New Jersey Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in New Jersey. Validate NJ naming rules instantly, then search the state's business records free through the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services — New Jersey's Treasury-run filing office.
Validate the name format, then search the official NJ Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services — Business Records Service records.
1.Search the state registry (NJ Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services — Business Records Service) 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
$50 (LLCs)
Holds the name for
120 days
How to file
Form UNRR-1, filed with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services by mail, with online filing available through NJ's business portal
The reservation may be renewed. New Jersey business filings are handled by the Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, not a Secretary of State.
How Business Name Availability Works in New Jersey
New Jersey routes business filings through the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES), an arm of the Department of the Treasury — there is no Secretary of State to deal with. The state's business records search is free for the index of entity names and identification numbers, but pulling a full standing or status report costs a fee, so plan your searches accordingly.
Naming rules come from the Revised Uniform LLC Act: under N.J.S.A. 42:2C-8, an LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC," and it must be distinguishable upon the records under 42:2C-8(c). Corporations follow N.J.S.A. 14A:2-2, requiring "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or an abbreviation. Financial words route through the Department of Banking and Insurance.
New Jersey also renames the familiar filings. A DBA for a registered entity is an "alternate name" (form C-150G, filed through the Business Charter Amendment service), while sole proprietors register a trade name at the county clerk. A name reservation costs $50 for 120 days on form UNRR-1 and may be renewed. Formation runs $125, with a $75 annual report after that.
New Jersey 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 upon the records from every name on file with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (N.J.S.A. 42:2C-8(c))
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by N.J.S.A. 42:2C-8 (LLCs) and N.J.S.A. 14A:2-2 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance
- • "Trust" — implies fiduciary powers — New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance approval needed
- • "Insurance" — requires clearance from the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions under New Jersey banking law
- • "College" — words implying an educational institution typically require approval from New Jersey's higher-education authorities
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in New Jersey
Use the tool above to open the NJ Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services — Business Records Service search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. New Jersey keeps business records at the Department of the Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services — the free records search shows the index, but full status reports carry a fee.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the New Jersey 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 Jersey lets you reserve a name for 120 days for $50 (LLCs) — Form UNRR-1, filed with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services by mail, with online filing available through NJ's business portal.
What Registering a Name Costs in New Jersey
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $125 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $75 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $50 (LLCs) | Holds the name 120 days |
| Alternate Name Registration | Registered entities file form C-150G — the fee is around $50 with renewals on roughly a 5-year cycle (confirm with the state) — online through the Business Charter Amendment service. Sole proprietors and partnerships register a trade name at the county clerk instead. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the New Jersey 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 Jersey for free?
Use the state's business name search run by the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) under the Department of the Treasury. The index search — entity names and identifying details — is free, which is enough to spot conflicts with your proposed name. Full status reports and standing certificates carry a fee, so reserve those for entities you actually need to investigate in depth.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in New Jersey?
A New Jersey LLC name reservation costs $50 and holds the name for 120 days. File form UNRR-1 with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services by mail, with online filing available through NJ's business portal. The reservation may be renewed if you need more time. Since the LLC formation filing itself costs $125 and permanently secures the name, reserve only when something genuinely prevents you from forming right away.
What suffix does a New Jersey LLC name need?
Under N.J.S.A. 42:2C-8 — New Jersey's version of the Revised Uniform LLC Act — an LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC." Corporations follow N.J.S.A. 14A:2-2 and need "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or an abbreviation such as Corp., Co., or Inc. The name must also be distinguishable upon the records from every name on file with DORES.
Does New Jersey have a Secretary of State for business filings?
Not for entity filings. New Jersey business formations, name reservations, annual reports, and records all run through the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES), part of the Department of the Treasury. That is why New Jersey forms carry Treasury branding and why the search tools live on Treasury pages. Guides that tell you to file with the New Jersey Secretary of State are pointing at an office that does not handle this work.
What is an alternate name in New Jersey?
An alternate name is New Jersey's term for a DBA held by a registered entity. An LLC or corporation files form C-150G online through the Business Charter Amendment service; the fee is around $50, with renewals on roughly a five-year cycle — confirm current figures with the state. Sole proprietors and partnerships instead register a trade name with their county clerk. Either filing is disclosure only and creates no exclusive rights to the name.
How much does a New Jersey LLC cost to form and maintain?
The formation filing costs $125, and New Jersey charges a $75 annual report to keep the LLC in good standing. An optional name reservation adds $50 for 120 days, and an alternate name registration costs around $50 if you operate under a second brand. Falling behind on annual reports leads to revocation of the entity's charter, which ultimately puts your business name back into the available pool.
Related Tools
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching New Jersey Business Records Through Treasury's DORES
New Jersey's business records live with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services under the Department of the Treasury. The free business name search returns the index — entity names and identifying details — which is enough to spot a direct conflict. Full status reports, standing certificates, and copied documents carry fees, so start with the free index and pay only when you need depth on a specific entity.
Your proposed name must be distinguishable upon the records under N.J.S.A. 42:2C-8(c) from every name on file. As in most "distinguishable" states, suffix swaps and punctuation changes will not separate two names — a genuinely different key word is the dependable fix.
When you find a clear name but are not ready to form, file form UNRR-1 with DORES: $50 holds the name for 120 days, and the reservation may be renewed. Filing is by mail, with online filing available through NJ's business portal.
New Jersey Naming Rules Under the Revised Uniform LLC Act
New Jersey adopted the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, and its naming section — N.J.S.A. 42:2C-8 — keeps things simple: an LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "L.L.C.," or "LLC." Corporations, governed by N.J.S.A. 14A:2-2, need "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or an abbreviation such as Corp., Co., or Inc.
Words that imply regulated activity face agency gates. "Bank," "trust," "insurance," and "credit union" all run through the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, and education words typically need sign-off from the state's higher-education authorities. Names implying a governmental connection are rejected.
Once your formation filing is accepted, the name is secured — the $125 public records filing creates the LLC, and the $75 annual report keeps it in good standing. Fall behind on annual reports and the state can revoke the entity, which eventually releases the name to others.
Alternate Names: New Jersey's Version of the DBA
New Jersey does not call it a DBA. A registered LLC or corporation that wants to operate under a second brand files an alternate name on form C-150G, submitted online through the state's Business Charter Amendment service. The fee is around $50, with renewals on roughly a five-year cycle — confirm both with the state when you file, as the exact figures are worth double-checking.
Sole proprietors and general partnerships use a different track entirely: they register a trade name with the county clerk in the county where they do business, on county forms and county fees.
An alternate name registration is disclosure, not brand protection — it does not stop another business from adopting a similar name. If the brand carries real value, secure it by forming an entity under the name or registering a trademark, and clear it against both the DORES index and the USPTO first.
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