Why do you need to do a business entity search?

Before registering an LLC in Illinois, you should do a business entity search to confirm that no other entity already uses the same name. 

Another option is if you need to look for a business registered in the state and get more information on it.

Illinois state naming guidelines

Like all US states, Illinois has rules and requirements for naming a business entity, and you must follow them to ensure the state doesn’t reject your name application. 

Illinois LLC’s naming guidelines include:

• Unique: Your name must be distinct from (and not overly similar) any entity already registered with the state.
• Mandatory terminology: Your LLC name must contain the words liability company, limited liability company, or an approved abbreviation, including LLC or L.L.C.
• Forbidden terminologies: Your LLC name cannot look like any other business entity, such as a corporation, or include any of the following words: Inc., Corp., Incorporated, Corporation, Ltd., Co., Limited Partnership, L.P.
• Government affiliation: Your LLC name cannot insinuate that your business is falsely affiliated with a government agency (e.g., Treasury, Commission, FBI, Real Estate, CIA, FBI).
• Language rules: Business names must use the English alphabet letters, Arabic numerals, Romain numerals, or standard English keyboard symbols.
• Translation: Foreign business names must be translated into English or written using letters from the English alphabet.
• Restricted terms: Your Illinois LLC’s name should only contain words that suggest it is a medical, financial, or insurance institution with prior approval.

Conducting a business name search in Illinois: Step-by-step guide with tips

Conducting a name search using the Illinois business entity search tool is free and straightforward.

However, some tips can help ensure you run a thorough search and correctly confirm your desired name’s availability. 

Such as:

• The search isn’t case-sensitive, and all letters are considered uppercase.
• Do not add or remove spaces to your search name.
• Start with a broad search using a single name; for example, if your chosen business name is Galesburg Sail Makers, begin with Galesburg, then Galesburg Sail, etc.
• Do not include LLC indicators in your search, such as Limited Liability Company, LLC, L.L.C., etc.
• Leave out apostrophes, periods, and commas, etc.
• Only insert the digits when using an entity number to search for a registered business.

Okay, those are the naming guidelines and tips; now it’s time to see if your LLC name is available.

Visit the Illinois Secretary of State’s website

First, visit the Illinois business entity search tool.

The most common way to search using the Illinois Secretary of State’s entity search is to use a business name.

Select your business name search options

Type in the name you’re looking for, select a keyword, and press “Submit.” The Illinois entity search tool will scan all entity business names for potential matches.

3 search steps:

• Select “Keyword” for your Search Method
• Enter your LLC name in the “Search for” box
• Click Submit to search

You can also select the “Partial Word” box to include entity names that are a little different or match enough of your search term to confuse consumers. 

Reviewing the results

The results screen will display matching results for your search term, including the entity name, file number, entity type, current status, registration date, and its registered agent’s contact details. 

Click on a name that matches or is like yours to see detailed results.

Detailed results

The last results page provides further information about your selected entity, including the business’s principal address, jurisdiction, duration of the registered name, annual report filing date, and the registered agent’s appointment date.  

Fictitious name (DBA)

You can use a fictitious name, also called a Doing Business As (DBA), or an assumed name instead of your LLC registered name.

LLC owners register their DBA application with the Illinois Secretary of State, and sole proprietors and general partnerships register with their county clerk. 

Before applying, check the availability of your desired name using the Illinois Secretary of State’s website entity search tool.

Register your LLC DBA online using the Application to Adopt, Change, Cancel, or Renew an Assumed Name (IL LLC Act).

And by mail or in person by downloading and completing the form: 

The address is:

Department of Business Services

501 South Second Street, Room 351

Springfield, IL 62756

The fee for a five-year DBA registration or renewal is $150.

Call the Secretary of State

Illinois allows you to call the Secretary of State’s office to confirm a name’s availability on:

• Springfield office Business Service Department: 217-524-8008
• Chicago office Business Service Department: 312-793-3380

Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm central time.

What can you do once you have an available business name?

Once you have an available name that complies with Illinois naming requirements, you can take extra steps to secure it.

Consider name reservation

If you need more time to form your Illinois LLC, you can reserve a name by visiting the Illinois Secretary of State LLC Forms page and selecting Form LLC-1.15 (Application to Reserve a Name).

Complete the form, then mail or hand deliver it to:

Secretary of State
Department of Business Services
Limited Liability Division
501 S. Second St., Rm. 351
Springfield, IL 62756

The name reservation fee is $25. However, you can skip this fee and reduce your LLC start-up costs by forming your Illinois LLC, which registers your desired name automatically.

Consider trademarking your name

Run a trademark check before registering your desired LLC name using the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office search tool to avoid trademark infringement.

If your name is available as a trademark, consider registering it to prevent other businesses from using it throughout the U.S.A. 

Consider domain registration

Most businesses want a .com domain, which means most names are already registered.

You can check your name’s availability as a domain by running a name search using a site like Namechk and GoDaddy.

If your name isn’t available as a .com domain, don’t worry—other Top-Level Domain (TLD) options are available. 

Conclusion

After you figure out if your name is available in Illinois, you can reserve your new LLC name and before you form your LLC. Remember to check for trademark infringement and secure it as a domain. 

After that, you can move on with the formation process and take care of the rest of the things you need to register and launch your new business.

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