The state of Oklahoma provides outstanding incentive programs to new businesses. It ranks among the lowest in terms of the tax burden in the country. The state also ranks among the top 5 for affordable living costs. Thus, Oklahoma could be the perfect destination to start your new business. But do you know how to name your business by doing an Oklahoma business entity search? If not keep reading the article. Also, for new small to medium businesses, starting an Oklahoma LLC can get your business running with almost simple management.
Oklahoma Business Entity Search
A business entity search helps you to check whether your preferred business name is available to use in the state. Your business name should be presentable and also different from other businesses in the state. You are not allowed to use a name that’s currently used by any registered business in Oklahoma. That’s why Performing an Oklahoma business entity search will help you finalize a Unique name for your business. You can perform a business entity search on the Oklahoma Secretary of State business search portal. Also, there are some more guidelines to name your LLC in Oklahoma. Let’s talk about these.
Oklahoma LLC Naming Guidelines
- Your Oklahoma LLC name should include the phrase limited liability company or its short forms LLC or L.L.C. You can also use “LTD” with the “Co.” abbreviation.
- Your LLC cannot be named after a registered business in Oklahoma that’s still active. This can be made sure by visiting the Oklahoma SOS business search page and performing the Oregon business entity search.
- Following words will need the approval to be in your LLC name: building and loan, savings and loan, savings bank, and savings association.
- Words like Oklahoma Police, state department, FBI, etc. are restricted from being a part of your LLC name. This is to avoid your confusion with federal or state government agencies.
Oklahoma Business Entity Search Procedure
Different states have one or more methods to facilitate business entity search. So what are the possible ways to conduct the Oklahoma business entity search? The Oklahoma SOS business search page allows doing the business name search in the following ways.
1. Search For Name Availability
As shown in the image tick the “Name Availability” and search for the name that you want to use for your new business.
This will show you all the businesses that are using that term in their business name along with their filing number.
If your searched name does not exactly match with any of the businesses on the result page then that name is available to use.
2. Search By Entity Name
You can search any registered business in the state to get more details about it. To do this follow the procedure mentioned below.
- As shown in the image click the “search all” or “Search Active” filter and search any registered business in the state by typing its name.
This will give you all the details about a particular business. like filing number, business type, registered agent, name type (fictitious name, legal name, tradename, etc), and status (Active or Inactive).
3. Search By Filing Number
You can also get details about a particular business by directly searching its filing number.
A filing number is a unique number assigned to all businesses by the Oklahoma SOS. To search through Filing numbers,
- Go to the Oklahoma Secretary of State business search page, select the “filing number search” option as shown in the image and search the filing number.
- Searching through a filing number will show you details of a single business in the state associated with that number. See the image below.
4. Other Methods
Similarly, you can also search for banks, churches, domestic corporations, registered agent names, or the name of a person (Founder, CEO, Owner, etc).
Reserve Your Oklahoma LLC Name
If you don’t want to start your business immediately or are not sure to register with your selected name then the Oklahoma SOS provides the facility to reserve it for 60 days. This will secure the name for you until you are ready to start the business. To reserve your business name, file the name reservation application by visiting the Oklahoma entity filing page. the filing fee is $10.
Register Your Oklahoma LLC Name
If you’ve selected a name by doing the Oklahoma business entity search then the next step is to register with the Oklahoma SOS. To do this you need to file Oklahoma Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. The articles can be filed online or by mail. Filing by mail will take 7 to 10 business days for formation. The filing fee is $100.
Domain and Trademark
It is important to select a domain name that’s similar to your business name. This way your business will be found easily online. Additionally, you can secure your business in Oklahoma by filing a trademark. A trademark can be filed for your business name, symbol, slogan, etc. The Oklahoma SOS charges a $50 fee to register a trademark.
Frequently Asked Questions
After filing the Oklahoma Articles of Organization, it will take about 7 to 10 business days for the approval of your LLC.
You can check for the name availability, perform an Oklahoma business entity search on their official SOS business search page.
The Oklahoma SOS allows you to reserve a business name for 60 days.
The Oklahoma business name reservation costs a filing fee of $10.
The cost of filing an Oklahoma Articles of Organization is $100. This document officially forms your LLC in Oklahoma. 1. How long does it take for the approval of an LLC in Oklahoma?
2. How do I know if a business name is available to use in the state of Oklahoma?
3. For how long can I reserve a name for my Oklahoma business?
4. What is the cost of filing a business name reservation in Oklahoma?
5. What is the cost of forming an LLC in Oklahoma?