Pick a name, check it, then file it — in that order
This walks you through checking a name before you spend money on it: the domain, then your state's official business registry. Nothing here is a legal guarantee — the state makes the final call when you file.
Four different names, four different things
These can all be the same word, but they are not legally interchangeable. Confusing them is the single most common name mistake new contractors make.
Legal entity name
The name on your LLC or corporation filing with the state (or your own legal name if you're a sole proprietor). This is what appears on your Secretary of State registration.
Trade name / DBA
The public-facing name customers see, registered as "doing business as." Your LLC "XYZ Investments LLC" can do business as "XYZ Contracting" — they don't have to match.
Domain name
The web address you buy from a registrar, entirely separate from any government filing. Owning the domain does not register the business name anywhere, and registering the business name does not reserve the domain.
Trademark
Federal or state trademark protection for how you use a name in commerce. A state accepting your entity name does not clear a trademark conflict, and vice versa — they're reviewed by different systems for different reasons.
Where are you starting from?
Your name
Tell us about the business
These are starting points, not final answers. Edit any of them before you check it.
Register with your state
This step unlocks once you've actually done the checks below — not once you've bought a domain. We will never make you buy a domain to see your state's filing link.