Pennsylvania Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Pennsylvania. Validate PA naming rules instantly, then search the Department of State's records free through Business Filing Services at file.dos.pa.gov — and learn why Act 122 may be holding your name hostage.
Validate the name format, then search the official Pennsylvania Dept. of State — Business Entity Search records.
1.Search the state registry (Pennsylvania Dept. of State — Business Entity 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
$70
Holds the name for
120 days (per 15 Pa.C.S. § 208 — confirm current practice with the Department of State)
How to file
Online via Business Filing Services (file.dos.pa.gov) or paper form DSCB:15-208
Reservations are renewable under § 208. Pennsylvania does not pre-screen names — availability is only determined when a filing is reviewed, so a reservation or a Name Availability Certificate is the only way to get certainty before forming.
How Business Name Availability Works in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania business names are searched through Business Filing Services at file.dos.pa.gov, the Department of State's filing portal. The search is free, but Pennsylvania has an unusual habit: the Department does not pre-screen names. Availability is determined only when your formation filing is actually reviewed, so a name that looks open in the search can still be rejected at filing time.
The designator rules, by contrast, are the most permissive of any big state. Under 15 Pa.C.S. § 204, a Pennsylvania LLC name may end in "company," "limited," or "limited liability company" — or an abbreviation — meaning a bare "Company" or "Limited" satisfies the statute without any "LLC" at all. Availability runs on a "distinguishable on the records" standard under § 202(b), rewritten by Act 122 of 2022.
Act 122 is also Pennsylvania's biggest naming headache. The law introduced annual reports (just $7 for LLCs) and administrative dissolution for entities that stop filing — but the dissolution machine will not finish clearing the backlog until around 2028. Until then, hundreds of thousands of dead-but-active entities still block names. Workarounds exist: a consent form, a Name Availability Certificate from the Department, or a foreign-abandonment certificate.
Pennsylvania Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "Limited Liability Company", "Company", "Co.", "Limited" or "Ltd."
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Must be distinguishable on the records of the Department of State (15 Pa.C.S. § 202(b), as amended by Act 122 of 2022)
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by 15 Pa.C.S. § 204 (designators) and 15 Pa.C.S. § 202(b) (availability)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities
- • "Trust" — implies fiduciary powers — Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities approval needed
- • "Insurance" — requires clearance from the Pennsylvania Insurance Department
- • "Engineer" — implies licensed professional services — professional licensure board authorization needed
- • "College" — words implying an educational institution require approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
- • "University" — requires approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Pennsylvania
Use the tool above to open the Pennsylvania Dept. of State — Business Entity Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Act 122 administrative dissolutions will not finish until around 2028, so hundreds of thousands of dead-but-active entities still block names on the Department of State's records.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania lets you reserve a name for 120 days (per 15 Pa.C.S. § 208 — confirm current practice with the Department of State) for $70 — Online via Business Filing Services (file.dos.pa.gov) or paper form DSCB:15-208.
What Registering a Name Costs in Pennsylvania
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $125 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $7 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $70 | Holds the name 120 days (per 15 Pa.C.S. § 208 — confirm current practice with the Department of State) |
| Registration of Fictitious Name | Filed statewide with the Department of State on form DSCB:54-311 for $70 — no county filing. Registration is non-exclusive (duplicates are allowed), and individual owners must officially publish the registration in two newspapers, one of them a legal journal. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania for free?
Search the Department of State's business records through Business Filing Services at file.dos.pa.gov — the search is free. Be aware that Pennsylvania does not pre-screen names: availability is only determined when your formation filing is reviewed, so a clear search is not a guarantee. For certainty before filing, reserve the name for $70 or request a Name Availability Certificate by emailing RA-CORPS@pa.gov (about a 7-10 day turnaround).
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's Name Reservation/Registration costs $70, filed online through Business Filing Services at file.dos.pa.gov or on paper form DSCB:15-208. Under 15 Pa.C.S. § 208 the reservation runs 120 days and is renewable — confirm current duration and renewal practice with the Department of State before relying on it. Because the state does not pre-check names, a reservation is the main way to lock a name before forming.
Does a Pennsylvania LLC name have to include "LLC"?
No — Pennsylvania is unusually permissive. Under 15 Pa.C.S. § 204, an LLC name may contain "company," "limited," or "limited liability company" or an abbreviation of any of them, so a name ending in just "Company" or "Ltd." is a valid Pennsylvania LLC name. Many founders still use "LLC" for clarity, since "Company" and "Limited" do not signal the entity type to customers, banks, or vendors.
