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Whether you’re searching for the ideal business name for your Pennsylvania S Corp or Pennsylvania C Corp, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on how to conduct a PA Department of State 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 choose cannot be in use by any other business in the state. This is why it's so important to perform a Pennsylvania State corporation search before you begin your incorporation paperwork.

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

It’s not enough for your corporation name to be unique. It also cannot be similar 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, Pennsylvania Department of Labor, Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Business Names

Unlike many states, you won't need to follow certain naming rules in addition to the general rules listed above. The state of Pennsylvania simply states within the statutes Title 15, Chapter 2, § 203 that the name of a corporation or foreign corporation must contain "the word "corporation," "company," "incorporated" or "limited" or an abbreviation of any of the terms."

Coming Up with the Ideal Business Name

The ideal business name can be elusive. We have a complete guide to choosing the perfect business name, but essentially, you'll want to choose a name that will:

Best represent your product or services

Appeal to your customers

Be memorable enough to stand out

Not be used by another business

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

Pennsylvania Corporation Name Search

Once you have an idea of the name you want, perform an PA corporation search to make sure that name isn't already being used by another company.

You can use the state's entity search to check for name availability.

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 Pennsylvania Corporation
Check Your Corporation Name

Trademarks and Service Marks

You must be careful that your Pennsylvania corporation name doesn't infringe 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 Pennsylvania

You may do business under a name different from 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 Pennsylvania. You may decide to use a fictitious name for a variety of reasons.

For example, your primary business may be called Appalachian Hospitality, Inc., and you have a chain called Appalachian Valley Tours. You could register a fictitious name just for that brand. You'd do that by filing a form for the Registration of Fictitious Name, or you can have Bizee do it on your behalf with our DBA service.

In addition to filing the Registration form, you must also officially publish a notice that you have filed or intend to file an application for registration of the fictitious name. The notice should be published in two newspapers of general circulation in the county in which the business will be located, one of which must be a legal newspaper. If there is only one newspaper of general circulation in the county, advertisement in that newspaper is sufficient. The Department of State has provided a list of legal publications to make this process easier.

In order to keep your business names unique, you can also use the Pennsylvania business entity search. You can perform a Pennsylvania fictitious name search to 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.

Important: Registration of a fictitious name does not give you exclusive rights to use the fictitious name. There are no ownership rights to a fictitious name meaning other individuals or entities may register the same fictitious name.

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

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

Register Your Business Name with the PA Department of State

You’ve performed a Pennsylvania DOS business 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 Pennsylvania Department of State. The name will be reserved for 120 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 PA Department of State. Or you can have Bizee do this for you.

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

Incorporate in Pennsylvania for $0 + State Fee ($125)

Incorporate Now

FAQs About Naming Your Pennsylvania Corporation

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 corporations or LLCs in the state are already using that name.

Are There Any Rules for Naming Pennsylvania Corporations?

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

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

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

Can I Reserve a Name for My Pennsylvania Corporation?

Yes. The PA Department of State 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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