Massachusetts Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Massachusetts. Validate the Commonwealth's naming rules instantly, then search the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division database free — and mind the stricter "likely to be mistaken" standard.
Validate the name format, then search the official Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Corporations Search records.
1.Search the state registry (Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Corporations 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
$30
Holds the name for
60 days
How to file
Application of Reservation of Name filed with the Corporations Division (MGL c. 156D § 4.02)
Extendable once for an additional 60 days by filing again with another $30 — 120 days maximum in total.
How Business Name Availability Works in Massachusetts
Massachusetts entity records live with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division, whose business entity search is free and covers LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Search it early and often — because the Commonwealth's name standard is tougher than most, a name that would sail through in another state can be rejected here.
Most states only require a name to be distinguishable upon the records — different in some recognizable way. Massachusetts is not one of them. Its standard says a name may not be the same as, or so similar as to be likely to be mistaken for, another name on file. That is a stricter and more subjective test: even if your name differs by a word, an examiner who thinks customers could confuse the two can reject it. Build in a backup name before you file.
The Commonwealth is also the most expensive state in the country for LLCs: $500 to file the Certificate of Organization and $500 for the annual report, every year. A name reservation costs $30 for 60 days, extendable once for another $30. DBAs, meanwhile, are handled at the municipal level — a business certificate filed with your city or town clerk under MGL c. 110 § 5.
Massachusetts Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC", "L.C.", "Limited Liability Company" or "Limited Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • May not be the same as, or so similar as to be likely to be mistaken for, another name on file — a stricter and more subjective test than the distinguishable-upon-the-records standard most states use
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by MGL c. 156C § 3 (LLCs) and c. 156D § 4.01 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — banking terms generally require approval from the Massachusetts Division of Banks
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Division of Banks review is generally required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions overseen by the Division of Banks
- • "Insurance" — insurance-related names are typically reviewed under Division of Insurance rules
- • "University" — education terms like "university" or "college" generally require approval from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Massachusetts
Use the tool above to open the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Corporations Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Massachusetts charges the highest LLC costs in the nation — $500 to form and $500 every year — and applies a stricter name test than most states: not merely "distinguishable," but not "likely to be mistaken for" an existing name.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Massachusetts 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.
Massachusetts lets you reserve a name for 60 days for $30 — Application of Reservation of Name filed with the Corporations Division (MGL c. 156D § 4.02).
What Registering a Name Costs in Massachusetts
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $500 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $500 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $30 | Holds the name 60 days |
| Business Certificate (DBA) | Massachusetts has no state-level DBA registry — you file a business certificate with the clerk of each city or town where you do business (MGL c. 110 § 5). Fees vary by municipality, commonly $20-$65. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts for free?
Search the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division business entity database — it is free and covers Massachusetts LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Search for your key words in several combinations, not just the exact name, because Massachusetts rejects names that are likely to be mistaken for existing ones. Also remember that DBAs are filed with city and town clerks and will not appear in the state database.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Massachusetts?
A Massachusetts name reservation costs $30 and holds the name for 60 days. File an Application of Reservation of Name with the Corporations Division under MGL c. 156D § 4.02. You can extend the reservation once, for one additional 60-day period, by filing again with another $30 — 120 days maximum in total. After that, you must either form the entity or let the name go.
What suffix does a Massachusetts LLC name need?
Under MGL c. 156C § 3, a Massachusetts LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "limited company," or an abbreviation such as L.L.C., L.C., LLC, or LC. Corporations must include "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or an abbreviation. The designator alone will not make your name acceptable if the rest of it is likely to be mistaken for an existing name on file.
Why was my Massachusetts name rejected when it looks different from existing names?
Massachusetts does not use the distinguishable-upon-the-records standard most states apply. Its test says a name may not be the same as, or so similar as to be likely to be mistaken for, another name on file — a subjective confusion test. Even a name that differs by a word can be rejected if an examiner believes the public could mix the two up. The fix is usually a genuinely distinctive key word, not a tweaked suffix or added generic term.
How do I file a DBA in Massachusetts?
At the municipal level. Under MGL c. 110 § 5, you file a business certificate with the clerk of each city or town where you do business — there is no state-level DBA registry in Massachusetts. Fees vary by municipality, commonly $20 to $65, and certificates generally last four years before renewal. A business certificate is public disclosure, not name protection: it grants no exclusive rights.
How much does it cost to form and maintain a Massachusetts LLC?
Massachusetts is the most expensive state in the country for LLCs. The Certificate of Organization costs $500 to file, and every LLC then owes a $500 annual report each year. Compare that with the one-time $30 name reservation and a $20-$65 municipal DBA, and the entity fees dominate the budget. Factor the recurring $500 into any decision about where to form.
Related Tools
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching the Massachusetts Corporations Division Database
The Corporations Division's business entity search (via the Secretary of the Commonwealth's site) is free and returns entity status, formation date, registered agent, and filing images. Search broadly: because the "likely to be mistaken" test looks at overall similarity, you want to see every name that shares your key words, not just exact matches.
Remember that municipal DBAs do not appear in the state database. A sole proprietor trading as your dream name in Worcester will only show up in Worcester's city clerk records. For a serious brand, sweep the clerk records of the cities where you will operate, plus a web and USPTO trademark search.
If your name is borderline, you can contact the Corporations Division for a preliminary read before paying the $500 filing fee — or lock the name down with a $30, 60-day reservation while you finish your paperwork.
Not Just Distinguishable: The "Likely to Be Mistaken" Standard
Under MGL c. 156C § 3, a Massachusetts LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "limited company," or an abbreviation: L.L.C., L.C., LLC, or LC. Corporations under c. 156D need "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" or an abbreviation. So far, standard stuff.
The difference is the similarity test. Where most states ask only whether the name is distinguishable on the records, Massachusetts asks whether your name is likely to be mistaken for an existing one — a confusion-style standard closer to trademark law than to a database check. Adding a generic word or changing the designator often is not enough if the dominant words still read the same.
Practical consequence: prepare two or three fallback names, and make each one differ from existing records by a genuinely distinctive word. Regulated terms add further review — banking and trust words route through the Division of Banks, and education words like "university" generally need Board of Higher Education approval.
DBAs at City Hall and the $500 Reality of Massachusetts LLCs
Massachusetts has no state-level DBA registry. Under MGL c. 110 § 5, anyone doing business under a name other than their legal name files a business certificate with the clerk of each city or town where they operate. Fees are set locally — commonly $20-$65 — and certificates typically run four years before renewal.
That decentralization cuts both ways: filing is quick and cheap, but there is no single statewide database of trade names, and a certificate grants no exclusivity whatsoever. If the brand matters, form the entity under the name or register a trademark.
Budget honestly for the entity itself. The $500 Certificate of Organization fee is the highest in the nation, and the $500 annual report repeats every year. Against those numbers, the $30 name reservation and a $65 DBA are rounding errors — but the recurring $500 should factor into any choice between forming in Massachusetts and registering a foreign entity.
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