Kansas LLC Name Search [2023]

When starting a new company, the first thing any business owner must do is select a catchy name for the venture.

However, you can’t just pick any name; the business name you select must adhere to Kansas Naming Guidelines and be distinct from those of other businesses. In today’s article, we’ll talk about Kansas’s naming laws and how to use an LLC name search in Kansas to see if a trade name is available.

Why Is Performing a Kansas Business Name Search Important?

In order to determine whether their intended business name is still available or whether it has already been registered by another firm, business owners can do a Kansas business name search on all registered business entities in the state.

It is a good idea to conduct a Kansas LLC name search before submitting your LLC formation application since it will greatly lower the likelihood that your application will be denied.

Kansas Naming Guidelines

Business entity owners must select a name that complies with the standards established by the state of Kansas, as was described in the section above. The following conditions must be met when selecting a name for your Kansas LLC:

• Company name must include the phrase “limited liability company” or one of its abbreviations (LLC or L.L.C.)
• Company name cannot include words that would confuse your LLC with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc)
• Restricted words such as Bank, Attorney, and University may require additional paperwork and a licensed individual such as a doctor or a lawyer to be part of your LLC.

Using Comma in LLC Name

Businesses may register their company names in Kansas with or without commas. This means that if you want to register your Kansas LLC under the name “Jasmine Beverages,” you can do it under one of the following names:

Jasmine Beverages LLC
Jasmine Beverages, LLC

Both are accepted by the state.

Kansas LLC Name Must Be Distinguishable

Making ensuring the name is distinct on the Kansas Secretary of State’s records is another crucial consideration when choosing a business name for Kansas. This means that your business name cannot be the same as that of another Kansas-registered corporation. Running a Kansas LLC name search is one approach to see if the company name you want is available.

Kansas LLC Name Search

The public can access the state business entity database that is maintained by the Kansas Secretary of State and contains information on all business entities registered in Kansas.

Before filing an application, business owners can quickly check the Kansas Business Name Search feature to see if their preferred business name is available. You can search for Kansas Corporations and LLCs using the following criteria:

• Business Name
• Entity ID
• Filing Number

Business Name

When a member of the public searches for a Kansas business entity online, the Business Name search option is the one that is most frequently utilised. The site navigation is quite simple, and all you need to do to get a list of businesses with names similar to the one you’ve entered is type the desired company name into the search bar and click “Search.”

Additionally, as the website will extract the names for every type of company (aside from sole proprietorships and partnerships) available in the state business entity database, it is not required to provide terms like LLC, Corp, or other naming distinctions. Simply follow the procedures listed below to conduct a company name search:

1. Enter the name of the desired business entity name in the search function.
2. Click on “Search.”

Kansas business entity search station also offers additional filter options that allow the public to search by Active vs Inactive businesses.

Business ID

Every corporation or other business entities in Kansas will be given a unique ID number, which the general public can look up by entering the Business ID in the search window and pressing the “Search” button.

Filing number

Every corporation will have a corresponding file number that is specific to the business entity, similar to how an entity has a business entity ID. To find the relevant business entity on the website, enter the filing number in the search bar.

Kansas Business Name Status Search

Kansas is a populous state with a thriving economy. As a result, it is quite normal if you find it difficult to come up with a name for your company entity that makes it stand out from other entities. Searching the Kansas Business Entity Database for inspiration or ideas can be helpful. You can also seek for names that have already expired that you can use for your company.

For instance, the Kansas website will produce a list of business entities with the name “Boutique” in it along with their status if you type the term “Boutique” into the search area and desire to establish up a boutique.

You can search through all of the available company names from this page, and you might even uncover a name that has already expired but is still ideal for your company. However, it’s advised that you phone the Department of State’s office to double-check the name’s availability before submitting your LLC if you do locate a suitable one.

Trademark Search

Your preferred name hasn’t yet been registered, according to your search of the Kansas business entity database. But that does not automatically imply that it is accessible.

Before filing the application, you should conduct a trademark check because the name might be connected to a trademark. This quick and easy process will just take a few minutes of your time, but it can save you from future expensive litigation.

On the other hand, just because a different organisation has trademarked the name you want for your Kansas corporate entity doesn’t mean you can’t still use it. In order to avoid unintentionally violating the intellectual property rights of those who are already using the name, it is crucial for you to look up who they are, what business entity they are in, and where they are located.

