Virginia Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Virginia. Validate SCC naming rules instantly, then search the State Corporation Commission's records free through the Clerk's Information System (CIS) — Virginia's one-stop portal for every entity filing.
Validate the name format, then search the official Virginia State Corporation Commission — Clerk's Information System records.
1.Search the state registry (Virginia State Corporation Commission — Clerk's Information System) 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
$10
Holds the name for
120 days
How to file
Form SCC631, filed online through the Clerk's Information System (cis.scc.virginia.gov, free account required) or on paper
Renewable for successive 120-day periods, but only by filing during the 45 days before the current reservation expires.
How Business Name Availability Works in Virginia
Virginia is one of a handful of states where business filings do not go through a Secretary of State. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) keeps the entity records, and its Clerk's Information System (CIS) at cis.scc.virginia.gov is both the free public search tool and the online filing portal. Searching costs nothing; to actually file a reservation or formation online you will need a free CIS account.
Virginia's availability standard has an unusual twist: the SCC checks whether your name is "distinguishable upon the records of the Commission" using a core-name test. Before comparing names, the examiner strips entity designators, articles, and conjunctions — so "ABC of Virginia, Inc." conflicts with "ABC Virginia Company" even though the full strings look different. When you search CIS, search for your distinctive core words, not the full name with a suffix attached.
Once your name clears, a reservation is one of the cheapest in the country: $10 for 120 days on Form SCC631, renewable in successive 120-day periods during the 45 days before expiration. Filing the LLC itself costs $100, with a $50 annual registration fee thereafter. As everywhere, SCC acceptance of a name is not a trademark — run a USPTO check before investing in the brand.
Virginia Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC", "L.C.", "Limited Liability Company" or "Limited Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Must be distinguishable upon the records of the State Corporation Commission, which compares core names — designators, articles, and conjunctions are stripped before the comparison
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by Va. Code § 13.1-1012 (LLCs) and § 13.1-630 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — banking terms generally require approval from the SCC's Bureau of Financial Institutions
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Bureau of Financial Institutions review is generally required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions overseen by the Bureau of Financial Institutions
- • "Insurance" — insurance-related names are typically reviewed under the SCC's Bureau of Insurance rules
- • "Engineer" — professional designations generally require licensure through the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Virginia
Use the tool above to open the Virginia State Corporation Commission — Clerk's Information System search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Virginia has no Secretary of State business registry — entity records live at the State Corporation Commission (SCC), and every search, reservation, and formation runs through its Clerk's Information System (CIS).
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Virginia 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.
Virginia lets you reserve a name for 120 days for $10 — Form SCC631, filed online through the Clerk's Information System (cis.scc.virginia.gov, free account required) or on paper.
What Registering a Name Costs in Virginia
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $100 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $50 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $10 | Holds the name 120 days |
| Fictitious Name (DBA) | Virginia fictitious names are filed at the state level with the State Corporation Commission for around $10 (confirm the current fee in CIS) — no county-by-county filings required. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Virginia 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 Virginia for free?
Search the State Corporation Commission's Clerk's Information System (CIS) at cis.scc.virginia.gov. The name search is free, requires no account, and covers every Virginia LLC, corporation, reserved name, and fictitious name on the SCC's records. Because Virginia compares core names, search your distinctive words alone — without "LLC" or "Inc." attached — and try different word orders before concluding the name is available.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Virginia?
A Virginia name reservation costs $10 and holds the name for 120 days. File Form SCC631 online through the Clerk's Information System (you need a free CIS account) or on paper with the State Corporation Commission. The reservation renews for successive 120-day periods, but only if you file the renewal during the 45 days before the current period expires.
What suffix does a Virginia LLC name need?
Under Va. Code § 13.1-1012, a Virginia LLC name must contain "limited company," "limited liability company," or one of the abbreviations LC, L.C., LLC, or L.L.C. Corporations instead use "company," "corporation," "incorporated," or "limited," or an abbreviation such as Co., Corp., Inc., or Ltd. Note that the designator is ignored when the SCC compares your name against existing records, so it never makes a name distinguishable on its own.
What is Virginia's core-name test?
Before comparing your proposed name against its records, the State Corporation Commission strips entity designators (LLC, Inc., Company), articles (a, an, the), and conjunctions (and, or). Only the remaining core name must be distinguishable. That is why "ABC of Virginia, Inc." conflicts with "ABC Virginia Company" — after stripping, both reduce to essentially the same core words. To clear a conflict you need a genuinely different key word, not a different suffix or filler.
Does Virginia have a Secretary of State for business filings?
No. Virginia entity filings run through the State Corporation Commission (SCC), not a Secretary of State — a setup shared by only a few states. The SCC's Clerk's Information System handles name searches, reservations, formations, and annual registration fees. Forming a Virginia LLC costs $100, and each LLC pays a $50 annual registration fee to the SCC to stay in good standing.
How do I file a DBA (fictitious name) in Virginia?
File a Certificate of Fictitious Name with the State Corporation Commission — Virginia handles DBAs at the state level, so no county filing is needed. The fee is around $10; confirm the current amount in the Clerk's Information System before filing. A fictitious name is not checked for exclusivity and grants no rights in the name, so treat it as disclosure, not protection.
Related Tools
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching Virginia Names in the Clerk's Information System
The Clerk's Information System is the authoritative source for Virginia entity names: active LLCs and corporations, reserved names, registered names of foreign entities, and fictitious names all live in the same database. The name search is free and does not require a login — the account is only needed when you file something.
Because of the core-name test, search strategy matters more in Virginia than in most states. Strip your own designator and filler words first, then search the remaining distinctive words in different orders. A name that looks clear when searched in full can still be rejected because the SCC compares core names, not complete strings.
If the result is ambiguous, you can contact the SCC Clerk's Office for guidance before filing — but the only way to actually secure a name is to reserve it (Form SCC631, $10) or file your Articles of Organization ($100).
The SCC Core-Name Test: Virginia's Distinguishability Standard
Under Va. Code § 13.1-1012, a Virginia LLC name must contain "limited company," "limited liability company," or an abbreviation — LC, L.C., LLC, or L.L.C. Corporations use "company," "corporation," "incorporated," or "limited," or the abbreviations Co., Corp., Inc., or Ltd. Crucially, none of these designators count toward making your name different from an existing one.
The SCC also ignores articles ("a," "an," "the") and conjunctions ("and," "or") when comparing names. What remains — the core name — must be distinguishable upon the Commission's records. Swapping "Inc." for "LLC," adding "The" at the front, or inserting "of Virginia" will not rescue a conflicting name; you need a genuinely different key word.
Restricted words add another layer: banking, trust, and credit-union terms generally route through the SCC's Bureau of Financial Institutions, and professional titles like "engineer" typically require licensure. Names implying a purpose the entity cannot lawfully pursue are rejected outright.
Reservations, Foreign Registrations, and Fictitious Names in Virginia
Virginia's $10, 120-day reservation (Form SCC631) is among the cheapest anywhere, and it renews for successive 120-day periods as long as you file within the 45-day window before each expiration. Out-of-state corporations that are not ready to qualify in Virginia have a separate option: registering their name with the SCC for one year at $25, renewable annually.
If your entity will trade under a different brand, Virginia handles that at the state level too: file a Certificate of Fictitious Name with the SCC for around $10 (confirm the current fee in CIS). Virginia moved these filings from the circuit courts to the SCC, so one state filing covers you — no county paperwork.
A fictitious name gives you no exclusivity, and neither does name approval itself. For real protection, form the entity under the name you care about and consider a state or federal trademark registration.
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