Search Your Business Name with the Kansas Secretary of State and Register Your LLC
We’re here to help you find the right business name for your Kansas LLC. From searching for a business name with the KS Secretary of State to understanding naming rules or creating a “Doing Business As” name to register your entity, you’re in the right place.
Kansas Business Name LLC Lookup
You should start naming your business by completing a “Kansas business entity search” with the secretary of state. They have a helpful tool on their website that lets you search the register of KS LLCs and corporations to see if someone already has your desired business name. Just visit the Business Search Tool on the Kansas SOS website and enter the KS business name you want to search for.
If the business name is already used by an LLC or Corporation in Kansas, that means it’s not available and you won’t be able to register it. Try searching for a different business name instead.
The Kansas Secretary of State search tool lets you enter details and search for a KS LLC by the following fields:
- By business entity name.
- By business entity ID number
- By a keyword
- By a Resident Agent's full name or keyword
Kansas SOS Rules on Your LLC Business Name
Once you’ve decided on a name for your LLC and checked business name availability, you’ll need to meet Kansas Secretary of State naming rules. These do vary from state to state — we’ve got general naming rules below, as well as naming rules specific to LLC businesses formed in KS.
Standard LLC Naming Rules
These rules typically apply to all LLCs, no matter what state they are formed in. You will need to pay attention to these rules, as they will influence the name you choose for your Kansas LLC.
The business name you have chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the state of Kansas. This is why you should check business name availability on the KS SOS website.
It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique; it also cannot be similar to the name of another corporation or LLC in Kansas. For example, you cannot use the following factors to say your name is different from the name of another business:
- Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.
- Definite articles like “A,” “And,” “An,” “&,” “The,” etc.
- The singular, plural or possessive forms of a word
- Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their name. These words should normally come at the end of the name.
Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:
- Are very similar to the name of a federal or KS agency or organization (e.g. FBI, FDA, Kansas Department of Revenue, Kansas Police, Treasury, etc)
- Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
- Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the Olympic organization
- Imply a purpose that it would be illegal for your business to carry out
Specific Rules for Naming LLCs in Kansas
In addition to the general rules listed above, the Kansas Secretary of State has some specific business naming rules for your LLC. You will need to follow these rules if you want to name your AK business appropriately.
- You cannot use the following words as qualifiers in the overall Kansas LLC business name: "companies," "corporations," "incorporation," "unlimited," “limited partnerships."
- Certain restricted words may need additional paperwork if you want to use them in your business name.
Kansas LLC Fictitious Names
According to the secretary of state website, the state of Kansas does not register DBA, Assumed Name, Trade Name, Fictitious Name or Sole Proprietorships.
Incfile's Assumed Business Name ServiceBusiness Name Registration for Your Kansas LLC
Once you’ve searched for your Kansas business name, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a fictitious name, you can register your KS LLC name. There are a couple of ways to do this.
- If you don’t want to form your LLC right now, you can reserve the business name
- If you’re ready to start your Kansas LLC, you can register it through Incfile
Reserve Your LLC Name with the Kansas Secretary of State
If you don’t want to form your business immediately, you can reserve a name with the Kansas Secretary of State. You do not need to reserve a name if you are forming your business right away. Find the Kansas SOS LLC name reservation form here.
Form Your Kansas LLC with Incfile
Now that you’ve chosen the perfect name, you can formally register your Kansas business through Incfile. You will need to gather some more information, but we’ll guide you through the entire process. We make it fast and simple to start your Kansas LLC.
Register Your Kansas LLC NowFAQs on Naming Your Kansas LLC
You might find the following answers useful.
Just go to the business name search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can search the register of the Kansas Secretary of State, which will tell you if there are any KS corporations or LLCs with that name.
Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules (applicable to all LLCs) and specific rules (applicable in the state of Kansas). We’ve detailed these rules above.
Yes. The Kansas Secretary of State allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. If you are ready to start your business now, you do not need to reserve a name
Useful Resources for Naming Your Kansas LLC
You might find these other resources helpful.
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must be careful that your Kansas LLC name does not infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name does not infringe is to carry out a trademark search through Incfile. If it doesn’t infringe, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.
Incfile Trademark Search and Registration ServiceFind the Perfect Name for Your Kansas LLC
The perfect business name can be elusive. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but basically, you'll want to choose a name that will:
- Appeal to your customers
- Be memorable enough to stand out
- Best represent your product or services
- Not be used by another business
