secretary of State” alone.

Trademark search

Before registering, conducting a trademark search on your company name and any related slogans or emblems will help you avoid expensive future lawsuits.

If you later learn that another company has trademarked your company name, you are not immediately forbidden from using it. It’s important to keep in mind that even if the chosen Indiana business name is accessible, it can already be the subject of a registered trademark.

To ensure you do not unintentionally violate anyone’s intellectual property rights, it is crucial to be aware of who is using the name, what business they are in, and where they are situated.

Before choosing a company name, run a trademark search using the Trademark Electronic Search System to avoid any future hassles.

To finish this step, you can check Indiana’s trademark records to see if your company name or any associated slogans, logos, or other items are being used by another company in your state. You can also check the electronic records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to see if your company name is connected to any federally registered trademarks.

Social Media Search

Making sure your company name is accessible for usage on social media platforms is just as crucial—if not more so—than choosing a domain name that matches your operation. You may accomplish this by just conducting a name-only search for your company on each major website, or you can use a tool like Namecheckr to simultaneously search across all platforms.

How Do I Reserve an LLC Name in Indiana

Through the Secretary of State, business entities can reserve a name for up to 120 days. The Indiana name reservation paperwork must be submitted with a $20 filing fee.

Register Indiana business entity

Business entities can file their articles of incorporation with the Indiana Corporation Commission after deciding on a company name.

Alternatively, you may register with businesses like Northwest Registered Agent, Incfile, or ZenBusiness, which can handle the filings for as cheap as $0 plus state filing costs.

Register TAX ID/EIN with the IRS.

A firm is identified for tax purposes by its nine-digit EIN number. Consider it the social security number for companies. A limited liability corporation (LLC) can easily and quickly file for an EIN online. Swyft Filings’ Tax ID registration cost is $79 for corporations based in Indiana.

Create a logo

Business entity with outstanding logos impress clients, help them stand out from the competition, and help clients recall your distinctive services in a favorable way. This is similar to choosing a good business name.

It is simple to get a logo from Fiverr in 24 hours or less thanks to the rise of freelance marketplaces.

Write a business plan

Writing a business plan may assist in organizing the thoughts of business owners and provide a roadmap for companies to follow. A well-written company plan makes an excellent first impression on investors and promotes responsibility.

With over 500 sample plans to pick from, the business plan software Liveplan.com may help make the process simple.

Companies that link together should think about using a formal operating agreement.

Open a Business Bank Account

Businesses are obliged to have a company bank account because it helps keep personal and corporate funds separate. When a firm needs a loan to expand in the future, it also aids in establishing commercial reputation.

Businesses cannot utilize a PO box as their principal mailing address and must have a business postal address in order to create a business bank account. Online banks Lili and Novo are experts in collaborating with independent contractors and business owners.

FAQ

How do I register an Assumed Business Name in Indiana?

Information about corporations and Indiana-registered LLCs may be found in the Secretary of State’s Business Entity Database. In the county where the business is located, the County Clerk’s office is where sole proprietorships and general partnerships register their business name.

A single proprietorship or partnership that does business under a business name other than the owner’s legal name must apply for an Assumed Business Name, commonly referred to as a “Doing Business As,” DBA, Fictitious Name, or Trade Name, in order to be registered.

How do I form an Indiana LLC?

Make sure the business name is accessible to use by doing a business entity search prior to launching your company and creating an LLC. Learn how to create an Indiana LLC by following our step-by-step guide to submitting the Articles of Organization after confirming that the LLC name is available.

The guidelines for how the LLC functions are outlined in the Operating Agreement, which is a document that is worth examining even if it is not needed in Indiana, especially for multi-member LLCs.

Make sure to apply for Indiana business licenses after creating a Limited Liability Company and to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) so that the company is able to conduct business legally.