Minnesota Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Minnesota. Validate Minnesota naming rules instantly, then search state records free through MBLS — and lock your name down with one of the longest reservation holds in the country: a full 12 months.
Validate the name format, then search the official Minnesota Secretary of State — Business Filings Search records.
1.Search the state registry (Minnesota Secretary of State — Business Filings 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
$35 by mail, $55 online or in person
Holds the name for
12 months
How to file
Filed through the MBLS online system or by paper with the Secretary of State
Minnesota's 12-month hold is one of the longest in the country, and it is renewable for successive 12-month periods — you can effectively park a name indefinitely.
How Business Name Availability Works in Minnesota
Minnesota runs business filings through MBLS — the Minnesota Business and Liens System — and its name search is free. The search covers domestic and foreign entities, limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships, assumed names, and reservations, which is exactly the set your proposed name will be tested against.
Two things make Minnesota naming distinctive. First, the LLC statute is unusually terse: Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0108 lists only two designators — "limited liability company" or "LLC." No "L.L.C.," no "Limited Company," no "Ltd. Co." Second, the name reservation is one of the most generous anywhere: $35 by mail or $55 online buys a full 12-month hold, renewable for successive 12-month periods.
If you plan to trade under a brand different from your legal name, budget for Minnesota's old-school assumed-name process: the Certificate of Assumed Name ($30 mail / $50 online) must be published in a qualified legal newspaper for 2 consecutive issues, and then renewed every year — the renewal is free, but skipping it voids the registration.
Minnesota Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Ltd." or "Incorporated"
- • Must be distinguishable upon the records in the Office of the Secretary of State from domestic and foreign entities, LLPs, LPs, and reserved names
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0108 (LLCs) and § 302A.115 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which regulates state banks
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Minnesota Department of Commerce review needed
- • "Insurance" — regulated by the Minnesota Department of Commerce — extra wording or approval required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions under Minnesota financial-institution law
- • "Engineer" — implies licensed engineering services — Minnesota's AELSLAGID licensing board rules apply
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Minnesota
Use the tool above to open the Minnesota Secretary of State — Business Filings Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Minnesota assumed names must be renewed every year — the renewal is free, but miss it and the registration lapses. The free-but-mandatory renewal catches more founders than the fee ever would.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Minnesota 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.
Minnesota lets you reserve a name for 12 months for $35 by mail, $55 online or in person — Filed through the MBLS online system or by paper with the Secretary of State.
What Registering a Name Costs in Minnesota
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $155 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $0 | — |
| Name reservation | $35 by mail, $55 online or in person | Holds the name 12 months |
| Certificate of Assumed Name | Filed with the Secretary of State under Minnesota Statutes chapter 333 — $30 by mail or $50 online — then published in a qualified legal newspaper for 2 consecutive issues in the county of your principal place of business. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Minnesota 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 Minnesota?
Search free through MBLS, the Minnesota Business and Liens System run by the Secretary of State. It covers corporations, LLCs, LLPs, LPs, assumed names, and name reservations — the full set Minnesota tests availability against. Because reserved names block new filings, check for holds too, and try key-word variants since punctuation and designator changes do not make a name distinguishable.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Minnesota?
A Minnesota name reservation costs $35 by mail or $55 online or in person, and it holds the name for 12 months — one of the longest reservation periods in the country. It is renewable for successive 12-month periods, so you can keep a name parked while you prepare to launch. File through the MBLS online system or by paper with the Secretary of State.
What suffix does a Minnesota LLC name need?
Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0108 lists exactly two designators: "limited liability company" or "LLC." Unlike most states, the statute does not offer "L.L.C.," "L.C.," "limited company," or "Ltd. Co." as alternatives, so stick to the two statutory forms. Corporations use "corporation," "incorporated," "limited," or "company" (not preceded by "and") under § 302A.115.
Do I have to publish my Minnesota assumed name in a newspaper?
Yes. After filing the Certificate of Assumed Name with the Secretary of State ($30 by mail, $50 online), Minnesota Statutes chapter 333 requires you to publish it in a qualified legal newspaper for 2 consecutive issues in the county of your principal place of business. Keep the affidavit of publication — the registration is not complete without the publication step.
Why did my Minnesota assumed name lapse if renewal is free?
Minnesota requires an annual renewal for assumed names, and while the renewal costs nothing, it is still mandatory — the registration lapses if you do not file it. Because no money is due, the renewal notice is easy to dismiss as junk mail. Treat it like a filing deadline: calendar it annually, and confirm the renewal shows up in MBLS.
How much does a Minnesota LLC cost to form and maintain?
Filing Articles of Organization costs $155 online (or $135 by mail). Ongoing costs are unusually light: Minnesota LLCs file an annual renewal with the Secretary of State, and for an active LLC in good standing it is free — there is no annual report fee. Like the assumed-name renewal, it is free but mandatory, so do not skip it.
Related Tools
MN LLC Tax & Fee Calculator
Estimate your MinnesotaLLC's filing fee, annual report costs, and recurring state charges before you form.
Minnesota Quarterly Tax Calculator
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Business Name Generator
Name taken? Generate unique, memorable alternatives for your Minnesota 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?
Searching Minnesota Names Through MBLS
The Secretary of State's MBLS portal offers a free business name search across corporations, LLCs, LLPs, LPs, assumed names, and reserved names. Because reserved names count against availability, a name can be blocked by someone who has not even formed a company yet — MBLS shows those holds.
Minnesota applies a "distinguishable upon the records" standard: your name needs to differ in some real way from everything on file. Changing punctuation, spacing, or the entity designator does not create distinguishability; adding or changing a key word does.
When the search comes back clean, you have two moves: file the Articles of Organization ($155 online) and take the name, or reserve it. Given that Minnesota's reservation lasts 12 months and renews indefinitely, it is one of the few states where reserving early is genuinely worthwhile for a slow-burn launch.
Minnesota Naming Rules: Only Two LLC Designators
Minnesota Statutes § 322C.0108 lists exactly two acceptable LLC designators: "limited liability company" or "LLC." Most states accept a half-dozen variants; Minnesota's statute names only these two, so do not plan a logo around "L.C." or "Ltd. Co."
Corporations follow § 302A.115: the name must contain "corporation," "incorporated," "limited," or "company" — with the classic caveat that "company" may not be immediately preceded by "and" ("Lund and Company" fails; "Lund Company" passes). Corporate names must be in English letters or characters.
The availability test runs against domestic and foreign entities, LLPs, LPs, and reserved names on the Secretary of State's records. Words implying banking, insurance, or a licensed profession trigger review by the Minnesota Department of Commerce or the relevant licensing board.
Assumed Names in Minnesota: Publication Required, Renewal Free
Minnesota's DBA — the Certificate of Assumed Name under Minnesota Statutes chapter 333 — costs $30 by mail or $50 online. Any person or entity doing business in Minnesota under a name other than its full legal name must file one.
The filing is only step one. Minnesota still requires newspaper publication: the certificate must run in a qualified legal newspaper for 2 consecutive issues in the county of your principal place of business, and you keep the affidavit of publication. Skip publication and the registration is not complete.
Then comes the trap: Minnesota assumed names require an annual renewal. The renewal is free — the Secretary of State just needs the filing — but because nothing is owed, founders routinely ignore the notice and let the registration lapse. Calendar it like a tax deadline.
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