New Hampshire is a decent place for entrepreneurs looking to start a business. But do you know how to name your business in New Hampshire? For that, you are required to perform a New Hampshire business entity search. Let’s discuss.
Forming an LLC or Limited Liability Company in New Hampshire can certainly be a great option if you are looking forward to starting a new business, or already running a business. In addition, with a New Hampshire LLC, you will have the minimum maintenance. Hence, LLCs are one of the most popular business structures in the country.
New Hampshire Business Entity Search
Business entity search is a process carried out by businesses to either check the business name availability or to conduct a business inquiry in a particular state. Like any other state in the US, the state of New Hampshire also has a dedicated government portal to carry out a business name search. Conducting a New Hampshire business entity search will verify whether your desired business name is available or not. Before you carry out a business name search on the portal of New Hampshire SOS business search, you must make sure that you are aware of the LLC naming guidelines.
New Hampshire LLC Naming Guidelines
You are required to follow these LLC naming guidelines in order to name your New Hampshire LLC.
- As it is a New Hampshire LLC, the LLC name must contain the words Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C.
- Words like Attorney, Bank, and University are restricted words. To use such words for your New Hampshire LLC, you may require a licensed individual with additional paperwork.
- You must not use confusing words. In other words, your New Hampshire LLC must not include words that can confuse it with any government agency. These include words like Police, State Department, FBI, etc.
- Your New Hampshire LLC name must be unique. In other words, you cannot use an already registered LLC name. Hence, you must perform a New Hampshire business entity search.
New Hampshire Business Entity Search Procedure
The New Hampshire business entity search can be carried out on the portal of the New Hampshire Secretary of State business search. But what is the procedure to conduct a business name search? Once you access the New Hampshire SOS business search page, you can conduct it primarily through three main methods.
1. Search By Business Name:
To carry out a business name search through this method, select the “Business Name” button. After that, simply provide your desired business name in the required box and click the search button.
Once you hit the search button, you will be redirected to the search result page of the New Hampshire business name search. In the search result list, you can even click on a particular business name for detailed business information.
2. Search By Business ID
If you know the exact business ID of a particular business, you can provide it in the required field. This could be done by simply selecting the “Business ID” button. Hit the search button to proceed further.
3. Search By Filing #
Likewise, if you know the exact Filing # of a particular business, you can simply provide it in the required field and hit the search button.
Reserving an LLC Name in New Hampshire
The state of New Hampshire allows businesses to reserve an LLC name for a specific period of time. Once you have checked the name availability of your desired business name in the state of New Hampshire, you can reserve it. You can simply approach this by filing the application for a name reservation. Filing this application will reserve your New Hampshire business name for a period of 120 days. In addition, you have to pay a name reservation fee of $15.
Registering Your New Hampshire LLC Name
To start or register an LLC in the state of New Hampshire, you must complete the New Hampshire business entity search by following the above-written procedure. Forming an LLC in New Hampshire is easy. You will need to file the New Hampshire Certificate of Formation with the New Hampshire SOS. However, as of now, this can only be done through the mail. In addition, you are also required to pay the LLC formation fee of about $100. The processing time to form an LLC in New Hampshire is around 7-10 business days.
Domain & Trademark
Just like registering a business name, finding and buying the right domain name for your New Hampshire business is also a huge step. Even if you haven’t started a business yet, you can simply research and buy the domain name in order to prevent others from purchasing it. In addition, you can protect your business name, its logo, or slogans with a New Hampshire trademark. The application fee to trademark a business name in New Hampshire is around $50, which will provide security to your business name.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it possible to reserve a New Hampshire LLC name?
Yes, you can reserve an LLC name in the state of New Hampshire for a period of 120 days. In addition, you are required to pay the name reservation fee of $15.
2. How can I check if my preferred business name is available in the state of New Hampshire or not?
You can simply conduct a New Hampshire business entity search on the portal of the New Hampshire Secretary of State business search.
3. Can I use the word “Attorney” with my New Hampshire LLC name?
“Attorney” is a restricted name, which means that using it for your New Hampshire LLC might require additional paperwork with a licensed individual.
4. What is the cost of a New Hampshire trademark?
To trademark a business name in the state of New Hampshire, you are required to pay a fee of about $50.
5. How long does it take to form an LLC in the state of New Hampshire?
It can take somewhere between 7-10 business days to form an LLC in the state of New Hampshire.