Business Entity Search in Missouri: Find Your LLC Name

Why do you need to do a business entity search?

As part of registering a business or starting an LLC in Missouri, you must choose a unique name that is available and not already registered with the Missouri Secretary of State. 

Doing a state business entity search is how you confirm your desired name’s availability. 

Missouri state naming guidelines

Missouri State has naming guidelines (rules) you must follow before filing your Articles of Organization. 

The Missouri State naming guidelines include:

• Distinguishable: Your LLC’s name must be distinguishable from any domestic or foreign business entities registered with Missouri State. A name that isn’t distinguishable can only be used with the written consent of the business holding it (which must change its own name) or a court decree.
• Required designators: Your LLC name must include “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an abbreviation such as LLC, L.L.C., LC, or L.C.
• Government affiliation: Your name can’t suggest that your LLC is a government agency.
• Restricted terminologies: Your name can’t include words such as “corporation,” “incorporated,” “limited partnership,” or “Ltd.,” or words that suggest a business purpose not stated in your articles (RSMo 347.020). Names suggesting a bank or other financial institution may need approval from state regulators.

You can learn more about Missouri Business Naming Regulations on the Secretary of State’s website.

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

You search for available LLC names using the Missouri Business Registration Online Portal tool or the Missouri Business Entity Search on the Secretary of State website. 

But before you do, here are some tips to help you get the best results:

• The entity search tool ignores special characters and punctuation marks, so you don’t need to use them.
• The search isn’t case-sensitive, so lowercase and uppercase letters are considered the same when searching for business names.
• For best search results, only enter the first word of the name you’re searching for when searching for a name with multiple words.
• You can broaden your search results by entering the first three letters of the name you’re searching for.

Visit the Missouri Secretary of State Business Entity Search

Start by visiting the Missouri Business Entity Search or the Business Registration Online Portal to check if your chosen LLC name is available. 

Select your business name search options

You can search for registered corporation and LLC names using the following criteria:

• Business name
• Registered agent
• Name availability
• Charter No.

Search options include:

• Starting with
• All words
• Any words
• Exact match

Select “business name,” enter your search query, and click search. 

The search tool automatically selects “starts with.” If no names appear in the search results, search again using “exact match.” 

You do not need to include an LLC designator, as the database will generate results relative to any names similar to your search name.

For my example, I will use the Missouri Fitness Club:

Reviewing results

Your desired LLC name is available if the search results show no existing business names.

Missouri Fitness Club is available for use:

You can also use the Search for a Business Entity option.

For example, Club Fitness:

If your search query matches or is like existing entity names, it will appear in the search results. Club Fitness returns several results; click on the name closest to your search term for further information:

Here, you will see additional information about the business using your desired LLC name, including:

• The business name
• Name type (Club Fitness is a fictitious/DBA name filing)
• Entity status (our example shows expired so that the name could be available)
• Date formed
• Business address
• Charter No.
• Expiration date

Fictitious name (DBA)

A fictitious name, or a Doing Business As (DBA), allows you to conduct business using a name other than your LLC’s official name. 

Businesses often use fictitious names for branding and marketing when their official names don’t suit their niche and target audience. 

You register a fictitious name by filing a Registration of Fictitious Name with the Secretary of State, online or by mail, and paying the $7 fee.

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

Once you’ve confirmed your name is available, you can reserve it if you’re not ready to file your Articles of Organization yet. Reserving is optional in Missouri. 

Other steps to consider are running a trademark search to avoid trademark infringement and buying a domain. 

Consider name reservation

A name reservation is optional.

It costs $25 and holds the name for 60 days. You can file additional reservations, but Missouri law caps the total at 180 days from your first application (RSMo 347.025). 

You can apply for a Missouri Name Reservation online or by mail. 

Consider trademarking your name

It’s a good idea to run a trademark search before you reserve or file your LLC name in Missouri because, even though it may be available, another business may have registered it as a trademark. 

You can conduct a trademark search in two ways:

1. Visit the federal U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to confirm your name is available nationally.
2. Search the Missouri Secretary of State’s trademark records to see if the name is registered as a state trademark. 

The Missouri trademark filing fee is $55 per application, and each application covers one class of goods or services.

Consider domain registration

Most businesses need a website where their prospects can review their products or services, check testimonials, book an appointment, or order goods.

Every website needs a domain matching the business, niche, and target audience.

Use a domain registrar website like GoDaddy to find and buy an available domain. If your name isn’t available as a .com, many options and strategies exist to create the perfect business domain. 

Conclusion

Now that you know how to do a business entity search in Missouri, you can confirm the availability of your desired name and reserve it for when you’re ready to form your Missouri LLC.  

Don’t forget to do a federal and Missouri state trademark search to avoid disappointment and legal issues down the road, and buy the domain to begin creating your LLC’s branding and marketing campaign.  

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