Florida Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Florida. Validate FL naming rules instantly, then search the Division of Corporations records free on Sunbiz — the state portal every Florida founder ends up using.
Validate the name format, then search the official Florida Division of Corporations — Sunbiz records.
1.Search the state registry (Florida Division of Corporations — Sunbiz) 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
$25 (LLCs) / $35 (corporations)
Holds the name for
120 days
How to file
Signed letter to the Secretary of State under § 605.01125 — there is no form and no online filing
Florida added LLC name reservations relatively recently, so older guides saying Florida has none are out of date. Because the reservation is paper-only, many founders simply file the $125 Articles of Organization instead.
How Business Name Availability Works in Florida
Florida's business records live on Sunbiz, the Division of Corporations portal — free, authoritative, and searchable by entity name, officer, or registered agent. It covers corporations, LLCs, partnerships, fictitious names, and trademarks on file with the Department of State, and every founder in the state ends up using it. A name is only secured when your Articles of Organization ($125) are accepted.
Florida applies a strict "distinguishable on the records" standard under § 605.0112: entity suffixes, articles like "the" or "a," the word "and" versus the ampersand, singular versus plural versus possessive forms, and punctuation are all ignored when comparing names. If the only difference between your name and an existing one is "LLC" versus "Inc." or a comma, Sunbiz will treat them as the same name.
One fact many guides get wrong: Florida now offers LLC name reservations. Under § 605.01125 you can hold a name for 120 days for $25 ($35 for corporations) — but only by signed letter to the Secretary of State, with no form and no online filing. Also useful to know: a voluntarily dissolved entity's name is held for 120 days before release, an administratively dissolved one for a full year, and Sunbiz offers no expedited service at any price.
Florida Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Incorporated"
- • Must be distinguishable on the records of the Florida Department of State — suffixes, articles, "and" versus the ampersand, singular/plural/possessive forms, and punctuation do not count (§ 605.0112)
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by Florida Statutes § 605.0112 (LLCs) and § 607.0401 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from Florida's financial-institution regulators (Office of Financial Regulation)
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Office of Financial Regulation approval needed
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions regulated by the Office of Financial Regulation
- • "Insurance" — cannot imply insurer status without licensing through Florida's insurance regulators
- • "University" — words implying an educational institution can require approval from Florida's education authorities
- • "College" — words implying an educational institution can require approval from Florida's education authorities
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Florida
Use the tool above to open the Florida Division of Corporations — Sunbiz search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Florida name reservations are filed by signed paper letter only — no form, no online filing — and Sunbiz offers no expedited processing at any price.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Florida 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.
Florida lets you reserve a name for 120 days for $25 (LLCs) / $35 (corporations) — Signed letter to the Secretary of State under § 605.01125 — there is no form and no online filing.
What Registering a Name Costs in Florida
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $125 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $138.75 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $25 (LLCs) / $35 (corporations) | Holds the name 120 days |
| Fictitious Name Registration | Filed statewide with the Division of Corporations for $50, valid through December 31 of the fifth year. Florida law requires advertising the name once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business before registering (§ 865.09). | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Florida 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 Florida for free?
Search Sunbiz, the Florida Division of Corporations portal — it is free and covers every corporation, LLC, partnership, fictitious name, and trademark on the Department of State's records. Search the distinctive words of your name without a suffix, since Florida ignores suffixes, articles, punctuation, and plural forms when comparing names. The name is only secured once your Articles of Organization ($125) are accepted for filing.
Can I reserve a business name in Florida, and how much does it cost?
Yes — this changed recently, so older guides saying Florida has no name reservations are out of date. Under Florida Statutes § 605.01125, you can reserve an LLC name for 120 days for $25 ($35 for corporations). The catch: you must file by signed letter to the Secretary of State — there is no form and no online option. Many founders skip the reservation and file the $125 Articles of Organization directly instead.
What suffix does a Florida LLC name need?
Under Florida Statutes § 605.0112, an LLC name must contain the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C." Corporations follow § 607.0401, which requires "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or an abbreviation such as Corp., Co., or Inc. The suffix does not make a name distinguishable — two names that differ only by their entity designator are treated as identical.
How do I register a fictitious name (DBA) in Florida?
