Located in the Pacific Northwest region of the US, Idaho is one of the most agricultural states in the country. With an unemployment rate of 4%, when the US average is 6%, the state of Idaho has one of the strongest economies in the country. Choosing an LLC for your new business in Idaho is very advantageous and to name your LLC, doing an Idaho business entity search is a wise option. On top of that, LLCs in general provide great tax benefits and protection for your possessions.
Idaho Business Entity Search
A business entity search is a procedure used to find out whether your desired business name is available to use in the state where you want to establish the business. Idaho SOS has an official online search portal to facilitate the Idaho business entity search to their citizens. Business entity search can be very beneficial to the people wanting to start a new business to assure that their desired name is distinguishable from other businesses in the state.
Idaho LLC Naming Guidelines
Your Idaho LLC must be named under the following rules set by the Idaho Secretary of State.
- To avoid the refusal of your LLC formation in Idaho, you must make certain that your LLC is not named after an existing entity in the state. Doing the Idaho Secretary of State business search will ensure that this doesn’t happen.
- You cannot do minor changes (like adding articles, making it plural, etc.) in an existing entity name and name your LLC after that.
- Your Idaho LLC must include the phrase limited liability company or its short form (LLC or L.L.C).
- To avoid confusion with government agencies, you are restricted from using phrases like agency, department, FBI, Idaho Police, etc. in your Idaho LLC.
Idaho Business Entity Search Methods
There are a number of ways different states provide searching for a business. This includes business name, filing number, entity ID, registered agent, and so on. So what options are offered by Idaho SOS to do a business entity search? There are following two ways,
- Search by Name
- Search by file Number
Let’s see how you can search for a business by both of these methods using the Idaho business entity search.
1. Search By Name
You can search your desired name on the Idaho Secretary of State business search page and ensure that the name that you want to use for your business is unique and is not occupied by any other business in the state.
- Go to the provided link and search your desired name.
- You can also click on the advanced search option and select the provided filters to narrow down the results.
- The result page will contain all the entities that have the searched phrase in their business name.
- If the result says “No results were found” then you are free to use the name.
2. Search By File Number
Idaho secretary of state assigns a number to every business. Now, using the file number on Idaho SOS business search you can search for details about businesses. You will be able to search for any business in particular.
3. Search by Registered Agent
To perform this search using the Idaho business entity search could narrow down your search.
- Click on the advanced search option and select the “search by registered agent“ option.
- You can search any registered agent service in the search box and the result will show you all the businesses that are operating with that agent in the state.
Reserve your Idaho LLC Name
If you’ve found a suitable name for your business but don’t want to register the LLC immediately then the Idaho SOS also allows you to reserve it. To reserve your Idaho LLC name, file an application for reservation of entity name with the Idaho SOS. You can either submit the form by mail or manually. The fee for a name reservation is $20 with an additional $20 processing fee for filing by mail. The SOS will reserve the name for a span of 4 months. expedited service will cost an additional $40 and same-day service will cost an additional $100.
Register your Idaho LLC Name
The Idaho business entity search must have helped you with your LLC now. If yes, then should now move on to register for the Certificate of Formation with the Idaho SOS. The Certificate of Organization conforms to your LLC formation in the state. The online filing fee for the Certificate of Organization is $100. For filing through mail or in-person, the cost will be $120.
Domain & Trademark 
Filing a trademark for your business name is a great way to secure it. To file your trademark in Idaho, visit the trademark and service mark registration page on the Idaho Secretary of State website. Also, before registering the business in Idaho, you must perform an Idaho trademark search to make sure that your name does not breach another firm’s existing trademark in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I make sure if a business name is available to use in Idaho?
You can go to the Idaho SOS business search page and do a name search for your preferred business name.
2. What’s the cost of filing a trademark in Idaho?
The cost of registering a trademark for your Idaho-based business name is $30 per class.
3. Can I reserve a name for my business in Idaho?
Yes. Idaho SOS allows you to reserve a name for your business for a period of 4 months. You need to fill an application for the same with Idaho SOS.
4. What’s the cost of forming an LLC in Idaho?
The Idaho Certificate of Organization can be filed online for $100 and by mail for $120.
5. How much will it cost to reserve my LLC name in Idaho?
The total cost of reserving an LLC name in Idaho is $40. This includes the $20 filing fee and an additional $20 for a non-electronic form for manual entry.