When you plan to start a business in Kentucky you might be really excited about doing that, but it can also feel intimidating if you’re not sure what to do to get things off the ground. One of the very first things you’ll want to do is choose a name for your new startup. It should fit your industry and niche, spark emotion in your target customer base, and make it clear what kind of business you’re creating.
Once you’ve found a name that’s just perfect for all of that it’s time to make sure you can actually use it. After all, it might not be available and it’s possible that another business got to it first. You’ll need to conduct a Kentucky business entity search to see if the name can be used, and whether it fits the LLC business name regulations for the state.
Here’s what you’ll need to know when you want to find the perfect LLC name.
Doing a business entity search means looking for information about a business that’s registered in your particular state as a legal entity. There are several reasons you might want to search for a business and see if it’s legally registered. One of those reasons is if you’re planning to start an LLC in Kentucky and want to see if the name you’re considering is available in Kentucky.
Before you try to register your LLC’s name in Kentucky you want to make sure any name you’re thinking of using meets the guidelines for the state’s naming regulations. A Kentucky business name needs to fit a few specific criteria.
Kentucky has a database of business entities you can search through, but the best way to determine whether the name you want is being used by one of them is through a name availability search.
As you can see, it’s easy to enter a name and get a yes/no answer as to whether it’s available, along with the company ID, status, and company type of any entity registered with the search term you used. However, it’s still possible that someone will register the name before you do, and it hasn’t made its way to the database yet. If the name you want to use is available, you should register it as soon as possible.
Being specific is a good thing. As you can see in the above screenshot, a single word returns a lot of results. Sifting through all of those would take some time, and you want to narrow things down more efficiently than that.
Since you can search by the full business name or only a portion of it, search for the full name you want to use. That should get you a smaller list of results, or hopefully not return any results at all, meaning the name is available.
Once you find a name you’re happy with, that works for you, that meets all the state’s guidelines, and is available, it’s time to make your move and start getting your Kentucky LLC registered and ready for business. That will reduce the chances of someone else registering the name you want before you do, forcing you to go back to the proverbial drawing board again.
You can reserve a business name even if you’re not quite ready to start up your LLC yet, and that reservation will be good for 120 days. There is a fee of $15 for this reservation and a simple form to fill out. You can also renew the reservation if you don’t get your LLC formed before it’s set to expire, but don’t forget to do that or you could lose the name entirely.
Another thing you might want to do to protect your business name is to trademark it with the state. That’s not something you have to do, and depending on the specific name you might not be able to get a trademark for it. However, it’s worth considering to add an additional layer of protection to your startup and reduce the chances of someone else trying to use your business name. A new filing is $10 for a trademark.
If you want your website to match your business name it’s a good idea to register the domain when you register your business name. That keeps someone else from getting a domain that would be perfect for your company, so you know you’ll have that domain ready when it’s time to create your website. A domain can stay parked for a long time as long as you renew it, and can help increase your peace of mind.
You should perform a business entity search to make sure the name you want to use for your new business isn't already taken by another company.
In Kentucky the best way to check if the LLC name you want is available is to perform a name availability search on the Secretary of State's website.
It only costs $15 to reserve an LLC name in Kentucky, and the cost of forming a Kentucky LLC is not much higher. With a $0 + filing fees option you can get your LLC ready to go without a lot of financial outflow. That's often very important when you have a startup to get off the ground.
You should register your DBA and any other variations or different names you use for your business, to make sure you're covering all your legal bases and complying with all regulations for the state. You'll need to file a certificate of assumed name to do that.
The LLC naming guidelines in Kentucky include ensuring the name you want is available, adding LLC or a variation of it to your business name, and using only the approved print characters recognized by the state for business names.
Just pick another one! Unfortunately, that's really all you can do, since you can't register a name that's the same or too similar to one that's already in use.
While there are businesses that have succeeded even with names that might not be catchy or memorable, the best thing you can do for your business is choose a name that really gets you noticed in all the best ways. Fortunately, you have a lot of options when it comes to LLC names in Kentucky. As long as you follow the state’s guidelines and choose a name that’s available you can basically call your new business anything you want.
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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