File a Fictitious Name Registration with the Florida Division of Corporations for $50. It is a statewide filing — no county registration needed — and stays valid through December 31 of the fifth year after filing. Florida law requires you to advertise the name at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business before registering (§ 865.09). Registration does not give you exclusive rights to the name.
How long is a dissolved company's name unavailable in Florida?
It depends on how the entity dissolved. A voluntarily dissolved entity's name is held for 120 days after dissolution before it becomes available. An administratively dissolved entity — typically one that missed its annual report — holds its name for one year, because it can reinstate during that period. Check the dissolution date and type on the entity's Sunbiz detail page before planning around a dissolved name.
How much does it cost to start and maintain a Florida LLC?
The Articles of Organization cost $125 to file. After that, Florida charges an annual report fee of $138.75, due each year to keep the LLC active — missing it leads to late penalties and eventually administrative dissolution. An optional 120-day name reservation costs $25, and a fictitious name registration, if you trade under a different brand, costs $50 for a five-year term. There is no expedited processing at any price.
Related Tools
FL LLC Tax & Fee Calculator
Estimate your FloridaLLC's filing fee, annual report costs, and recurring state charges before you form.
Florida Quarterly Tax Calculator
Calculate the estimated quarterly taxes you'll owe as a Florida business owner or freelancer.
Business Name Generator
Name taken? Generate unique, memorable alternatives for your Florida business with AI.
Business Entity Search Directory
Official Secretary of State search portals for all 50 states — look up any registered company.
Checking a Name in Another State?
Using Sunbiz to Search Florida Business Names
Sunbiz's Search Records tool covers every entity registered with the Florida Department of State: corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, fictitious names, and marks. Search broadly — type the distinctive part of your name without a suffix, since Florida ignores suffixes when comparing names. Each result shows the entity's status, document number, filing history, and registered agent, so you can tell an active blocker from a long-dead one.
Dissolved entities matter more in Florida than most founders expect. A voluntarily dissolved entity's name stays off-limits for 120 days after dissolution; an administratively dissolved entity (usually for a missed annual report) holds its name for a full year, because the entity can reinstate during that window. If your dream name belongs to a recently dissolved company, note the dissolution date and type before you wait it out.
Also plan around Florida's pace: the Division of Corporations offers no expedited processing — every filing is handled in the order received, whether you file online or by mail. If timing matters, file early rather than paying for speed that does not exist.
Florida's Distinguishability Test Under Chapter 605
Florida Statutes § 605.0112 requires an LLC name to contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C." Corporations need "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or an abbreviation under § 607.0401. Beyond the designator, the name must be distinguishable on the Department of State's records from every registered and reserved name.
The statute is explicit about what does not make a name distinguishable: a different entity suffix, articles ("a," "an," "the"), the conjunction "and" versus the ampersand symbol, singular/plural/possessive variations, and punctuation or special characters. "Sunshine Consulting, LLC" and "Sunshine Consultings Inc." are the same name in Florida's eyes — you need a genuinely different key word.
Restricted words follow the usual pattern: "bank," "trust," and "credit union" require clearance from Florida's financial-institution regulators, and "insurance" cannot imply insurer status without licensing. Formation costs $125 for the Articles of Organization, and Florida's annual report runs $138.75 — miss it and the state will eventually dissolve the entity administratively.
Name Reservations by Letter and Fictitious Names
Florida's name reservation is the quirkiest filing in the state: under § 605.01125 you send a signed letter — not a form, and not an online submission — to the Secretary of State with the $25 fee ($35 for corporations), and the name is held for 120 days. Because a reservation costs a fifth of the actual formation fee and requires a paper letter, many founders skip it and simply file the Articles of Organization the moment their name clears.
If you will trade under a brand different from your legal entity name, Florida uses a statewide Fictitious Name Registration: $50 filed with the Division of Corporations, valid through December 31 of the fifth year after filing. Florida law requires you to advertise the fictitious name at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business before registering (§ 865.09).
A fictitious name gives you registration, not exclusivity — it does not create ownership rights in the name the way entity formation or a trademark does. Treat it as a compliance step, and clear the underlying brand against Sunbiz and the USPTO before you invest in it.
Your first month of Jupid — completely free
New here? Enter this code at checkout and your first month is on us — full AI bookkeeping, tax filing, and a 24/7 accountant, $0 for 30 days.
New customers. First month free with code NEW2026, cancel anytime.