Here are a few steps involved in performing a trademark search:

• Using the Kansas Business Entity, look up state trademark records To check if your preferred business entity name, slogan, and other elements are already being used by another entity in your state, conduct a search categorised by entity type.
• To determine whether the name, slogan, and other details of your preferred company entity are already taken by any federally registered trademarks, search the electronic records of the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Reserving Kansas Business Entity Name

The next thing you can do is reserve that name before someone else does after you’ve finished the business entity name search and trademark search and can confirm that the entity name is, in fact, accessible.

All LLC naming inquiries and requests, including name reservations, are handled by the Kansas Secretary of State’s Business Services Division. After that, you can send them a name reservation form to have your preferred name held for 120 days.

Your name reservation can be submitted online or by mail. Each choice has advantages of its own. Although there is a greater price associated with online submission, your application will be expedited and given particular consideration. You can also mail in a printed application as an alternative. The “Secretary of State” must be written on checks made out for filing fees.

Fee: $30 (online), $35 (by mail)

Mail to:

Kansas Office of the Secretary of State
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 S.W. 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594

Other Considerations – What To Do Next

Here are a few more things to think about before officially registering your LLC under your chosen business entity name after reserving that name:

Check Domain Name Availability

Numerous companies understand the value of having an online presence, which is why an increasing number of them are creating corporate websites.

In reality, practically everyone assumes that a business entity would have a website that they can visit online. However, given how common it is to create websites, domain names with six or fewer characters are typically already taken, so you’ll need to use your imagination to think of a name for your website that stands out and is simple for people to locate online.

You can rely on websites like Namechkr or GoDaddy to assist you in searching for domain names that are accessible. In the event that the name you choose is not available, these websites are quite useful in providing suggestions for similar names.

Although the.com extension is the most popular, there are other options as well. As more and more.com domain extensions are registered, other extensions like.co,.net, and.io are also starting to gain popularity. Therefore, this is another another factor to take into account when selecting a domain name for your website.

Check Social Media Name Availability

Businesses should maintain a social media page for their business entity in addition to having a website for their organisation. Businesses can engage with their customers on social media, where they can give reviews and learn about any recent improvements. This is why it’s critical that you keep up a positive online reputation.

Here are a few tips to maintain a good Kansas business entity social media:

• Even if you believe that your business entity is modest, you should keep and maintain a strong social media presence. Businesses with a strong social media presence may help increase organic online traffic, draw in potential clients, and even raise community awareness.
• For customers to find you online, a social media account must have a distinctive social media handle. In order to utilise the same handle across numerous platforms, it is advised that you check whether your preferred name is available on various websites such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest before picking a handle. It could be ideal for you to immediately open an account if your preferred social media handle is still accessible so that other users don’t take it first.
• You have two options: either utilise Namechkr to conduct a search across all platforms simultaneously, or check your preferred social media name on each major network separately.

Register Your Kansas Business Entity

You can ultimately proceed to register your company entity with the state after checking your trademark, domain, social media handle, and the Kansas business entity database.

It takes a lot of time and effort to form your own LLC, and if you do it alone for the first time, there’s a good possibility that you’ll become overwhelmed by the paperwork. Because of this, many firms employ organisations like ZenBusiness, Incfile, and Northwest Registered Agent to handle the filing process while they concentrate on more crucial duties.

Register Company Tax ID/EIN with the IRS

Businesses must register their company tax ID with the IRS for tax purposes after registering their business organisation. The corporate tax ID, usually referred to as the EIN, is a distinct nine-digit number. Online registration is easy to complete on your own and is a simple process.

Open a Business Bank Account

Following completion of the IRS registration, you must visit a bank to open an account. It is strongly advised for you to separate your personal and business finances to allay any suspicions, even if you may be aware of smaller enterprises using their personal bank accounts for business activities.

Additionally, keeping a business bank account will help your company establish a reputation with the banks, which can be beneficial when you need to seek for business loans in the future.

Setup an Email Account

The majority of organizations rely on email accounts for communication. Additionally, in order to create an account on social networking networks, you will need an email address. This is why opening a corporate email account is crucial for companies. With Google Workspace, you can simply get a @yourcompany email address for as little as $6 per month.

Bottom Line

Choosing a good business organization name is one of the initial tasks that business entity owners must complete before forming an LLC. Once the chosen name has been selected, it is crucial to check its availability using Kansas Business Entity Search Station and a trademark search.

Then, for unlimited online use, you might also wish to examine and safeguard your domain and social media names. You are now prepared to proceed with the procedures to formally establish your LLC after securing the name of your company entity.