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If you’re searching for the perfect business name for your Nevada C Corporation, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on how to conduct a Nevada SOS business search, plus business naming rules, fictitious names and trademarks.

 

General Rules for Corporation Names

These rules generally apply to all corporations, wherever they're formed.

1
Your Corporation Name Must Be Unique

The name you select cannot be in use by any other business in the state. This is why it's so important to perform a Nevada Secretary of State corporation search before you begin your incorporation paperwork.

2
Your LLC Name Must Not Be Confusable with Another Business Name

It’s not enough for your corporation name to be unique. It also cannot be comparable to the name of another business in the state. In addition, you cannot use any of the following features in an attempt to differentiate your corporation name from that of another business:

  • Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., etc.
  • Definite articles, such as “A,” “An” or “The”
  • The conjunction "And" or “&"
  • Numbers in place of numerals (or vice versa), e.g., "One World" is the same as "1 World"
  • The singular, plural or possessive forms of words
  • Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
3
Your Corporation Name Must Contain Certain Words

All corporations must use one of the following in their names, usually at the end of the name: “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Limited” or their abbreviations.

4
Your Corporation Name May Be Subject to Other General Restrictions

Most states will not allow you to incorporate with names that:

  • Are similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Nevada Labor Commissioner, Nevada Rangers, Treasury, etc.)
  • Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
  • Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the International Olympic Committee
  • Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out

Specific Rules for Nevada Business Names

In addition to the general rules listed above, you'll need to follow some Nevada corporation laws that apply to naming your business.

For example, per the Nevada Revised Statutes Title 7, Chapter 78, NRS 78.035:

"The name of the corporation. A name appearing to be that of a natural person and containing a given name or initials must not be used as a corporate name except with an additional word or words such as "Incorporated," "Limited," "Inc.," "Ltd.," "Company," "Co.," "Corporation," "Corp.," or other word which identifies it as not being a natural person."

In addition, some words are restricted by the state of Nevada. Depending on which service you wish to provide, you may not be able to use certain words within your corporation name.

Coming Up with the Ideal Business Name

The perfect business name can be difficult to choose. We have a complete guide to finding the right business name, but essentially, 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

Need help coming up with business name ideas? Try our free name generator.

Nevada Corporation Name Search

Once you have an idea of the name you want, perform a Nevada business lookup to make sure another company isn't already using that name.

You can use the state's online portal to perform a name search.

You can also use our simple and convenient Business Name Search tool, which will search the state's business registry for you.

Use Bizee’s free tool to find out whether your preferred name is available for your corporation in Nevada
Check Your Corporation Name

Trademarks and Service Marks

You must be careful that your Nevada corporation name doesn't encroach on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to ensure you're not infringing is to perform a trademark search through Bizee. If the trademark isn't already in use, you can even register it yourself.

Make sure your corporation is starting off on the right foot when it comes to intellectual property.

Let Bizee run a trademark search for you.

Bizee’s Trademark and Registration Service
 

Register a DBA in Nevada

You may do business under a different name than your corporation's legal name. While many states refer to this as a trade name, assumed name or "doing business as" (DBA), it's a fictitious name in Nevada. You may decide to use a fictitious name for a variety of reasons.

For example, your primary business may be called Great Ridge Hospitality, Inc., and you have a chain called Great Ridge Tours. You could register a fictitious name just for that brand. In order to register a fictitious name in Nevada, you must file a form with your County Clerk of the county in which the business is being conducted. Each county will likely have a filing fee that they charge for this service.

Important: The filing of a fictitious name does not give you exclusive rights to the use of that name. An FFN filing is also required by the Business License office before issuing a business license under a fictitious name. Each individual business name must have a separate filing and multiple fictitious names cannot be included on a single certificate.

In order to keep your business names unique, you can also use the Nevada SOS online portal to perform a Nevada DBA name search and find out whether any other companies are already using the fictitious name you want. We can also help you with this via our DBA name service.

Note: A trade name is not the same as a trademark. Learn more about trademark vs. DBA.

Register and manage a DBA or fictitious name through our easy-to-use service
Get a DBA or Fictitious Name
 
 

Register Your Business Name with the Nevada Secretary of State

You’ve performed a Nevada Secretary of State corporation search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and determined whether you need a fictitious name. Now you can register your corporation name in one of two ways.

1

If you don’t want to form your corporation right away, you can reserve the business name. You'll do this by completing a Name Reservation form and filing it with the Nevada SOS. The name will be reserved for 90 days. If you're starting your business right away, you don't need to reserve a name.

2

If you’re ready to start your corporation, you can indicate your chosen business name when you file your Articles of Incorporation with the Nevada SOS. Or you can have Bizee do this for you.

Bizee can handle all your Nevada corporation formation paperwork for you — and we’ll do it for free!

Create a Corporation in Nevada for $0 + State Fee ($725)

Incorporate Now

FAQs About Naming Your Corporation in Nevada

How Do I Find an Available Corporation Name?

Use our free Business Name Search tool and enter your chosen business name. You can also perform a search of the state's registry, which will tell you whether any other LLCs or corporations in the state are already using that name.

Are There Any Rules for Naming My Corporation in Nevada?

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

Can I Do Business Under a Name Different from My Corporation in Nevada?

Yes. You can conduct business under a fictitious name. Details are above.

Can I Reserve a Name for My Corporation in Nevada?

Yes. The Nevada SOS allows you to reserve a name if you're not ready to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you do want to start your business right away, you don't need to reserve a name.

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