New York Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in New York. Validate NY naming rules instantly, then search the Department of State's Corporation and Business Entity Database free — and budget for the LLC publication requirement before it surprises you.
Validate the name format, then search the official New York Dept. of State — Division of Corporations (Public Inquiry) records.
1.Search the state registry (New York Dept. of State — Division of Corporations (Public Inquiry)) 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
$20
Holds the name for
60 days
How to file
Application for Reservation of Name (LLC Law § 205) by mail to the Division of Corporations in Albany — no online filing
Two 60-day extensions are available at $20 each. The paper Certificate of Reservation must be attached to your Articles of Organization when you file.
How Business Name Availability Works in New York
New York business names live in the Department of State's Corporation and Business Entity Database, a free search maintained by the Division of Corporations in Albany. It covers the corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships on DOS records, along with each entity's status and DOS ID number. A clear result is only a preliminary signal — the Department of State does not guarantee a name until it accepts your Articles of Organization ($200 for LLCs).
Under LLC Law § 204, a New York LLC name must contain "Limited Liability Company" or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C."; corporations need "Incorporated," "Corporation," or "Limited" (or an abbreviation) under BCL § 301. New York also keeps one of the longest statutory prohibited-word lists in the country — terms like "board of trade" and "chamber of commerce" are barred outright, and financial words such as "bank" or "insurance" need NYS Department of Financial Services approval.
Two New York quirks deserve attention before you fall in love with a name. Reservations ($20, 60 days) are mail only — there is no online option, and the paper Certificate of Reservation must be attached to your Articles of Organization. And every new LLC faces the publication requirement of LLC Law § 206: notices in two newspapers for six consecutive weeks, plus a $50 Certificate of Publication — a bill that can top $1,000 in New York City.
New York 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 every entity name on file with the New York Department of State's Division of Corporations
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by New York LLC Law § 204 (LLCs) and Business Corporation Law § 301 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the NYS Department of Financial Services
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — NYS Department of Financial Services approval needed
- • "Insurance" — requires approval from the NYS Department of Financial Services
- • "Board of Trade" — on New York's statutory prohibited-word list — cannot be used in an entity name at all
- • "Chamber of Commerce" — on New York's statutory prohibited-word list — barred outright
- • "University" — requires consent from the New York State Education Department
- • "College" — requires consent from the New York State Education Department
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in New York
Use the tool above to open the New York Dept. of State — Division of Corporations (Public Inquiry) search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. New York LLCs must publish formation notices in two newspapers for six consecutive weeks and file a $50 Certificate of Publication — a cost that can exceed $1,000 in New York City.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the New York 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 York lets you reserve a name for 60 days for $20 — Application for Reservation of Name (LLC Law § 205) by mail to the Division of Corporations in Albany — no online filing.
What Registering a Name Costs in New York
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $200 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $9 | Every 2 years |
| Name reservation | $20 | Holds the name 60 days |
| Certificate of Assumed Name | LLCs and corporations file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the NY Department of State for $25 (Gen. Bus. Law § 130); corporations also pay per-county fees — $100 per county in the NYC boroughs. Sole proprietors file at the county clerk instead. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the New York 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 York for free?
Search the New York Department of State's Corporation and Business Entity Database, which is free and covers the corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships on DOS records. Search results show each entity's exact name, DOS ID, and status. A clear result is preliminary only — the Department of State makes the final availability call when it reviews your Articles of Organization, so file soon or reserve the name if you find a winner.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in New York?
A New York name reservation costs $20 and holds the name for 60 days. You file the Application for Reservation of Name under LLC Law § 205 by mail with the Division of Corporations in Albany — there is no online filing. You can extend twice, 60 days at a time, at $20 per extension, and the paper Certificate of Reservation must be attached to your Articles of Organization when you form the LLC.
What suffix does a New York LLC name need?
