Georgia Business Name Search

How to check a name in Georgia

The search box above runs a preliminary sweep of Georgia records, and these three steps confirm what it finds:

1. Search eCorp directly. Open the Secretary of State business search and look up your proposed name without its suffix — “Blue Ridge Coffee” rather than “Blue Ridge Coffee LLC” — so the results catch every entity type using those words.
2. Scan for near-matches, not just exact hits. Georgia’s distinguishability rule blocks names that differ only cosmetically from an existing record, so treat close spellings, singular/plural switches, and reordered words as potential conflicts.
3. Confirm the words themselves are allowed. A name that clears the database can still be refused if it uses a regulated term (see the restricted words below) or implies the company is something it is not.

A clean search is a strong signal, not a guarantee — availability in Georgia is only decided when the Corporations Division examines your actual filing.

Georgia LLC naming rules

Georgia’s requirements come from the Secretary of State’s administrative rules, Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 590-7-20:

• Required ending: “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or the abbreviation “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “LC,” or “L.C.” — with “Ltd.” and “Co.” accepted as short forms of the underlying words.
• Distinguishability: the name must stand apart, on the state’s records, from every registered entity and every active name reservation. A pending reservation blocks you just as effectively as a live company.
• No borrowed identities: words that mark other structures — “corporation,” “incorporated,” “limited partnership” — cannot appear in an LLC’s name.
• Length cap: 80 characters including spaces and punctuation, a limit few states impose.

Words that need approval in Georgia

Term family	Examples	Who must sign off
Banking	bank, banc, banque, banker, bancorp, bankshares, credit union, savings & loan, trust	Georgia Department of Banking and Finance
Insurance	insurance, assurance, surety, fidelity, reinsurance, reassurance, indemnity	Office of Commissioner of Insurance

Written approval from the relevant regulator has to accompany your filing if one of these terms appears in the name.

Reserving a name in Georgia

If you are not ready to file articles of organization, Georgia lets you hold a name for 30 days for $25 (plus a $5 service charge online via eCorp, or $10 by paper). Details and the request path are on the Secretary of State’s name reservation guide.

Two quirks worth knowing: Georgia reservations cannot be renewed, and the 30-day window is one of the shortest in the country — compare Texas at 120 days or Ohio at 180. If your reservation lapses before you file, the name returns to the open pool and anyone (including you) may reserve it again.

Forming the LLC itself costs $110 in filing fees, and Georgia companies then owe a $60 annual registration each year between January 1 and April 1.

If your Georgia name is taken

A conflict on eCorp does not end the naming process:

• Add a genuinely distinguishing element. Under rule 590-7-20, punctuation or a suffix swap will not separate you from an existing record — change or add a real word instead.
• Check the entity’s status. Administratively dissolved companies eventually free their names; a record marked inactive may be worth monitoring rather than abandoning.
• Consider whether you need the legal name at all. A Georgia LLC can register a separate trade name (DBA) at the county level, which changes what customers see without changing the entity’s registered name.

Found an open name you like? You can start your Georgia LLC with it while the search results are still fresh.

Official Georgia sources

• Georgia Secretary of State — eCorp business search — the authoritative database
• Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 590-7-20 — the LLC naming rule
• Name reservation guide — fees and process
• Business Division FAQ — filing questions

Found an open Georgia name? Claim it.

Forming an LLC under your name is the only way to lock it in. Northwest handles the Georgia filing, registered-agent service, and paperwork.

Start your Georgia LLC with Northwest →

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Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I check LLC name availability in Georgia?

Search the Georgia Secretary of State's eCorp business database for your proposed name and close variations of it. If no active entity or name reservation matches, the name is likely open — the office makes the final call when your filing or reservation is processed.

Does a Georgia LLC name have to include "LLC"?

Yes. Georgia requires "limited liability company," "limited company," or an abbreviation such as LLC, L.L.C., LC, or L.C. at the end of the name. "Limited" may be shortened to "Ltd." and "company" to "Co."

How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Georgia?

The reservation itself is $25, plus a service charge of $5 online through eCorp or $10 by paper. The reservation holds the name for 30 days and cannot be renewed, though you can reserve the same name again after it expires if it is still open.

Is there a length limit on Georgia business names?

Yes — 80 characters, counting spaces and punctuation. Longer names are rejected by the Secretary of State's filing system, so trim your name before submitting articles of organization.