State-by-state name procedures
Start your business name search with the official record.
Find your state's search tools, naming rules, and reservation process. Six state guides are available, with links to the filing offices that make the decisions.
Find your state guide
6 guides available
CACaliforniaSearch, naming rules & reservations COColoradoSearch, naming rules & reservations FLFloridaSearch, naming rules & reservations NYNew YorkSearch, naming rules & reservations OHOhioSearch, naming rules & reservations TXTexasSearch, naming rules & reservations
No published guide matches that search. Clear the search to see all six states.
Business Name Search Find the official search tools, understand what their results can tell you, and check naming rules and reservation options before filing. Legal Name Change Official starting points while our state-specific name-change guides are in preparation.
Before you settle on a name
Business name, DBA, trademark and domain: what to check first explains which question each search answers, with a short worksheet for keeping the results together.
How this site works
- Every guide is built from the state's own sources, Secretary of State filing offices, statutes, and court self-help materials, and links to them, so you can verify anything we say.
- We publish states as we finish them properly, not all fifty as thin stubs. Live so far: California, Colorado, Florida, New York, Ohio, and Texas business-name guides.
- Fees and forms change. Each guide lists its sources and the date we last checked them, and we link the official fee schedule rather than let a stale number mislead you.
NameUSA provides general information about public filing procedures, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.