Whether you’re searching for the right business name or registering your LLC with the LA Secretary of State, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need to perform a Louisiana business search, plus LLC naming rules, trade names and registering your business.
General Rules for LLC Names
These rules typically apply to all LLCs, no matter what state they’re formed in.
The business name you've chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the State of Louisiana. This is why it's imperative to perform a Louisiana entity search before you begin the filing process.
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 Louisiana. In addition, 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, such as “A,” “An,” or “The”
- The conjunction "And," or “&"
- The singular, plural or possessive forms of a words
- Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their names, normally at the end of the name.
Most states will not allow you to select LLC names that:
- Are very similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Louisiana Department of Revenue, Louisiana 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 International Olympic Committee
- Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out
Specific Rules for Louisiana Business Names
In addition to the general rules listed above, Louisiana has some specific business naming statutes. You’ll need to follow these rules if you want to name your business appropriately. Here is an excerpt:
No limited liability company shall include in its name any words which deceptively or falsely suggest a charitable or nonprofit nature.
If the limited liability company seeking the issuance of a certificate of organization in this state includes in its name the word "engineer", "engineering", "surveyor", "surveying", or any derivative thereof, the secretary of state shall require, prior to the issuance of the certificate of organization, evidence satisfactory to him that written notice of such application for a certificate of organization has been delivered to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board in writing not less than ten days prior to the date of issuance of the certificate of organization. If the applicant limited liability company files with its application to the secretary of state a written waiver signed by the executive secretary or any officer of the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board waiving the requirement of ten days written notice to said board, as set forth in the preceding sentence, the secretary of state shall be authorized to proceed immediately with the processing of such application.
A limited liability company name shall not contain the word "insurance" unless the limited liability company is an independent insurance agency or brokerage firm.
If a limited liability company seeking issuance of a certificate of organization in Louisiana includes in its name the words "bank", "banker", "banking", "savings", "safe deposit", "trust", "trustee", "building and loan", "homestead", or "credit union", the secretary of state shall require written approval from the commissioner of the office of financial institutions dated not less than fourteen days prior to the issuance of the certificate of organization.
How to Come Up with a Business Name
Finding the perfect business name can be tricky. 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 any other business in Louisiana
Need help coming up with business name ideas? Try our free Business Name Generator.
Louisiana Business Search
Once you have an idea of what business name you’d like to use, you’ll need to perform a Louisiana entity search to make sure another business in the state doesn’t already have that name.
Incfile offers a fast, simple and convenient tool to look up your proposed business name. The LA Secretary of State also has a tool that lets you search the registry of LLCs and corporations in the state to see whether someone already has your desired business name.
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must be careful that your Louisiana LLC name doesn’t infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name doesn’t do that is to complete a trademark search through Incfile. If no one else is using it, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.
Let Incfile run a trademark search for you.
Louisiana DBA or Trade Name
You may choose to do business as a different name from your legal LLC name. In some states, this is called a DBA (doing business as) or assumed name. In Louisiana, it’s known as a trade name. You may choose to use a trade name for a variety of reasons.
For example, your business may be called Louisiana Parrish Projects Holding Company, LLC, and under that company, you have a property development chain called Mardi Gras Apartments. You should file for a trade name to let the LA Secretary of State know. You'll do that with the Application to Register Trade Name Trademark or Service Mark, or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf through our Trade Name service.
Note: A trade name is not the same as a trademark. Learn more about trademark vs. DBA.
Register Your Business Name with the LA Secretary of State
Once you’ve completed a Louisiana business entity search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a trade name, you can register your 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 your desired business name. You’ll need to complete an Application for Reservation of Trade Name Trademark or Service Mark and file it with the LA Secretary of State. Once you do so, your name will be reserved for 120 days. You don’t need to reserve a name if you’re forming your business right away.
If you’re ready to start your LLC, you can file your Articles of Organization with the LA Secretary of State, or have Incfile do it for you.
Form an LLC in Louisiana for $0 + State Fee ($100)
FAQs About Louisiana Business Names
Just go to the free Business Name Search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can also perform a Louisiana business search of the state's registry, which will tell you whether there are any corporations or LLCs in the state with that name.
Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules (applicable to all LLCs) and specific rules (applicable in the State of Louisiana). We’ve detailed these rules above.
Yes. You can conduct business under a trade name. Details are above.
Yes. The LA Secretary of State allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you’re ready to start your business now, you don’t need to reserve a name.
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