Do you know how to name your business in Washington? Well, the most efficient way is to conduct a Washington business entity search. If you want to know what a business entity search is and how to do a business entity search for the state of Washington then you are at the correct place. Further, we will also guide you through the possible steps after finalizing a name for your business.
But why choose Washington? Washington is one of the seven states in the US that does not charge personal income tax. The property taxes in the state are also below the national average. On top of this, Washington is the largest producer of conventional hydroelectric energy in the US. Thus, it also provides energy at some of the lowest rates to all businesses. These factors are the reason why Washington ranks among the top 10 business-friendly states in the USA.
Washington Business Entity Search
Business entity search is a very useful tool to ensure whether your preferred business name is currently or formerly used by another entity in the state. As a general rule, while registering your business with the state, your business name should not be similar to another business in the state otherwise your business formation will be denied by the SOS. Thus to start a business in Washington, one is required to perform a Washington business entity search. This will make sure that your business name is unique from other businesses in the state. There are also some extra guidelines for naming your LLC in the state of Washington.
Washington LLC Naming Guidelines
One should make sure of the following things before naming their LLC in Washington.
- The name must contain the words limited liability company. You can also use limited liability with the short form “Co.” or simple abbreviation LLC.
- Your LLC must not contain phrases of other business structures like a corporation, partnership, cooperative, incorporated, or abbreviations of the same (Corp., Ltd, Co-op, Inc, LP, LLP, and so on)
- Your Washington LLC must not be confused with any of the federal or state government; agencies. That’s the name should not include phrases like state department, Washington Police, agency, FBI, and so on.
- Words like the bank, attorney, and university might require extra paperwork and a licensed person to be in your LLC name.
- Your name should be distinguishable from any existing business entity in the state. This also includes the Washington reserved names. To ensure this you must perform a Washington business entity search by visiting the Washington SOS business search portal.
- Lastly, the name should not imply that your business is illegal to carry out in the state/country.
Washington Business Entity Search Method
Now that you know what a business entity search is, it’s time to learn how to do a Washington business entity search? Washington Secretary of State business search page mentions the following methods to do a business entity search.
1. Search By Bussiness Name
You can search your preferred business name and find out whether the name is currently or formerly used by another entity in the state of Washington.
- Go to the Washington Secretary of State business search portal and search your desired name in the “business name search box”. You can also narrow down your search results by selecting appropriate business status search filters as shown in the image below.
- If the name is currently/formerly registered by another entity in the state then the result page will display its name with other details like business type, UBI, registered agent, office address, etc. You can click on the entity name to get more details about that business.
- If the result page says “No value found” that means no other entity in the state is using that name and you are free to use it.
2. Search By UBI
You can narrow down the search results to a single entity by searching the unified business identifier in the “UBI search box“.
This will give you a single specific result of the entity associated with that UBI provided that the number is entered correctly.
Further, you can also click the Advanced Search option to narrow down the search results. This will lead you to the Advanced Business Search portal of the Wahington SOS.
Reserve your Washington LLC Name
If you are not ready to start a business immediately after finding a suitable name for your LLC then you can always choose to reserve. You can reserve an LLC name for 180 days by filing a Name Reservation with the Washington SOS. The reservation application must be filed by mail to the Secretary of State. The cost for filing an LLC name reservation is $30. You can also choose an expedited service by paying an additional $50 and writing “Expedite” on the outside of the envelope.
Register your Washington LLC Name
If you’ve come up with a perfect name for your LLC and are ready to start your business then the immediate step should be filing the Certificate of Formation. This document will officially form your LLC in the state of Washington and will make the name yours. The cost for filing the Certificate of Formation is $180 by mail and $200 online. Your LLC registration request will be processed in 2-3 business days.
Domain and Trademark
One of the important aspects for the success of your online business is selecting a perfect domain name. Usually, your domain name should exactly match your business name. This will make it easy for potential customers to find your business/services online. Additionally, you can also secure your business in Washington by filing a Trademark in the state. The cost for filing a Washington trademark is $55 per class. This will register the trademark for 5 years. You can also choose an expedited service by paying $50 in addition to the standard filing fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
As mentioned, go to the Washington SOS business search portal and perform a Washington business entity search by searching your preferred name in the name search box.
It can take up to 2-3 business days to process a Washington LLC registration request.
The cost for filing the Certificate of Formation is $180 by mail and $200 online.
The cost of reserving an LLC in Washing ton is $30. However, you can choose an expedited service by paying an additional $50.
The Washington SOS allows you to reserve a business name for 180 days. 1. How do I know whether a business name is available to use in Washington?
2. How long will it take for the approval of my LLC in Washington?
3. What is the cost of filing the Certificate of Formation in Washington?
4. What’s the cost of reserving an LLC name in Washington?
5. For how long can I reserve a business name in Washington?