Business name search · California
How to check and reserve a business name in California
Since 2021, California has asked two questions of a proposed entity name: is it distinguishable in the records of the Secretary of State from an existing entity of the same type, and is it likely to mislead the public? Here's how the state actually applies that test, how to search the record for free, and how to hold a name for 60 days.
The rule California applies
Effective January 1, 2021, under Chapter 361, Statutes of 2020 (SB 522), the names of corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships must be "distinguishable in the records" from an existing entity of the same type on file with the Secretary of State, and "may not be likely to mislead the public."1 For LLCs the operative statute is Corporations Code §17701.08: the name must contain "limited liability company," "L.L.C.," or "LLC" ("Ltd." and "Co." are acceptable abbreviations), must not be likely to mislead, and must be distinguishable from existing LLCs, registered foreign LLCs, and reserved names.2
A quirk worth knowing: California checks a proposed name only against entities of the same type. A proposed corporation name is checked against other corporation names, an LLC name against other LLC names, and so on.1 The Secretary of State's detailed matching standards are published in its Name Regulations, Requirements & Restrictions (PDF).
How to check availability
1. Free: the bizfile Online Business Search
The Secretary of State’s Business Search at bizfile Online covers corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships of record. It is free, but its results are preliminary. The state reviews compliance when your formation or registration document is submitted for filing.1
2. Reserve, then file
Use the preliminary search, consider a 60-day reservation, and submit the appropriate filing. Wait for filing acceptance before ordering signs, stationery, or making other commitments that depend on the name.1
Name clearance is not trademark clearance. California checks proposed names only against like entities, not against trademark or service mark registrations, and not against county fictitious business names.1 Search the USPTO database and California trademark records separately before committing to a name.
Reserving a name before you file
- A California name reservation holds a name for 60 days, submitted online through bizfile Online.1
- Reservations cannot run back-to-back. A reservation can be renewed to the same applicant or party, but not for consecutive 60-day periods, there must be at least one day between reservation periods. (Corporations Code §§201(d), 17701.09(a), and parallel sections for other entity types.)1
- Reserving a name does not guarantee it meets every requirement for your entity type; compliance is reviewed at filing.1
- Filing fees are set by the state and shown in bizfile Online at the time of filing; check the current amount there before you file.
Operating under a different name (DBA)
California handles DBAs at the county level, not through the Secretary of State. A fictitious business name statement is filed in the county of your principal place of business under Business and Professions Code §17900 et seq.1 Fictitious business names are not part of the Secretary of State's availability check, in either direction.
Protecting a name from out of state
California has an unusual extra tool: a corporation formed in another state that is not registered or doing intrastate business in California can still protect its name here by filing a Registration of Foreign Name through bizfile Online. The registration lasts until the end of the calendar year in which it's filed and can be renewed each year between October 1 and December 31, with a good-standing certificate from the home state attached.1
Sources
- California Secretary of State, Name Reservations / Name Availability (accessed 2026-09-11), 2021 revised name statutes, like-entity checking, preliminary-search caveat, 60-day reservation and non-consecutive renewal rule, foreign name registration.
- Cal. Corp. Code §17701.08 (accessed 2026-09-11).
- bizfile Online Business Search.