New Hampshire Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in New Hampshire. Validate New Hampshire naming rules instantly, then search state records free through QuickStart — and steer clear of NH's unusual off-limits list, from political parties to farmers' markets.
Validate the name format, then search the official New Hampshire Secretary of State — QuickStart Business Search records.
1.Search the state registry (New Hampshire Secretary of State — QuickStart Business 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
$15
Holds the name for
120 days
How to file
Form 1 (Application for Reservation of Name), by mail or online via QuickStart
At $15, New Hampshire has one of the cheapest reservations in the country; the statute does not spell out renewal terms, so plan around the 120-day window.
How Business Name Availability Works in New Hampshire
New Hampshire handles business filings through QuickStart, the Secretary of State's online portal, and its business search is free. Formation is straightforward — a $100 Certificate of Formation for LLCs — and the $15 name reservation (Form 1, 120 days) is among the cheapest in the country.
What makes New Hampshire naming memorable is the off-limits list in RSA 304-C:32. Beyond the usual distinguishability test against names and reservations on the Secretary of State's records, an NH business name cannot — without consent — match the name of a political party or a state or federal agency, and it cannot call itself a "farmers' market" unless the business actually qualifies as one. Few states legislate at that level of specificity.
The rest is standard New England housekeeping: LLC names need "limited liability company," "L.L.C.," or "LLC"; trade names register at the state level on Form TN-1 for $50; and every LLC files a $100 annual report. As always, registry acceptance is not a trademark — check the USPTO before you print signs.
New Hampshire Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Ltd." or "Incorporated"
- • Must be distinguishable from names on the Secretary of State's records — including reserved names, state and federal agency names, and political party names used without consent (RSA 304-C:32)
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by New Hampshire RSA 304-C:32 (LLCs) and RSA 293-A:4.01 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the New Hampshire Banking Department
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — New Hampshire Banking Department review needed
- • "Insurance" — regulated by the New Hampshire Insurance Department — extra wording or approval required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions under New Hampshire banking law
- • "Farmers' Market" — may only be used if the business actually qualifies as a farmers' market under RSA 304-C:32
- • "Engineer" — implies licensed engineering services — New Hampshire's professional-engineer licensure rules apply
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in New Hampshire
Use the tool above to open the New Hampshire Secretary of State — QuickStart Business Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. RSA 304-C:32 blocks more than lookalike company names: without consent, a New Hampshire business name cannot match a political party's name, a state or federal agency's name — or claim to be a "farmers' market" unless the business actually qualifies as one.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the New Hampshire 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.
New Hampshire lets you reserve a name for 120 days for $15 — Form 1 (Application for Reservation of Name), by mail or online via QuickStart.
What Registering a Name Costs in New Hampshire
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $100 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $100 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $15 | Holds the name 120 days |
| Trade Name Registration (Form TN-1) | Filed with the Secretary of State at the state level: Form TN-1, $50, with a $50 renewal. There is no county-level DBA filing in New Hampshire. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?
Search free through QuickStart, the New Hampshire Secretary of State's online portal. It covers corporations, LLCs, trade names, and reserved names. Then check your name against RSA 304-C:32's special restrictions — without consent it cannot match a political party's or government agency's name, and it cannot include "farmers' market" unless the business qualifies as one.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in New Hampshire?
Just $15 — one of the cheapest name reservations in the country. File Form 1 (Application for Reservation of Name) with the Secretary of State by mail or online through QuickStart, and the name is held for 120 days. The statute does not spell out renewal terms, so file your Certificate of Formation ($100) before the window closes.
What suffix does a New Hampshire LLC name need?
Under RSA 304-C:32, a New Hampshire LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC." Corporations, under RSA 293-A:4.01, use "corporation," "incorporated," or "limited," or the abbreviations "corp.," "inc.," or "ltd." Pick one designator and use it consistently across your filings and bank accounts.
Can I name my New Hampshire business after a political party?
Not without consent. RSA 304-C:32 bars business names that match or imply connection with a political party's name unless the party consents, and the same rule covers state and federal agency names. New Hampshire also uniquely restricts "farmers' market": the phrase may only appear in your name if the business actually qualifies as a farmers' market. These checks run alongside the ordinary distinguishability test.
How do I register a trade name (DBA) in New Hampshire?
File Form TN-1 (Application for Registration of Trade Name) with the Secretary of State for $50; renewals are also $50. New Hampshire handles trade names entirely at the state level — there is no county or town DBA filing — and the registered trade name appears in QuickStart searches, blocking later confusingly similar registrations statewide.
How much does a New Hampshire LLC cost to form and maintain?
The Certificate of Formation costs $100, and every New Hampshire LLC then files an annual report for $100, due by April 1 each year. Add the optional $15 name reservation and $50 trade name registration if you need them. There is no state sales tax and no tax on wage income, which keeps the overall cost of operating in New Hampshire competitive.
Related Tools
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching New Hampshire Names Through QuickStart
The Secretary of State's QuickStart portal offers a free business search across corporations, LLCs, trade names, and reservations. Because New Hampshire's off-limits list is longer than most, a clean entity search is necessary but not sufficient — your name also has to clear the RSA 304-C:32 restrictions described below.
The core test is the familiar one: distinguishable from names already on the Secretary of State's records, including reserved names. Punctuation, capitalization, and designator swaps do not create distinguishability; changing a key word does.
When the name is clear, $15 reserves it for 120 days (Form 1, by mail or through QuickStart) and $100 files the Certificate of Formation. At those prices there is little reason to leave a good name exposed while you finish your operating agreement.
New Hampshire's Unusual Off-Limits List
RSA 304-C:32 goes beyond company-name conflicts. Without the relevant consent, a New Hampshire business name cannot be the same as — or confusingly similar to — the name of a political party or a state or federal agency. "Granite State Republicans LLC" and "NH DMV Services LLC" are both dead on arrival.
The statute's oddest clause: a business may not use "farmers' market" in its name unless it actually qualifies as a farmers' market. The legislature wrote agricultural truth-in-labeling directly into entity naming law — a rule with no parallel in most states.
The conventional restrictions apply on top: banking and insurance words need the New Hampshire Banking Department or Insurance Department's blessing, and professional terms like "engineer" require licensure. When a name trips one of these wires, the fix is usually a qualifier word or written consent from the protected body.
Reserving a Name and Registering a Trade Name in New Hampshire
The name reservation is a bargain: Form 1, $15, 120 days, filed by mail or online through QuickStart. The statute does not address renewal, so treat the window as fixed and file your Certificate of Formation ($100) before it closes.
Trade names are state-level in New Hampshire: file Form TN-1 with the Secretary of State for $50, with renewals at $50. There is no county or town DBA filing — one registration covers the state, and the trade name shows up in QuickStart searches, blocking later confusingly similar registrations.
Ongoing costs are simple but not trivial: every New Hampshire LLC files an annual report for $100, due by April 1. Combined with no state sales tax and no tax on wage income, New Hampshire's total cost of doing business stays competitive despite the triple-digit report fee.
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