Maine Business Name Search
Data verified July 18, 2026 · Official database: Maine Secretary of State
LLC filing fee
Name reservation fee
Reservation hold non-renewable
Quick answer: Maine business names are checked in the Corporate Name Search run by the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions. A new LLC name must be distinguishable from existing entities, from assumed and reserved names, and from marks registered in Maine, and it needs a designator such as “LLC.” Only the Secretary of State’s review of your filing is final.
How to check a name in Maine
The widget above gives you a fast preliminary sweep. The four screens below walk the state’s own Corporate Name Search, which is where the authoritative answer lives. Maine’s registry has a personality of its own: marks and companies share one index, and the detail pages timestamp themselves against the state database. A clear result here is a good sign that the Secretary of State will accept the name, never a promise.
Step 1: Open the Corporate Name Search
Open the Corporate Name Search, the Interactive Corporate Services page of the Department of the Secretary of State. Two inputs matter: Keyword from name to be searched and Charter number. For a name check you only use the first. The page’s own notice is blunt about robots: “Use of automated tools in any form may result in the suspension of your access,” which is why this is a search you run by hand. A Search tips and key to abbreviations link above the form decodes the result codes.
Step 2: Search one strong keyword
Type the most distinctive word of your proposed name into Keyword from name to be searched, without the designator, and leave Charter number empty. Maine matches your keyword anywhere in the record, so one strong word surfaces more than a full phrase does. Press Click Here to Search. Run the search once per meaningful word if your name has several, because each query reads the index differently.
Step 3: Read Entity and Name Type together
Results come back as “Showing 1 to N of N for query” over a table with Entity and Name Type columns and an Information Summary link per row.
Name Type is the column that sets Maine apart. LEGAL rows are companies; MARK rows are trademarks and service marks registered in Maine, and under the naming statute both block a new LLC name. A mark’s Entity cell often holds its full design description, which is why some rows read like a paragraph. Open the Information Summary of anything close to your wording.
Step 4: Verify the Information Summary
The Information Summary opens with a line worth reading: “This record contains information from the CEC database and is accurate as of” a date and time, so you know exactly how fresh the answer is. Below it sit Legal Name, Charter Number, Filing Type, and Status, then Qualification Date, Expiration Date, and Jurisdiction.
Check Status first, where GOOD STANDING marks a live obstacle, and then Other Names, which Maine annotates “(A=Assumed ; F=Former)”. An assumed name recorded there blocks your wording just as the legal name does. If nothing substantial matches after all your keywords, treat the name as promising and move to filing or reserving before someone else reads the same empty result.
Maine LLC naming rules
Maine’s naming law is 31 M.R.S. § 1508:
- Required ending, with more options than most states: “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or the abbreviations “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.C.,” or “LC,” with “Ltd.” and “Co.” accepted. Maine’s low-profit LLCs use “L3C.”
- Distinguishability, three layers deep: the name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State’s records from entities organized or authorized in Maine, from every assumed, fictitious, reserved, and registered name filing, and from marks registered under Title 10, chapter 301-A. The MARK rows in the search are that third layer made visible.
- Names the Secretary can refuse outright: language that is obscene, that inappropriately promotes abusive or unlawful activity, or that falsely suggests a tie to public institutions.
- A consent path with teeth: where most states let a rival simply consent to a similar name, Maine requires the existing holder to formally undertake to change its own name to something distinguishable. Short of that, you need a court judgment.
Words that need approval in Maine
| Term family | Examples | Who must sign off |
|---|---|---|
| Banking | bank, banker, banking, savings, savings bank | Bureau of Financial Institutions |
| Trust and credit | trust, trust company, trust and banking company, credit union | Bureau of Financial Institutions |
Maine draws a line few states draw: you may file a name reservation containing these terms, because a reservation is for future use only, but no business may operate under them without approval under 9-B M.R.S. § 241(9).
Reserving a name in Maine
A Maine reservation is $20 on paper Form MLLC-1 and holds the name for 120 days. The statute is explicit that the reservation may not be renewed; when it lapses, the same name is open to re-reservation by anyone, including you. A reservation can be handed to another person for $20 on Form MLLC-1A.
The number that shapes Maine timing is not the fee. The Secretary of State currently posts a corporate filing processing time of 40 to 55 business days, and notes that high demand can delay even expedited requests. Forming the LLC costs $175 on the Certificate of Formation, and annual reports run $85 with a June 1 deadline. Sequence these filings early; the queue does not care about your launch date.
Assumed names in Maine
Maine splits its DBA system, and the split changes how you search. An LLC files a Statement of Intention to Transact Business Under an Assumed or Fictitious Name (Form ASUM) with the Secretary of State for $125, and it stays on record until the company changes or cancels it, with no renewal. Sole proprietors and general partnerships get no state-level option: under 31 M.R.S. §§ 1-2 they deposit a sworn certificate with the municipal clerk of their town before they begin trading.
That is why an LLC assumed name shows up in the corporate search above while an individual’s trade name may not appear in state records at all, so clearing your wording against a local competitor can mean calling the town office. Neither filing grants an exclusive right, and neither requires publication.
If your Maine name is taken
- Distinguish with substance. Add or replace a meaningful word. Maine’s three-layer records test will not be satisfied by punctuation or a different designator alone.
- Identify what blocked you. A LEGAL row, a MARK row, and an assumed name behave differently. The Information Summary shows which you hit and whether the record still stands in good standing.
- Mind the expiration dates. Reservations lapse at 120 days and marks carry their own terms, so a marginal conflict can be a waiting game. Recheck the timestamped record before you act on it.
If every keyword comes back clean, you can start your Maine LLC with that name while the index still shows it open.
Official Maine sources
- Maine Corporate Name Search: the authoritative database
- 31 M.R.S. § 1508: the naming statute
- 31 M.R.S. § 1509: the 120-day non-renewable reservation
- LLC forms and fees: MLLC-1 reservation, formation, and assumed name fees
- Use of the words Bank, Trust, and Credit Union: the restricted terms and the approval path
An open Maine name is only yours once you file
Forming an LLC under your name is the only way to lock it in. Northwest handles the Maine filing, registered-agent service, and paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check LLC name availability in Maine?
Search the keyword of your proposed name in the Maine Corporate Name Search, the public window into the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions database. Check every close variation and read the Name Type column, because registered marks share the index with companies. The Secretary of State decides availability only when your filing reaches the queue.
Does a Maine LLC name have to include "LLC"?
Yes, though Maine gives you more choices than most states. The statute accepts "limited liability company," "limited company," and the abbreviations "L.L.C.," "LLC," "L.C.," and "LC," with "Ltd." and "Co." as short forms. A low-profit LLC uses the "L3C" designation instead.
How long does Maine take to process a filing?
Longer than almost anywhere. The Secretary of State's own site currently posts a corporate filing processing time of 40 to 55 business days, which is roughly two to three months, and warns that even expedited requests can be delayed by volume. Build that queue into any launch date that depends on a Maine filing.
Is a Maine name reservation renewable?
No. The statute says the reservation may not be renewed: the $20 filing on Form MLLC-1 buys one 120-day hold. Once it expires, the same name can be reserved again by you or by anyone else, so an expired reservation offers no grace period. The reservation can be transferred to another person for another $20.
Do trademarks appear in Maine's business name search?
Yes, and they block company names. Marks registered in Maine are listed in the same Corporate Name Search under the Name Type "MARK," while companies show as "LEGAL." The naming statute makes a new LLC name clear registered marks as well as entities, so a MARK row on your keyword is a real conflict, not noise.