Under New York LLC Law § 204, an LLC name must contain the words "Limited Liability Company" or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C." Corporations follow BCL § 301 instead, which requires "Incorporated," "Corporation," or "Limited" or an abbreviation. New York also enforces a long statutory list of prohibited words — terms like "board of trade" and "chamber of commerce" cannot appear in any entity name.
What is the New York LLC publication requirement?
Under LLC Law § 206, every new New York LLC must publish a notice of formation in two newspapers designated by its county clerk, once a week for six consecutive weeks, within 120 days of formation. You then file a Certificate of Publication with the Department of State for $50. Newspaper rates vary sharply by county — the total can exceed $1,000 in New York City. An LLC that skips publication risks suspension of its authority to do business.
How do I register a DBA (assumed name) in New York?
LLCs and corporations file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the New York Department of State for $25 under General Business Law § 130. Corporations pay additional per-county fees on top — $100 per county in the New York City boroughs — while LLCs pay only the state fee. Sole proprietors and general partnerships skip the state entirely and file their assumed name with the county clerk where they do business.
How much does it cost to start an LLC in New York?
The Articles of Organization filing fee is $200. Add the publication requirement — two newspapers for six weeks plus a $50 Certificate of Publication — which ranges from a few hundred dollars upstate to over $1,000 in New York City. An optional name reservation costs $20 for 60 days. Ongoing costs are light: New York charges just a $9 biennial statement every two years, one of the lowest maintenance fees of any state.
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching New York's Corporation and Business Entity Database
The Division of Corporations' free database is the authoritative record for New York names. Search results show the exact entity name, DOS ID, filing date, county, and current status — "active" names are unavailable, and even inactive entries deserve a closer look before you rely on them. For a firmer read, you can contact the Division of Corporations directly, but only an accepted filing actually secures the name.
If you need time before filing, New York reserves names under LLC Law § 205: file the Application for Reservation of Name with a $20 fee, by mail to the Division of Corporations in Albany. The reservation lasts 60 days and can be extended twice, 60 days at a time, for $20 per extension. Keep the Certificate of Reservation the state mails back — it must be attached to your Articles of Organization when you form the LLC.
Formation itself costs $200 for an LLC's Articles of Organization, and New York follows up with a modest $9 biennial statement every two years. Compared with most big states, the ongoing fees are cheap — the real cost is the publication requirement covered below.
New York Naming Rules and the Statutory Prohibited-Word List
New York's designator rules are strict but simple: an LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." (LLC Law § 204), and a corporation must include "Incorporated," "Corporation," or "Limited" or an abbreviation (BCL § 301). Your name must be distinguishable from every entity already on the Department of State's records — swapping punctuation or the suffix will not get a lookalike name through.
What sets New York apart is its long statutory list of prohibited and restricted words. Terms like "board of trade" and "chamber of commerce" cannot appear in an entity name at all. Words implying banking, insurance, or trust powers require approval from the NYS Department of Financial Services, and education words like "university" or "college" need consent from the State Education Department.
Because the list is long and the Department of State applies it at filing time, a name that looks clear in the database can still bounce. If your name includes anything finance-, education-, or profession-adjacent, check the statute or ask the Division of Corporations before you print business cards.
The LLC Publication Requirement: New York's Expensive Extra Step
New York is one of the very few states with an LLC publication requirement. Under LLC Law § 206, a newly formed LLC must publish a notice of formation in two newspapers designated by the county clerk of its county — once a week for six consecutive weeks — within 120 days of formation, then file a Certificate of Publication with the Department of State for $50.
Costs swing wildly by county because newspaper rates do. In upstate counties the whole exercise can run a few hundred dollars; in Manhattan or Brooklyn it can exceed $1,000. Skipping it is not a free pass — an LLC that never completes publication can have its authority to carry on business suspended until it complies.
If your LLC will operate under a brand other than its legal name, New York adds a Certificate of Assumed Name: $25 filed with the Department of State under General Business Law § 130. Corporations pay additional per-county fees on top — $100 per county in the New York City boroughs — while sole proprietors file their assumed names with the county clerk instead.
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