Louisiana is a decent location to invest and set up a business in the United States. And as an entrepreneur, if you want to set up a business in Louisiana, you should conduct a Louisiana business entity search. But why is it necessary and what are its benefits? The Louisiana Secretary of State holds the record for every business in the state. And to run a business, we recommend you to form an LLC in Louisiana.
A Louisiana LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a good option for small to medium-scale businesses. There are many benefits of an LLC in Louisiana especially if you want to limit your personal liability for business debts. But when you name your Louisiana LLC, you should make sure to conduct a Louisiana business entity search.
Louisiana Business Entity Search
A business entity search comes in handy when you are looking forward to naming your business in a particular state. It ensures that your desired business name is not used by any other business. Similarly, a Louisiana business entity search will ensure that no other business name has been registered by the same name in Louisiana. You can simply conduct a business name search on the portal of the Louisiana SOS business search page. Business entity search can also be performed to conduct an inquiry about other registered businesses by providing required detail about a business, like a name, entity ID, etc. Further on, let’s discuss the LLC naming guidelines that you must be aware of before selecting a name for your Louisiana business.
Louisiana LLC Naming Guidelines
There are some Louisiana LLC naming guidelines that must be followed when naming your Louisiana business.
- The Lousiana LLC name should contain the words “Limited Liability Company” or its abbreviation “LLC”, “L.L.C”, or “L.C.”.
- If your Louisiana LLC is a low-profit company, then you must include the phrase “Low-Profit Limited Liability Company” or its abbreviation “l3C’ or “L3C”.
- Your Louisiana business name must not look like it’s a part of a government agency.
- To use certain restricted words like “Bank” or “University” you may have to ask for special permission.
- The selected name must be differentiable and unique from other LLCs in the state of Louisiana. Hence, a Louisiana business entity search must be carried out.
Louisiana Business Entity Search Procedure
The Louisiana SOS business search website allows you to perform a Louisiana business entity search. Through this, you can conduct a business name search or check if your desired business name is available in Louisiana or not. But what are the different methods to conduct a name search? Once you access the Louisiana Secretary of State business search page, you are provided to select from a number of methods. Let’s discuss each method one by one.
1. Search By Entity Name
Firstly, select the “Search by Entity Name” button. In the search bar, enter a business name. After that, hit the search button to proceed further.
The search result page will contain a list of entity names. For further details, you can simply click the “Details” button and discover some necessary details about a particular entity.
2. Search By Charter Number
If you know the Charter Number of a particular business you can select this button. Simply select the “Charter Number” button. After that, enter the Charter Number of a particular business and carry out the inquiry.
In addition, you can even carry out the inquiry by providing the Trade Registration Number, Officer Name, or Agent Name.
Reserving Your Louisiana LLC Name
Once you have found a perfect name after carrying out a Louisiana business entity search, you can simply opt to reserve it. The SOS allows you to reserve an LLC name for 60 days. This can be carried out by mail or online. Fill out the Name Reservation Form with the Louisiana Secretary of State. However, you are required to pay a filing fee of about $25. In addition, you can even apply for free renewal two times after the first reservation period is over.
Registering You Louisiana LLC Name
Once you have selected a perfect name after performing the name search on the portal of Louisiana Secretary of State business search, you can simply register it. For this, it is essential to form the Articles of Organization. Fill out all the necessary details along with the filing fee which is $100 and submit the form to the Louisiana Secretary of State. It will take up to 3-5 business days to form an LLC in Louisiana.
Domain & Trademark
We highly recommend you to go with a domain name the same as your Louisiana business name. Even if you don’t plan to start a business or start a website right now, it is advised to buy the domain before others buy it. A Louisiana trademark is never compulsory, however, a Louisiana trademark can typically provide your LLC name nationwide protection. Trademarks can save your Louisiana business name from any third party or malicious use.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it possible to reserve a Louisiana LLC name?
Yes, you can reserve your LLC name in the state of Louisiana for a period of 60 days.
2. What is the processing time to form a Louisiana LLC?
It can typically take up to 3 to 5 business days to form an LLC in Lousiana.
3. Why is it recommended to perform a Louisiana business entity search before starting a business?
It is always recommended to conduct a business name search in order to avoid a name that has been already registered. If you select an LLC name that is already registered, your Louisiana LLC form will get rejected anyway.
4. How can I check if my desired business name is available in Louisiana or not?
You simply conduct a Louisiana business name search and check if your desired entity name is available or not.
5. Can I renew my Lousiana LLC name once the reservation period is over?
You can simply apply for free renewal two times after the first reservation period is over.