California Business Name Availability Checker
Data verified July 12, 2026 · Official database: California Secretary of State
LLC filing fee
Name reservation cost
Reservation hold
Quick answer: California name checks run through the Secretary of State’s bizfile Online search. Corporations Code § 17701.08 imposes two separate tests: the name must be distinguishable from every registered and reserved LLC name, and it must not be likely to mislead the public. A valid “LLC” or “L.L.C.” ending is also required.
Searching California records
The search box above runs a preliminary sweep of California records. The four steps below show the official bizfile Online screens. A clean search is a strong signal, not a guarantee. The Secretary of State decides only when it examines your filing or reservation.
Step 1: Open bizfile Online Search
Open the bizfile Online business search. The left nav shows Search selected. Across the top, the Business tab (not UCC) is active for entity name research.
The page notes that distinguishable entity names can be checked for name availability, and that the search does not cover limited liability partnerships or general partnerships. Search Tips explain keyword search, a 500 closest-match limit, and Advanced filters. Important Notes include the official “as is” disclaimer. The main control is the Search by name or file number field with a search icon and an Advanced dropdown.
Step 2: Enter the core name without LLC
Type the distinctive words of your proposed name into Search by name or file number. Leave off LLC, L.L.C., and similar endings so the keyword search returns more close matches.
Press the magnifying-glass control to run the search. Use Advanced only when you need entity type, status, or initial filing date filters after a first pass.
Step 3: Scan the results table
Matches appear as rows with entity name and file number, initial filing date, Status, entity type, formed-in jurisdiction, and agent. Status values you may see include Active, Terminated, Merged Out, and Forfeited.
Open a row by clicking the entity name (or the chevron). An Active row with close wording is a live conflict signal. Terminated or forfeited records still matter for distinguishability review; do not ignore them solely because they are inactive.
Step 4: Open the entity detail panel
Selecting a row opens a side panel with the entity name and file number. Fields include Initial Filing Date, Status, Standing - SOS, Standing - FTB, Standing - Agent, Standing - VCFCF, inactive date when present, Formed In, Entity Type, addresses, and agent lines. The panel also offers Request Certificate for certificate orders; that control is not a name-approval step.
Confirm status and standing before you treat a hit as a real conflict. If your wording and close variants show no conflicting Active records and no reserved-name issue after a careful check, that is only a preliminary bizfile signal. File or reserve before relying on the name.
California LLC naming rules
Two subsections of Corporations Code § 17701.08 do most of the work:
- Required ending, § 17701.08(a): “limited liability company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC,” with “Ltd.” and “Co.” accepted as abbreviations of the long form.
- The double test, § 17701.08(b): distinguishable in the Secretary of State’s records from every registered LLC, authorized foreign LLC, and reserved name; and not likely to mislead the public.
- Forbidden terms, § 17701.08(e): the words below may not appear in an LLC name at all.
| Forbidden in California LLC names | Why |
|---|---|
| bank, trust, trustee | Reserved for regulated financial institutions |
| incorporated, inc., corporation, corp. | Marks a corporation, not an LLC |
| insurer, insurance company | Reserved for licensed insurers |
Unlike Georgia or Ohio, California offers no approval path for these terms in an LLC name. They are unavailable outright.
The $10 California name reservation
At $10 for 60 days, a California name reservation (Corp. Code § 17701.09) is the cheapest of the five pilot states we cover. The catch is the anti-squatting rule: the same applicant cannot hold consecutive reservations for one name. At least one full day must separate two reservations, and during that day the name is up for grabs. Requests go through bizfile Online or by mail.
Forming the LLC costs $70 for articles of organization, followed by a $20 Statement of Information every two years. California’s $800 annual franchise tax applies regardless of what you name the company.
Fictitious business names in California
California files fictitious business names with the county clerk of the principal place of business, due within 40 days of starting business under the name. Statute sets the fee at $10, but Government Code § 54985 lets counties reprice it, and they do: Placer County charges $30. After filing, the statement runs in a county newspaper once a week for four successive weeks. A statement lasts five years and renews without republication when nothing has changed. What the filing buys is California’s middle ground: filing first, while actually using the name, creates a rebuttable presumption of the exclusive right to it in that one county. bizfile does not index these statements; each county clerk keeps its own search.
If your California search finds a conflict
- Change substance, not dressing. Swapping ”&” for “and,” pluralizing, or restyling punctuation will not make a name distinguishable in the state’s eyes.
- Watch reserved names expire. A blocking reservation may be only days from lapsing, and its holder cannot instantly re-reserve. Timing a filing for that gap is a legitimate strategy.
- Brand separately if needed. A fictitious business name (FBN), filed at the county level, lets a California LLC operate under a name its articles do not carry.
If the search comes back clean, forming your California LLC is what secures the name permanently. A reservation only holds it for 60 days.
Official California sources
- bizfile Online business search: the authoritative records
- Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.08: the naming statute
- Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.09: reservations
- Secretary of State name reservations page: process and forms
Frequently asked questions
Where do I search California business names?
The California Secretary of State's bizfile Online portal hosts the official business search. Look up your proposed name and its close variants there; the office applies the final availability test when it examines your filing or reservation request.
Why can't my California LLC name contain "Inc." or "Corporation"?
Corporations Code § 17701.08(e) bars an LLC from using terms that belong to other regulated forms (bank, trust, trustee, incorporated, inc., corporation, corp., insurer, and insurance company) because they would misstate what the entity is.
Can I keep re-reserving the same name in California?
Not back-to-back. A $10 reservation lasts 60 days, and the same applicant must let at least one day pass before reserving the identical name again. During that gap another founder could take the name.
Is a misleading name rejected even if it's distinguishable?
Yes. California applies two independent tests: the name must be distinguishable from existing records, and it must not be likely to mislead the public. Passing one test does not excuse failing the other.