Washington Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Washington. Validate the state's naming rules instantly, then search the Secretary of State's Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) for free — and remember trade names live with the Department of Revenue.
Validate the name format, then search the official Washington Secretary of State — Corporations & Charities Search records.
1.Search the state registry (Washington Secretary of State — Corporations & Charities 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
$30 (for-profit entities)
Holds the name for
Up to 180 days
How to file
Online through CCFS (ccfs.sos.wa.gov) or by mail (RCW 23.95.310)
Washington reservations are not renewable — when the 180 days run out, the name goes back into the pool. Expedited processing is available for an extra $100.
How Business Name Availability Works in Washington
Washington's official entity records live in the Secretary of State's Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) at ccfs.sos.wa.gov. The name search is free and covers LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Availability follows the uniform standard in RCW 23.95.300: your name generally must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every existing and reserved name.
The state's most distinctive quirk is where DBAs go. Washington trade names are not a Secretary of State filing at all — they ride along with the Business License Application at the Department of Revenue (filed online in My DOR), at $5 per trade name plus the license processing fee. If you searched only CCFS, you would never see them, so check both systems before committing to a brand.
A Washington name reservation costs $30 and holds the name for up to 180 days — one of the longer windows in the country — but it is strictly one-shot: no renewals. Forming the LLC itself costs $180, with a $70 annual report thereafter. Name acceptance confers no trademark rights, so pair your search with a USPTO check.
Washington Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Generally must be distinguishable on the records of the Secretary of State from existing entities and reserved names (RCW 23.95.300)
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by RCW 23.95.305 (designators) and RCW 23.95.300 (distinguishability)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — banking terms generally require review by the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Department of Financial Institutions review is generally required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions overseen by the Department of Financial Institutions
- • "Cooperative" — generally reserved for entities organized under Washington's cooperative statutes
- • "Insurance" — insurance-related names are typically reviewed under the Office of the Insurance Commissioner's rules
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act — a narrow geographic exception exists for some western Washington businesses referring to the Olympic Peninsula
How to Check Name Availability in Washington
Use the tool above to open the Washington Secretary of State — Corporations & Charities Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Washington splits naming between two agencies: entities live with the Secretary of State in CCFS, but trade names (DBAs) are filed with the Department of Revenue through the Business License Application in My DOR.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Washington 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.
Washington lets you reserve a name for Up to 180 days for $30 (for-profit entities) — Online through CCFS (ccfs.sos.wa.gov) or by mail (RCW 23.95.310).
What Registering a Name Costs in Washington
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $180 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $70 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $30 (for-profit entities) | Holds the name Up to 180 days |
| Trade Name | Washington trade names are registered through the Business License Application with the Department of Revenue (My DOR) — not the Secretary of State — for $5 per trade name plus the license processing fee. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Washington 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 Washington for free?
Search the Secretary of State's Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) at ccfs.sos.wa.gov — it is free and covers every Washington LLC, corporation, and reserved name. Then check the Department of Revenue's business lookup as well, because trade names (DBAs) are registered with the Department of Revenue and never appear in CCFS. A name clear in one system can still be in use in the other.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Washington?
A Washington name reservation costs $30 for a for-profit entity and holds the name for up to 180 days. File online through CCFS or by mail under RCW 23.95.310. Expedited processing costs an extra $100. Note that Washington reservations cannot be renewed — once the 180 days expire, the name returns to the available pool, so time your formation filing accordingly.
What suffix does a Washington LLC name need?
Under RCW 23.95.305, a Washington LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation LLC (L.L.C. also appears in the statutory list). Corporations must include "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or an abbreviation of one of those words. The name must also be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from existing and reserved names under RCW 23.95.300.
How do I register a trade name (DBA) in Washington?
Trade names are registered through the Business License Application with the Department of Revenue — file online in My DOR. Each trade name costs $5, on top of the license application's processing fee. This is unusual: most states register DBAs with the Secretary of State, but in Washington the Secretary of State has no role in trade names. Registration does not give you exclusive rights to the name.
Can I renew a Washington name reservation?
No. Washington name reservations run up to 180 days and are not renewable. When the reservation lapses, the name becomes available to anyone. If you are not ready to form the entity within 180 days, plan around that deadline — many founders simply file the Certificate of Formation ($180) once they are reasonably confident, since formation is what actually secures the name permanently.
Can I use the word "Olympic" in a Washington business name?
Be careful. "Olympic" is federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee enforces it. Federal law does carve out a narrow exception for businesses in Washington west of the Cascade Range whose use refers to the Olympic Peninsula region and whose operations stay primarily within the state. The exception is narrow, so get legal advice before relying on it.
Related Tools
WA LLC Tax & Fee Calculator
Estimate your WashingtonLLC's filing fee, annual report costs, and recurring state charges before you form.
Washington Quarterly Tax Calculator
Calculate the estimated quarterly taxes you'll owe as a Washington business owner or freelancer.
Business Name Generator
Name taken? Generate unique, memorable alternatives for your Washington 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?
Searching Washington Names in CCFS
The Corporations and Charities Filing System is the Secretary of State's combined search and filing portal. Search is free and shows entity status, UBI number, registered agent, and filing history — enough to tell whether a similar name belongs to an active business or a dissolved shell.
CCFS covers entities and name reservations, but not trade names. A sole proprietor operating as "Rainier Coffee Co." under a Department of Revenue trade name will not appear in CCFS at all. Search the Department of Revenue's business lookup as well before assuming a name is truly unused in the market.
When the name is clear, you can reserve it in CCFS for $30 (up to 180 days, RCW 23.95.310) or go straight to filing a Certificate of Formation for $180. If you are on a deadline, expedited handling costs an extra $100.
Washington Naming Rules Under RCW 23.95
Washington consolidated its entity naming rules into the Uniform Business Organizations Code. Under RCW 23.95.305, an LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or the abbreviation LLC (the statutory list also includes L.L.C.). Corporations must include "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or a corresponding abbreviation.
The distinguishability test in RCW 23.95.300 works the way most states' do: your name must generally differ in some recognizable way from every entity name and reserved name on the Secretary of State's records. Changing only punctuation, spacing, or the designator is unlikely to clear a conflict — change a key word instead.
Regulated words carry extra steps. Banking, trust, and credit-union terms generally route through the Department of Financial Institutions, "cooperative" is generally reserved for actual cooperatives, and insurance wording is typically reviewed under the Insurance Commissioner's rules.
Washington Trade Names Go Through the Department of Revenue
If your LLC or sole proprietorship will operate under any name other than its legal name, Washington requires a trade name registration — but you file it with the Department of Revenue, not the Secretary of State. It is a line item on the Business License Application in My DOR, at $5 per trade name plus the application's processing fee.
This split surprises founders from other states: the agency that formed your LLC has nothing to do with your DBA. The upside is efficiency — most Washington businesses need a state business license anyway, so the trade name is usually added to a filing you were already making.
Trade names are not checked for uniqueness and provide no exclusive rights. If the brand matters, form the entity under that name or register a trademark; the $5 trade name is disclosure, not protection.
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.