Before you file
A business name needs more than one kind of check.
An available web address does not settle whether you can use a business name. Before paying for a filing or ordering signs, separate the state record, any DBA requirement, trademark questions and the domain you want to buy.
Published September 18, 2026. Official sources checked on the same date.
Write down which name you are checking
The Small Business Administration explains four different name registrations: entity names, DBAs, trademarks and domain names. Their purposes are different, and completing one does not complete the others.
- Entity name: the name identifying the business in state records. The state's rules determine what wording it will accept.
- DBA: an operating name different from a person's name or the formal entity name. Filing requirements depend on location and business structure; the relevant office may be at state or local level.
- Trademark: a separate question about the name used to identify goods or services and potentially conflicting rights.
- Domain: the website address registered through a registrar. It can differ from the entity name or DBA.
Start a note for each candidate with its exact spelling, the state where you intend to file and the goods or services you intend to offer. Keep the proposed public-facing name beside the entity name if they differ. That detail prevents a search for one version from becoming a mistaken approval of another.
Use the state search for the state question
Choose your state in our business-name search directory, follow its official search link, and read the filing office's explanation of the results. Keep any record number and status alongside the name you found. Avoid reducing a result to a note that says only "taken" or "free."
Your working notes might say: "Candidate A, entity search checked today, similar record found, need to read the naming rule." That is useful progress even though it is not a decision. Record an unanswered question as an unanswered question, rather than changing the spelling repeatedly until a search produces no results.
Look beyond an exact trademark match
The USPTO's clearance-search guidance calls for more than checking registered federal marks. Its sources include pending applications, state registries and internet searches for common-law use. Earlier use with relevant goods or services can matter even without a federal registration.
The USPTO also advises looking for similar marks used with related goods or services. A search for the exact spelling alone leaves that question open. Its federal searching guide is a starting point for learning the process. A U.S.-licensed trademark attorney can interpret results and advise on a proposed name; this article cannot give a clearance opinion.
Keep a short decision record
Copy this checklist for each candidate. Put the date beside each result so an old search does not look current when you return to it.
- Exact proposed entity name and public-facing name.
- State search link, relevant records and questions for the filing office.
- DBA office and procedure to check for the intended location.
- Trademark searches completed, similar uses found and questions needing advice.
- Preferred domain, registrar and whether it has actually been registered.
If the domain is available but the other rows are blank, the next task is more research. If a similar business appears in a trademark search, save that record before considering another candidate. Keeping the evidence together makes it easier to compare names without repeating the same searches or losing the reason one raised a concern.