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Learn About Georgia Business Name Availability for LLCs and Corporations

Carry out a Georgia entity search before creating your business.

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If You’re Thinking of Forming a New Georgia Corporation or LLC, You Can Start by Finding the Perfect Name

We’ll help you look up your proposed business name in Georgia and see if it’s available for you to form a corporation or LLC. You can easily check for existing company names with the Georgia Corporations Division of the Secretary of State's registry of businesses.

Once you’ve found the right Georgia business name, you can quickly register your GA LLC or corporation through us for one low fee.

To search for Georgia business entities, just enter your details in the box below, and we’ll take care of everything else.

Use Our Free Business Name Search Tool to Find Out If Your Company Name Is Available

We’ll take care of the entity search.

We’ll tell you if your business name is available with the Georgia Division of Corporations. Just fill in your proposed business name, and we’ll search the company registrar for you.

Georgia Rules on NamingYour corporation or LLC

All businesses formed in Georgia must be named following certain rules.

Your Georgia business name should not be confusable with or similar to another business in GA.

If your Georgia business is an LLC, it must contain “Limited Liability Company” or an abbreviation. If it’s a corporation, it must contain a word like “Incorporated,” “Corporation” or something similar.

Normally, you cannot imply connection with a Georgia state entity or that you will be carrying out activities your GA business is not legally able to provide.

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Georgia Limited Liability Company and Corporation Naming Rules


In addition to the general rules listed above, the Georgia Secretary of State has some specific business naming rules for your LLC or Corporation. You will need to follow these rules if you want to name your GA business appropriately.

01

Use of the following terms in an entity name requires written approval from the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner: “insurance,” “assurance,” “surety,” “fidelity,” “reinsurance,” “reassurance” or “indemnity”

02

Use of the following terms or any variation of the word “bank” in an entity name requires written approval from the Department of Banking and Finance: "bank," “banc,” “banque,” “banker,” “banking company,” “banking house,” “bancorp,” “bankruptcy,” “credit union,” “savings & loan,” “trust” or “trust company”

03

Use of the following terms in an entity name requires written approval from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission: “college” or “university”

Learn More About Forming an LLC or Corporation in Georgia

We have a full guide to starting a new business in Georgia. Learn about how to start a GA LLC or a GA corporation.

Common Questions About Georgia Entity Searches

01

How Do I Search for My Georgia LLC or Corporation Business Name?

Just use the Georgia Business Name Search Tool above and enter your proposed GA LLC or corporation name. We’ll search the business name database of the Georgia Corporations Division of the Secretary of State and tell you if there are any matches.

02

Do I Need to Follow Any Naming Rules for My Georgia Corporation or LLC?

Georgia business entities do have to follow some general and specific naming rules. We’ve covered the main ones above.

03

Can I Do Business Under a Different Name Than My Legal Name in Georgia?

You can normally choose to conduct business under a different name in Georgia. This can be known as an “assumed name,” “fictitious name,” “doing business as name” or “trade name.” We can file your GA Fictitious Business Name with the Georgia Corporations Division of the Secretary of State on your behalf.

04

Can I Change the Name of My Georgia LLC or Corporation?

You can change your Georgia legal business entity name by filing an amendment to your Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization. We can file an amendment on your behalf, including changing the name of your Georgia corporation or LLC.

05

What Do I Need to Think About When Deciding on a Georgia Business Name?

The perfect Georgia business name can be elusive. We have a complete guide to choosing the right GA business name — you'll want to choose a name that will:


  • Appeal to your customers
  • Help people remember your company
  • Tell people what your business does
  • Be unique among Georgia business entities
06

What’s the Best Way to Stop My Georgia Business Name from Being Used by Someone Else?

The easiest way to protect your Georgia business name is to incorporate your business in Georgia, generally as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a corporation. We can help you do that — just choose “Incorporate Now” above to get started. If you want extra protection, you could consider registering your Georgia business name as a trademark. Note that filing a fictitious or “doing business as" (DBA) name in Georgia will not be sufficient to protect it.

07

What Georgia Agency Is Responsible for Managing and Registering Business Names in GA?

Businesses are incorporated in Georgia via the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State. They manage the Georgia company register, and it is their business name database that we will search on your behalf.