Starting a business in Oregon involves several steps, but one of the first is choosing a business name. This step is a little more complicated when setting up an LLC or corporation in Oregon because these business structures must have a unique name.
To help you verify that your corporation or LLC is available to use, our step-by-step guide will show you how to quickly do an Oregon business name search using the Oregon Secretary of State Business Registry Database.
Related: Checklist To Start A Business In Oregon
Steps To Do An Oregon Business Name Search
Step 1: Visit the Oregon Business Registry Database
Go to the Oregon Secretary of State website.
Step 2: Search your Business Name
Enter the name you want to use in the “Entity Name” field. In this example, we will do an Oregon LLC name search by looking up “Express Lawn Service.” Enter your name and click “Search for Business Name” to search for your name. It is recommended to start your search with the “Business Name Availability Check” first but then try “Exact words in any word order,” “Sound-alike words in any word order,” and “Extended Search in any word order” to search your name thoroughly.
Step 3: Review Results
When we search the registered names, we get a list of all the businesses with the words “Express Lawn Care Service.” The name must be distinguishable from the other registered names to register a corporation or LLC name in Oregon. So, if you were looking to form an LLC with this name, you wouldn’t be able to since one is already registered.
Look at the “Entity Status” column for the words “ACT.” This denotes a business that is in good standing. If you look at “INA,” that business is no longer active, but the name may be available.
To find more information about any registered business names, click on the link in the “Name” column to see a detailed report.
While the name “Express Lawn Service” may not be available by itself, other variants such as “Express Lawn Service of Oregon” or “Portland Express Lawn Services” are available. Searching for those business names brings a result that says, “There were no records found.” Even if the name looks like it is available, the Secretary of State will do their search to avoid confusing potential customers with a business name that sounds like someone else’s. Typically words that sound alike but are spelled differently, and even abbreviations will make names appear available but won’t be approved.
These are the basics of doing an Oregon business search. Even when the name of the business you want looks like it is available, the Secretary of State will make a final determination when filing to ensure the company name you picked isn’t too similar to other registered names.
Also, keep in mind that even though each Corporation and LLC name must be unique, it may not stop someone else from using that name since business names for a sole proprietorship or partnership are not registered by the Secretary of State and are not required to be unique. To protect your business name, consider getting a trademark.
Related: Should I trademark my business name?
What information can be found on the Oregon business entity database?
The Oregon business entity search can find several pieces of information about the business. Some of the highlights include:
- Business Name
- Entity Type: Corporation, Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Partnership, etc.
- Status: “ACT” means the entity is in good standing, and all reports and filing fees are current. Other results include “INA” for inactive, “IP” for In Process, “NON” for Nonfileable, and “UNF” for Unfiled. The names of these inactive results may be available to register.
- Registry Date: The date the entity was first filed with the Secretary of State.
- Registry Number: The state ID number provided to the business entity.
- Principal Place of Business: This could be the business’s physical address or an address where business records are stored.
- Registered Agent Information: An Oregon Registered Agent is the singular point of contact for the entity should a legal, or tax notice be sent to the business.
- Owner Contact Information: Name and addresses of the business owners.
- The entity’s Articles of Organization (LLCs) / Articles of Incorporation (Corp) and the LLC Annual Report are available to view.
Oregon Business Name Search FAQs
How do I find a name for an Oregon sole proprietorship?
An Oregon sole proprietorship or partnership can use the business owner(s) full first and last name as the business name, but many will want to operate under a specific business name. In order to register the business name, they will register for an Oregon Assumed Business Name, which is also known as “Doing Business As,” DBA, or Fictitious Business Name.
Similar to the corporation or LLC, Assumed Business Name registrations need to be unique as well.
What are the naming guidelines for an Oregon LLC?
In addition to being unique, an Oregon LLC name must include a special designator such as Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., etc., and it may not use restricted words such as bank or insurance unless the entity is licensed to operate as such.
Can an LLC name be reserved in Oregon?
If there is a name you want but are not ready to register the LLC, you can file the Application for Name Reservation with the Oregon Secretary of State, Corporations Division. The name reservation will hold a name for up to 120 days.