Colorado Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Colorado. Validate state naming rules instantly, then search the Secretary of State's records free at coloradosos.gov — every Colorado filing is online-only, with no paper option at all.
Validate the name format, then search the official Colorado Secretary of State — Business Database Search records.
1.Search the state registry (Colorado Secretary of State — Business Database Search) for existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names
2.Check federal trademarks at USPTO.gov — state approval does not protect you from trademark claims
3.Verify the .com domain is available for your name
4.Grab matching social media handles (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook)
5.Lock the name in by filing your formation documents — or reserve it first (details below)
Fee
Around $25 (confirm on coloradosos.gov)
Holds the name for
Around 120 days (confirm on coloradosos.gov)
How to file
Statement of Reservation of Name, filed online at coloradosos.gov — Colorado accepts no paper filings
Renewable by filing a Statement of Renewal of Reservation of Name before the current reservation expires.
How Business Name Availability Works in Colorado
Colorado runs the most digital business registry in the country: the Secretary of State at coloradosos.gov accepts no paper filings at all. Name searches, reservations, formations, trade names, and periodic reports are all online-only. The business database search is free and covers entities, reserved names, and trade names.
The naming rules, set by C.R.S. § 7-90-601, are unusually permissive on designators. A Colorado LLC can satisfy the requirement with "limited liability company," "ltd. liability company," "limited liability co.," "ltd. liability co.," "l.l.c.," "llc" — or simply "limited" or "ltd." on its own, which almost no other state allows. Capitalization never matters, but here is the twist: punctuation does count toward making a name distinguishable, so "Peak Labs L.L.C." and "Peak Labs LLC" are different names on the record.
The Secretary of State states the availability rule plainly: your business name must be distinguishable (unique) from every other name on record. Reservations are filed online as a Statement of Reservation of Name — around $25 for 120 days (confirm current terms on coloradosos.gov) — and renew via a Statement of Renewal. Forming the LLC costs $50, with a $25 periodic report to keep it in good standing.
Colorado Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "Limited Liability Company", "Limited", "Ltd.", "Ltd. Liability Company", "Limited Liability Co." or "Ltd. Liability Co."
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Your business name must be distinguishable (unique) from every other name on record with the Secretary of State — punctuation counts toward the difference, but capitalization does not
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by C.R.S. § 7-90-601
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — banking terms generally require review by the Colorado Division of Banking
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Colorado Division of Banking review is generally required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions overseen by the Colorado Division of Financial Services
- • "Insurance" — insurance-related names are typically reviewed under Colorado Division of Insurance rules
- • "Savings" — savings-institution wording is generally reviewed by the Division of Banking
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act — enforced vigorously by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, headquartered in Colorado Springs
How to Check Name Availability in Colorado
Use the tool above to open the Colorado Secretary of State — Business Database Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Colorado is entirely paperless — the Secretary of State accepts no paper filings for anything, from formations to name reservations. Its designator rules are also unusually permissive: a bare "Limited" or "Ltd." satisfies the LLC requirement.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Colorado registry does not protect you from a federal trademark claim.
Check that the matching .com domain is available before you commit — renaming an LLC later means an amendment filing and new bank paperwork.
Confirm your name is free on Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn so your branding stays consistent everywhere.
Colorado lets you reserve a name for Around 120 days (confirm on coloradosos.gov) for Around $25 (confirm on coloradosos.gov) — Statement of Reservation of Name, filed online at coloradosos.gov — Colorado accepts no paper filings.
What Registering a Name Costs in Colorado
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $50 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $25 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | Around $25 (confirm on coloradosos.gov) | Holds the name Around 120 days (confirm on coloradosos.gov) |
| Trade Name (Statement of Trade Name) | File a Statement of Trade Name online with the Secretary of State for around $25 (confirm the current fee). Colorado does not check trade names for distinguishability, and a trade name provides no name protection. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Colorado LLC tax and fee calculator for the full annual cost picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a business name is taken in Colorado for free?
Search the Colorado Secretary of State's business database at coloradosos.gov — it is free and covers entities, reserved names, and trade names with current status. Search your key words without punctuation first, since Colorado treats punctuation as significant and close variants can coexist on the record. Then vet serious candidates against USPTO trademarks and a general web search, because registry availability is not brand clearance.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Colorado?
