Developing a business idea is a multi-step process that involves countless hours of research, development, and logistics. However, even if you are fully diligent about all the details of your new venture, there’s one piece you must secure first: your company name. If you’re forming an LLC in Wyoming, you must make sure your name is available before you file.
The name of your business is critical because it will serve as the first impression your customers will have. An excellent business name should give new customers an idea of what to expect from your company. Not only should the name reflect your products or services, but it should also reflect the style of business you’re running (e.g., family-friendly, professional, authoritative, etc.).
Why do you need to do a business entity search?
The primary reason why you must do a business entity search is to verify that your LLC name doesn’t match an existing business registered in Wyoming. Because your company name is such a vital part of planning and executing your dreams of entrepreneurship, you need to make sure it’s available.
Ideally, the best time to do this search is at the beginning of the development process. If you wait too long and the name is already taken, it can be challenging to come up with a different one. Plus, if you’ve already drafted paperwork and marketing materials with the name, you’ll have to redo all that work.
Business entity searches will show you all the LLC names in the state and whether each business is active or inactive. In Wyoming, if a business was administratively dissolved, its name becomes available two years after the inactive date. If the owners dissolved it voluntarily, the name is available right away. However, you should still check with the Secretary of State to be safe, as someone else may be trying to register the same name at the same time.
Wyoming’s state naming guidelines
In Wyoming, all business names must be unique and distinguishable. All states set their own rules regarding what “distinguishable” means. In Wyoming, plurals, company designators (like Co. or LLC), or added words (like A or The) don’t make a business name distinguishable. Similarly, unique spacing, capitalization, or special characters don’t count as distinguishable. In fact, names that start with the word “A” followed by a space, or that contain special characters, must be filed on paper.
Every Wyoming LLC name must include “limited liability company”, “LLC”, “L.L.C.”, “limited company”, “LC”, “L.C.” or a similar abbreviation (W.S. 17-29-108). Also, some words require additional review before the Secretary of State can approve the name. Educational words like “institute,” “academy,” or “school” must be reviewed by the Department of Education. Words like “bank,” “banker,” or “trust” (even those in other languages) must be reviewed by the Wyoming Division of Banking. Names with these words can’t be filed online.
Conducting a business name search in Wyoming: Step-by-step guide with tips
Step 1: Go to the Wyoming Secretary of State business search tool
This tool is online and free to use. It’s handy because it allows you to search for exact matches or similar business names (if you click “contains” instead of “starts with”). You shouldn’t include entity terms like LLC, Co., Ltd, or anything like that. Since these additive terms don’t make a business name distinguishable, they’re irrelevant.
Also, this tool searches both registered and DBA (doing business as) names, making it more convenient if you’re trying to register a DBA for your company.
Step 2: Search single and plural versions
Although Wyoming doesn’t consider plurals of a business name to be unique, the search tool may not always show both single and plural versions of the name you entered. So, it’s best to search for it both ways to verify whether a company has the same name. For example, searching for “parties” instead of “party” generates a page of new results.
Step 3: Conduct a broad search
Even if a company doesn’t have the exact name you’re trying to register, other businesses may have very similar names that could make it hard to distinguish your brand. Switch to the “contains” filter and search the same words. The tool will pull up any company name with the word(s), even if it’s a different version. For example, the term “legal” can show results like “legalization,” “paralegal,” and “legalize.”
Step 4: Check if the business is active or inactive
If a business has the same (or very similar) name, you can see its registration status: Active, Inactive-Administratively Dissolved, or Inactive-Dissolved. Again, an administratively dissolved name becomes available two years after the inactive date, while a voluntarily dissolved name is available right away, so plan accordingly. You can also see the tax status. To dig into a company’s filings and standing, see our Wyoming LLC lookup guide.
What can you do once you have an available business name?
If your LLC name is available to register, there are a few things you can do to protect your brand.
First, you can reserve the name for up to 120 days by filing the Name Reservation Form. Filing this form costs $60, but it’s a helpful option if you want the name but aren’t ready to form your business yet.
Next, you can officially trademark the name. There’s a separate trademark registration form, and the fee is $100. A state trademark protects a name or logo you use to sell goods or services in Wyoming. For nationwide protection, consider a federal trademark with the USPTO. You can also search currently registered trademarks to determine whether yours is similar or identical to an existing one.
Finally, consider your digital presence. Now may be a good time to register your website name and create profiles on various social media channels and marketing platforms. This way, you can promote your new business as quickly as possible. Also, if you have to change the name slightly for a domain, you can adjust your marketing materials accordingly.
Conclusion
Conducting a business entity search in Wyoming is easy and straightforward, and it’s a crucial step in the business development process. With the right name, your brand can succeed out of the gate, so it’s imperative to your Wyoming LLC formation that you ensure your desired name is available. That said, if your first choice has already been taken, just know that you always have alternative options.
FAQs
You must do a business entity search to ensure that your new LLC name hasn’t been taken. If it is taken, you must come up with a different name that is unique and “distinguishable.”
The best way to check if the LLC name you want is available in Wyoming is to use the Secretary of State’s online business entity search tool. You can search for exact matches or company names that contain specific words.
It costs $60 to reserve your LLC name for up to 120 days in Wyoming. If you’re ready to register your business immediately, there’s no need to reserve the name.
You’re not required to register a DBA in Wyoming. However, it’s often a good idea to register a DBA to avoid confusion or legal issues with another company that may have an identical or similar DBA. You can file a trade name form (with a $100 payment) to register your DBA.
All LLCs must have some version of LLC or limited liability company included in the business name. However, adding these letters or words doesn’t make a name distinguishable from others (i.e., My Company vs. My Company LLC). LLCs with educational or banking terms in their name must also undergo further review from either the Department of Education or Division of Banking.
You can do several things if the LLC name you want has already been taken. First, you can come up with a different, distinguishable name. Second, you can find out whether the name is part of an active or inactive company. If the business was dissolved, the name may be available: right away after a voluntary dissolution, or two years after an administrative dissolution. Finally, if you really want a name that has been taken, you can reach out to the business owner and see if it’s possible to buy and transfer the name to your brand.