Why is a dead company still blocking my business name in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania went decades without a recurring report requirement, so its records hold hundreds of thousands of entities that stopped operating years ago but were never dissolved. Act 122 of 2022 introduced annual reports and administrative dissolution for nonfilers, but the cleanup is phased and is not expected to finish until around 2028. Workarounds: get the blocker's consent on form DSCB:19-17.2, request a Name Availability Certificate from RA-CORPS@pa.gov, or use a foreign-abandonment certificate if the blocker is an out-of-state entity that left Pennsylvania.
How does a fictitious name (DBA) work in Pennsylvania?
File a Registration of Fictitious Name (form DSCB:54-311) with the Department of State for $70 — it is a single statewide filing with no county step. The registration is non-exclusive: multiple businesses can register the identical fictitious name, so it is disclosure, not protection. If any individual owns an interest in the name, the registration must be officially published in two newspapers, one of them a legal journal; you keep the proof of publication rather than filing it.
Does Pennsylvania have an annual report for LLCs?
Yes — this is new. Act 122 of 2022 replaced Pennsylvania's old decennial filing with an annual report, and for LLCs it costs just $7. The flip side of the new regime is enforcement: entities that stop filing annual reports face administrative dissolution, which is exactly the process that will eventually clear the thousands of dead entities currently blocking names. LLC formation itself costs $125.
Related Tools
PA LLC Tax & Fee Calculator
Estimate your PennsylvaniaLLC's filing fee, annual report costs, and recurring state charges before you form.
Pennsylvania Quarterly Tax Calculator
Calculate the estimated quarterly taxes you'll owe as a Pennsylvania business owner or freelancer.
Business Name Generator
Name taken? Generate unique, memorable alternatives for your Pennsylvania 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?
Act 122 and Pennsylvania's Blocked-Name Problem
Act 122 of 2022 modernized Pennsylvania's entity law: it replaced the old decennial report with an annual report (a nominal $7 for LLCs), adopted the "distinguishable on the records" availability standard in 15 Pa.C.S. § 202(b), and gave the Department of State the power to administratively dissolve entities that stop filing.
The catch is the transition. Pennsylvania spent decades without any recurring report, so its records are full of companies that quietly died years ago but were never dissolved. Those entities still count as name blockers, and the administrative dissolutions that will finally clear them are being phased in — the process is not expected to finish until around 2028. Until then, the name you want may be held by a business that has not existed in practice for a decade.
You have three workarounds. First, if you can find the blocking entity's owners, they can sign a consent form (DSCB:19-17.2). Second, you can request a Name Availability Certificate from the Department of State by emailing RA-CORPS@pa.gov — expect a 7-10 day turnaround. Third, if the blocker is a foreign entity that abandoned Pennsylvania, a foreign-abandonment certificate can free the name.
Pennsylvania's Unusually Permissive Designator Rules
Most states force an LLC to say "LLC" somewhere in its name. Pennsylvania does not. Under 15 Pa.C.S. § 204, an LLC name may contain "company," "limited," or "limited liability company" or an abbreviation of any of them — so "Keystone Widgets Company" or "Keystone Widgets Ltd." are both valid Pennsylvania LLC names. Corporations may use "corporation," "company," "incorporated," or "limited" or an abbreviation.
The flexibility cuts both ways: because "Company" and "Limited" are shared across entity types, the name alone will not tell customers or vendors what kind of entity they are dealing with. Many Pennsylvania founders still choose "LLC" for clarity even though the statute does not require it.
Restricted words follow the familiar pattern. "Bank" and "trust" need the Department of Banking and Securities, "insurance" needs the Insurance Department, professional titles like "engineer" need the licensure board, and education words need the Department of Education. Names implying a governmental affiliation are rejected.
Fictitious Names and Reservations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's DBA is the Registration of Fictitious Name, filed statewide with the Department of State on form DSCB:54-311 for $70 — there is no county filing. It is explicitly non-exclusive: the Department will happily register the same fictitious name to multiple businesses, so it is a disclosure filing, not brand protection.
One publication rule survives: when any individual owns an interest in the fictitious name, the registration must be "officially published" in two newspapers — one of general circulation and one a legal journal. Unusually, the proof of publication is kept with your business records, not filed with the state.
Name reservations cost $70 and run 120 days under 15 Pa.C.S. § 208, renewable, filed online through Business Filing Services or on form DSCB:15-208. Because Pennsylvania does not pre-screen names at all, a reservation (or a Name Availability Certificate from RA-CORPS@pa.gov) is the only way to be sure of a name before you spend money on branding.
Your first month of Jupid — completely free
New here? Enter this code at checkout and your first month is on us — full AI bookkeeping, tax filing, and a 24/7 accountant, $0 for 30 days.
New customers. First month free with code NEW2026, cancel anytime.