If you are an entrepreneur, Wisconsin could be the perfect place for you to establish your business. Studies suggest that America’s Dairyland is considered to be one of the best places for startups to grow. As an entrepreneur, are you wondering how to conduct a Wisconsin business entity search? If yes, then you must make sure to read the full article.
Limited Liability Companies or LLCs could be a perfect option for you to form in Wisconsin. For small-scale businesses, forming an LLC could be advantageous. Wisconsin LLCs provides easy management, simple and quick filing with many tax benefits as well. To form an LLC in this state, firstly you are required to carry out a Wisconsin business entity search.
Wisconsin Business Entity Search
A business entity search is basically a process carried out in order to check a business’s database. In addition, individuals conduct a Wisconsin business entity search to check if their desired LLC name is available in the state or not. The Wisconsin secretary of state business search helps with that. In case you don’t perform a business name search and select an already registered LLC name, then the Secretary of State has the right to reject your LLC file. However, before you perform a business name search, you must make sure that you are aware of the Wisconsin LLC naming guidelines.
Wisconsin LLC Naming Guidelines
Your Wisconsin LLC name should meet the rules and regulations that are set by the Wisconsin SOS. The LLC naming guidelines provided by the Wisconsin SOS are written below:
- Your Wisconsin entity name must include the words “Limited Liability Company”, or its short forms “LLC”, or “L.L.C”.
- You cannot use words that could confuse your Wisconsin LLC with any government body. For instance, you cannot use words like FBI, Police, or Treasury.
- Some words might require special paperwork to be a part of your Wisconsin LLC. These include Bank, Attorney, University, etc.
- Your name must not be the same as any other LLC in Wisconsin. In other words, you cannot use words that can confuse your LLC with any other registered business name. Hence, in order to file an LLC in Wisconsin, A Wisconsin business entity search is a perfect option.
Wisconsin Business Entity Search Procedure
Different states in the USA have provided their own procedures to conduct a business name search. So, how can you approach the Wisconsin business entity search? You can perform the Wisconsin Secretary of State business search on this online portal. Once you access this webpage, you can carry out the Wisconsin business entity search through different methods.
1. Search By Name or ID
To carry out a business inquiry, you are required to simply provide the business name or its entity ID in the search bar.
After that, hit the “Search Records” button to initiate the search. The search result page will have a list of names that match your searched name.
If you click on a particular entity name, you can access detailed information about that particular entity.
2. Name Availability
To perform the Wisconsin Secretary of State business search, you can click on the “Name Availablity” button.
After that, enter your desired business name to check if your desired business name is available in Wisconsin or not. If the search result reads that “No records appear to conflict with the name you entered”, you can use that name.
Reserving Your Wisconsin LLC Name
If you are not quite ready to register and start a business, you can still reserve the LLC name. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions allows businesses to reserve an LLC name for a period of 120 days. In other words, you can reserve an LLC name for 120 days. This can be done by filing an application by mail. However, you have to pay a name reservation fee of $15, and an additional $25 will be charged for expedited service.
Registering Your Wisconsin LLC Name
Once you have performed the Wisconsin SOS business search and selected a perfect name, now is the time to register it with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institution. This can be done by filing a Wisconsin Articles of organization. In addition, you are required to pay a processing fee of $130. The processing time to form an LLC in Wisconsin is about 5 business days. Once you form the Wisconsin Articles of Organization along with the filing fee, your Wisconsin LLC is formed.
Domain And Trademark
For your Wisconsin business, finding a good domain name is very important. A URL that matches your business name is perfect. It will help your customers to easily remember your Wisconsin LLC name subconsciously. If you have registered your business in Wisconsin, then Trademarking your LLC name could be a good option for you. It can cost you around $15 to trademark a business name in this state. In addition, a Wisconsin trademark will protect your business name from any third-party use.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I find a unique business name for my Wisconsin LLC?
You are required to perform a Wisconsin SOS business search.
2. Can I reserve an LLC name in Wisconsin?
If you are not quite ready to start a business, you can always reserve the LLC name in Wisconsin.
3. What if I do not perform the Wisconsin business entity search?
If you do not perform a business name search, chances are that you might select a name that has been already registered in the state of Wisconsin.
4. What is the cost to trademark an LLC name in Wisconsin?
It can cost you about $15 to trademark an LLC name in the state of Wisconsin.
5. How long does it take for the LLC approval in Wisconsin?
Roughly it takes around 5 days to form an LLC in Wisconsin.