Do you know the legal requirements for naming your new business in Maryland? Well, it all comes down to performing a Maryland business entity search prior to finalizing a business name. Our article will discuss everything from what a business entity search is and what should be your follow-up steps after finding a suitable name for your business.
Are you aware of the benefits of forming a new business in Maryland? Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the US. It has leading industries in health care, social welfare, and retail businesses. This is why entrepreneurs dream of running a successful business in this state. For small-time businesses in Maryland, choosing a Maryland LLC will provide various tax benefits and allow you to run your business with utmost simple management.
Maryland Business Entity Search
A business entity search is used to make certain that the name that you want to use for your business is not used by some other business in your state. So, before you finalize a name for your new business in Maryland, it is a wise choice to do a Maryland business entity search.
Business entity search could prove crucial to use a new that is not being already used. You might face penalties if you are using an already used name. That’s why the Maryland Secretary of State business search tool is very helpful to secure a unique name that sets you apart from other businesses in the town. At the same time, you must know the guidelines using which you must select your Maryland LLC name.
Maryland LLC Naming Guidelines
Your LLC business name in the state of Maryland must meet the following naming guidelines.
- You are not allowed to name your LLC after an entity that is already using that name. To make sure that this doesn’t happen, it is suggested to do a Maryland SOS business search.
- As a rule of thumb, all LLC businesses must have the term, limited liability company or the short form at the end of their name
- You cannot use words like FBI, Maryland Police, state department, FDA, and so on. This is so that citizens would not confuse your business with any government agency.
- Some words like University, school, bank, etc, will require some additional paperwork to be in your LLC name.
- The same also goes for words like a lawyer, doctor, etc.
Now that you know what the Maryland LLC naming rules are, let’s move forward with how to do a Maryland business entity search.
Maryland Business Entity Search Methods
Different states provide their citizens with different ways to do a business entity search. So, what’s the procedure of Maryland business entity search? Well, there are two options for this,
- Search by Business Name
- Search by Department ID
1. Search By Business Name
To search by a business name, Visit the Maryland Secretary of State business search page.
- Once you open the given link, type your preferred business name and make a search for it.
This will give you a list of all businesses that are using the same or similar name for their businesses and the details like its current status and department ID.
2. Search By Department ID
You can also search any business in Maryland using its Department ID.
- To do this go to the Maryland SOS business search page.
- Select the Department ID option, and
- Search the Department ID of any particular business in Maryland.
For example, typing “T00502670” will give you the following result,
This will give you a single result of the business associated with that number, as the department ID is a unique number.
Reserve Your Maryland LLC Name
However, if you are not sure about using the selected name or there is a delay in setting up your business, then you can easily reserve the name. To reserve your Maryland LLC name, you’ll have to file the name reservation application to Maryland SOS. This will reserve the name for 30 days with the filing cost of $25. You can also fasten the process by paying an additional $20.
Register Your Maryland LLC Name
If you are able to decide on a perfect and suitable name for your business then you should hurry and make it yours. This could be done by forming your LLC successfully by completing the Articles of Organization. The cost for filing the same is $100. This amount will be paid to the Maryland Secretary of State.
Revise Your Maryland LLC Name
The LLC names might need a change for many reasons. It could be because of business evolution, the name is not creating an expected brand image, the exit of a business partner whose name is present in the name, and so on. If you are not happy with your business name in Mary land, you can easily revise it by filing the Maryland amendment of articles.
Domain & Trademark
You must have a domain name that matches your business name. It is recommended to have the exact LLC name as your domain name but if that is not possible, you must think of something similar and easy to remember. Trademarking is very easy. You can only trademark your business name, logo, symbol, etc. You can also Trademark your business name in Maryland by filing the Trademark registration form. The filing fee for the same is $50. Ultimately it protects your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can visit the Maryland SOS business search page and perform a Maryland business entity search for your desired name.
As discussed, you can use the Maryland trademark search tool to ensure that your preferred name is not trademarked in Maryland.
Yes. You can reserve your preferred business name in Maryland for 30 days.
You’ll have to file the Maryland name reservation application by visiting the Maryland SOS website.
The cost for reserving your business name in Maryland is $25 which is payable to Maryland SOS. 1. How do I make sure if a business name is available to use in Maryland?
2. How do I make sure that my preferred name is not trademarked in Maryland?
3. Can I reserve a business name in Maryland?
4. How to reserve a business name in Maryland?
5. What is the cost of reserving my business name in Maryland?