Search Your Business Name with the Maine Secretary of State and Register Your LLC

Whether you’re searching for the right Maine business name or registering your LLC with the ME Secretary of State, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on a Maine business entity search, LLC naming rules, fictitious names and registering your business.

Maine Business Entity Search

You should start naming your business by completing a “Maine business entity search” with the Secretary of State. They have a helpful tool on their website that lets you search the register of ME LLCs and corporations to see if someone already has your desired business name.

If the business name is already used, that means it’s not available and you won’t be able to register it. Try searching for a different business name instead.

Maine Secretary of State business entity search tool

Maine Secretary of State Rules for Naming Your LLC

Once you’ve decided on a name for your LLC and checked business name availability, you’ll need to meet Maine Secretary of State naming rules.

Your LLC Business Name Must Be Unique

The business name you have chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the state of Maine. This is why you should check business name availability on the ME SOS website.

Your LLC Business Name Must Not Be Confusable with Another Business Name

It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique. It also cannot be similar to the name of a corporation or LLC in Maine. 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.

Your LLC Business Name Must Contain Certain Words

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.

Your LLC Business Name May Have Other General Restrictions

Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:

• Are very similar to the name of a federal or ME agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Maine Revenue Services, Maine 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 would be illegal for your business to carry out

Maine LLC DBA / Assumed Business Names

You might choose to do business under a different name from your legal LLC name. You might choose to use a different name from your ME formal LLC name for a variety of reasons.

For example, your LLC might be called Maine Adventure Trails Holding Company LLC and you have a chain called Rocky Mountain Trails. You should file an assumed name to let the Maine Secretary of State know. In Maine, you do that through the SOS website, or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf through our Assumed Business Name service.

Incfile’s Trade Name / Assumed Business Name service

Business Name Registration for Your Maine LLC

Once you’ve searched for your Maine business name, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a fictitious name, you can register your ME 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 with the Maine Secretary of State. You will need to complete an Application for Reservation of Name and file it with the ME SOS. You do not need to reserve a name if you are forming your business right away.
  Maine SOS LLC name reservation form
• If you’re ready to start your LLC, you can formally file your Certificate of Formation with the Maine SOS, or let Incfile take care of it for you.

FAQs on Naming Your Maine LLC

You might find the following answers useful.

How Do I Search for My Maine LLC Business Name?

Just go to the business name search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can search the register of the Maine Secretary of State, which will tell you if there are any ME corporations or LLCs with that name.

Are There Any Rules on Naming My Maine LLC?

Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules (applicable to all LLCs) and specific rules (applicable in the state of Maine). We’ve detailed these rules above.

Can I Do Business Under a Different Name Than My LLC Name in Maine?

Yes. Known as “assumed names,” “fictitious names,” “doing business as names” or “trade names,” you can choose to conduct business under a different name. Details are above.

Can I Reserve a Name for My Maine LLC?

Yes. The Maine Secretary of State allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you are ready to start your business now, you do not need to reserve a name.

Additional Resources for Naming Your Maine LLC

You might find these other resources helpful.

Trademarks and Service Marks

You must be careful that your Maine 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 service

Find the Perfect Name for Your Maine 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

Incfile guide to choosing a business name