Oregon ranks among the top 15 states in terms of economic success in the country. In the past few years, the state has seen really positive growth in employment. The state of Oregon also has a booming tourism industry. For new small to medium businesses starting an LLC in Oregon is a really good choice. But do you know the importance of Oregon business entity search for naming your LLC? If not keep reading the article. We will also discuss the possible steps after selecting a name for your LLC. But first, let’s talk about some of the advantages of forming an LLC in Oregon.
A limited liability company is an ideal business structure for startups as well as small to medium-sized businesses. An Oregon LLC is the fastest and easiest way to get your new business on track with very simple rules and regulations into play. On top of protecting your personal wealth, an LLC also has various tax benefits like avoiding double taxation, pass-through taxation, etc.
Oregon Business Entity Search
To start a new business in any state, selecting a proper name becomes more important than you think. One important reason is that you are simply not allowed to use a name that’s currently registered with the state. A business entity search is an online tool to check for business name availability. The state of Oregon also has an Oregon Secretary of State business search tool to conduct an Oregon business entity search. An Oregon business entity search will ensure that your preferred business name is unique from other businesses in the state. If you are looking to name an LLC in Oregon then are some more guidelines that must be followed.
Oregon LLC Naming Guidelines
Every LLC in Oregon must be named under the following rules.
- The name should include the phrase limited liability company or its short forms LLC or L.L.C. You can also use “limited liability” with the “Co.” abbreviation.
- The name cannot use phrases of other types of businesses. I.e., corporation, cooperative, incorporated, limited partnership, or any abbreviations of the same. (corp., Inc., coop, LP, LLP and so on)
- Your LLC cannot be named after a registered business in the state that’s still active. The name must be unique from any existing entity in the state. This can be made sure by visiting the Oregon SOS business search page and performing the Oregon business entity search.
- Words like bank, attorney, and university might require some extra paperwork and a licensed person to be in your LLC name.
- Words like Oregon 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.
- The name should not imply any illegal business in the state/country.
Oregon Business Entity Search Method
Now that you know that business entity search is helpful for naming your business, let’s talk about how to do an Oregon business entity search? Oregon Secretary of State business search page allows doing a business name and registry number search.
1. Search By Business Name
Searching for a business name is a really good way to check for the availability of your preferred name.
You can also search the name of an existing business in the state to get more details about them.
Go to the Oregon SOS business search page and make a search for your preferred business name. You can also tick any of the search methods to Narrow down the search results. See the following image to get a better idea.
The result page will show you all the businesses in the state that are using the searched term in their business name. You will get all the details like Entity Status (Active or Inactive), Name Status, Registry Number, and so on.
If the name is not currently or previously used by any registered business in the state then the result page will show “Your search returned no business entity name”. This means you are free to use that name.
2. Search By Registry Number
You can easily get more details about any business by searching its registry number. A registry number is a unique number assigned to all the businesses in the state of Oregon. As it is a unique number, it will give you the more specific results of the businesses associated with that number.
Reserve Your Oregon LLC Name
If you’ve selected a perfect name for your business but don’t want to register it immediately then a good option is to reserve the name. File the Name Reservation application with the Oregon SOS. The processing fee to reserve a business name is $100. This will reserve the name for 120 days.
Register Your Oregon LLC Name
If you are ready to officially name your business after doing an Oregon business entity search, then the next step would be to officially register your LLC. This can be done by filing the Oregon Articles of Organization. The SOS charges $100 to file the Articles of Organization. The articles can be filed online under 2 hours or by mail which takes about 3 to 5 business days.
Domain And Trademark
Usually, your domain name should exactly match your LLC name. If not possible, there should be some similarity between the two. This will make it easy for customers to remember your name and find your business online. You can also secure your business name, symbol, etc. by filing an Oregon trademark which costs $50 per class. A trademark isn’t mandatory but will enable you to claim legal ramifications if someone tries to do illegal business under your name.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you file the Oregon Articles of organization online then it will take only about 2 hours. But filing through the mail will take 3 to 5 business days.
As we said, Visit the Oregon SOS business search page and conduct the Oregon business entity search by searching your preferred name.
Yes. The Oregon SOS allows you to reserve a business name for 120 days.
The filing fee to reserve a business name in Oregon is $100.
The Oregon Articles of Organization costs $100. This document officially forms your LLC in Oregon. 1. How long will it take for the approval of my LLC in Oregon?
2. How do I know if a business name is available to use in Oregon?
3. Can I reserve a business name in the state of Oregon?
4. What is the cost of reserving a business name in Oregon?
5. How much does it cost to register an LLC in Oregon?