Colorado's Statement of Reservation of Name has long run $25 for a 120-day hold — confirm the current fee and duration on coloradosos.gov before filing. The filing is online-only, like everything at the Colorado Secretary of State, and it can be extended by filing a Statement of Renewal of Reservation of Name before the current reservation expires. Formation itself costs $50, so many founders simply form instead of reserving.
What suffix does a Colorado LLC name need?
Colorado is unusually flexible. Under C.R.S. § 7-90-601, an LLC name may contain "limited liability company," "ltd. liability company," "limited liability co.," "ltd. liability co.," "l.l.c.," "llc" — or simply "limited" or "ltd." on its own, which most states reserve for corporations. Capitalization does not matter at all. Corporations may use "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or an abbreviation.
Does punctuation make a name distinguishable in Colorado?
Yes — Colorado counts punctuation toward distinguishability, while ignoring capitalization entirely. "Peak Labs, LLC" and "Peak Labs LLC" are technically different names on the Secretary of State's record. That said, clearing the registry by a single comma is a poor branding strategy: customers will confuse the two names, and the earlier user may have trademark or unfair-competition claims. Aim for a genuinely distinct key word.
Does a Colorado trade name protect my business name?
No. Colorado does not check Statements of Trade Name for distinguishability, accepts duplicates, and states plainly that a trade name provides no name protection. The filing (around $25, online) exists for public disclosure — connecting a brand to its legal owner. If you want the name protected, form your entity under it, since entity names are checked for uniqueness, or register a state or federal trademark.
Can I file Colorado business documents by paper?
No. The Colorado Secretary of State accepts no paper filings — formations, name reservations, trade names, and periodic reports are all filed exclusively online at coloradosos.gov. The upside is speed: most filings process immediately or within minutes, and the public record updates in real time. Budget-wise, expect $50 to form an LLC, around $25 to reserve a name, and a $25 periodic report each year.
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching Colorado Names at coloradosos.gov
The Secretary of State's free business database search covers Colorado entities, reserved names, and trade names, with real-time status and document images. Because everything files online, records appear quickly — what you see is genuinely current.
Mind the punctuation rule when searching: since punctuation counts toward distinguishability, near-identical names differing only by a comma, period, or hyphen can coexist on the record. Search your key words loosely (without punctuation) to surface every variant, then judge how close the matches really are.
Also note what the trade name records mean: Colorado does not check Statements of Trade Name for distinguishability, so finding a trade name similar to yours does not block your entity filing — and conversely, registering a trade name will never block anyone else.
Colorado's Permissive Designators and the Punctuation Rule
Under C.R.S. § 7-90-601, a Colorado LLC name may use any of: "limited liability company," "ltd. liability company," "limited liability co.," "ltd. liability co.," "limited," "l.l.c.," "llc," or "ltd." — a list generous enough that a bare "Limited" or "Ltd." works, which surprises founders from stricter states. Corporations use "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" or an abbreviation.
Distinguishability runs on exact-record comparison with two Colorado-specific wrinkles: capitalization is ignored, but punctuation is not — a period or comma can technically make an otherwise identical name distinguishable. Legally available and commercially wise are different questions, though; a name one comma away from a competitor's invites confusion and trademark trouble.
Financial-sector words follow the usual pattern: banking and trust terms are generally reviewed by the Division of Banking, credit-union wording by the Division of Financial Services, and insurance terms under Division of Insurance rules. And in the home state of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, leave "Olympic" alone.
Trade Names Without Protection: The Statement of Trade Name
If your Colorado entity or sole proprietorship operates under a name other than its legal name, file a Statement of Trade Name with the Secretary of State — online, like everything else in Colorado, for around $25 (confirm the current fee at coloradosos.gov).
Colorado is explicit about the filing's limits: trade names are not examined for distinguishability, duplicates are accepted, and the statement provides no name protection whatsoever. It exists so the public can trace a trade name back to its owner, and so you can open bank accounts under the brand.
Real protection comes from the entity name (which is checked for uniqueness) or a trademark. With formation at just $50 and the periodic report at $25, forming the LLC under your brand name is often cheaper insurance than any workaround — and the online-only system typically confirms filings in minutes, not weeks.
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