When you meet someone new, what’s the first thing you want to know about them? Their name. Your name is unique—it’s how people remember you.
The same goes for your Nevada business: choosing your name is the most important step of forming your company. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just picking the name you like best from a list. That works for babies, but not businesses. Nevada has several requirements that you’ll need to follow as you pick a name.
After brainstorming a business name either on your own or through a business naming tool, you’ll want to make sure it is available in your state. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll walk you through how to use the tool, and we’ll dig into a few ways you can make your name a complete success. Let’s get started.
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How to Use the Nevada Business Name Search Tool
You’ve picked a name. You’re pretty sure it’s the one. But before you seal the deal, you’ll need to ensure that it’s available for you to use. To do so, you’ll need to use Nevada’s search tool. Theirs is called the Business Entity Search.
But we’ll be honest. The tool isn’t exactly the most intuitive. You might be thinking, What’s next? If you don’t know what to do, this name search can be downright overwhelming. But with a few simple pointers, it can be a cinch.
1) Type in the name you’re hoping to use
Technically, your business’s name will include a legal entity type identifier, such as “LLC,” “Limited Liability Company,” or another abbreviation. But for purposes of this search, you can leave that off. For example, you might want to name your business “Carla’s Cupcakes, LLC.” But when you conduct the search, you could just type in “Carla’s Cupcakes.”
2) Make sure the tool’s settings are correct
To get the most value out of your search, you’ll want to put the right settings on the Business Entity Search. For instance, for your first search, we recommend using the “Exact Match” filter and make sure you type in the “Name” blank. WIth those settings, the search tool will only pull up any names on the record that match the one you’ve input. This one is a legal necessity.
But we also recommend running a second keyword search. For this one, we recommend hitting the “Contains” filter. Then, type in a keyword from the name you’re hoping to use. For example, for “Carla’s Cupcakes,” you might type in “cupcakes.” In response, the tool will pull up all results that contain the words “cupcakes.”
3) Examine the search results
Now it’s time to look through the results. Do any exact matches appear? What about similar ones from the keyword search?
In Nevada, your name must be “distinguishable on the record.” In layman’s terms, that means that your name cannot be the exact same as the name of another entity. It can’t be too similar to another name, either. For example, Nevada states that one single distinguishing mark is not enough to make a name unique.
That still leaves you a lot of leeway, though, which is why we recommend running a keyword search. For example, let’s say that the “cupcakes” search reveals a business under “Carl’s Cupcakes.” That’s too close to comfort to “Carla’s Cupcakes.” You might decide to add in a word to make it a bit more unique.
Next Steps for Your Nevada Business Name
The steps we’ve listed above are just the legal requirements for a Nevada LLC name. But this is your business name we’re talking about. You don’t want to just “get by.” You want to go the extra mile and make sure your name is as great as your business concept. You want to protect it, too.
Let’s talk about what you can do to protect (and thrive with) the name you’ve chosen.
1) Double-check that your name meets state requirements
Nevada’s search tool will only tell you if your name is available to begin with. It won’t, however, tell you if your name complies with state laws for your entity type. Here are some rules to name by:
- Your name cannot include wording that implies you’re involved in certain industries unless you have the approval of the appropriate board to do so. This usually implies getting the appropriate licensure. Restricted industries include engineering, accountancy, banking, insurance, mortgage lending, real estate, homeowners associations, secondary education, and architecture.
- Your name cannot imply that you are or are affiliated with a government agency.
- Your name must include an abbreviation or wording that designates your entity type. For example, you must follow “Carla’s Cupcakes” with “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “Limited Liability Company,” or some other label that shows you’re an LLC. Other business types will need to include an appropriate designation.
2) Make sure that your name stands out
The search tool will help you ensure that your name is available in Nevada. It won’t tell you if there are similar names, though. It also won’t search names in other states. The search tool simply isn’t designed to do that.
We recommend that you also browse through local phone books and do a Google search with your name. Internet search engines pull up results that are close matches to the terms you enter. That includes similar names and businesses in other states. For example, going back to our “Carla’s Cupcakes” example, Google pulls up a hit for a cupcake shop in Virginia.
If that happened to you, it wouldn’t be a make-or-break issue right away. After all, you’re just focused on Nevada results right now. That said, if you ever wanted to expand into other states later on, then you might encounter problems. Plus, having a truly unique name is a great selling point.
3) Make sure you like the name you’ve chosen
This might seem like an obvious one, but you don’t want to overlook it. You should like your business’s name. You should be proud to say it out loud, glad to write it down, excited when you hear someone say it…you get the idea.
Yes, you’re eager to start your business. But don’t get so excited that you settle on a lackluster name that makes you think, “meh.” If you don’t like the name, odds are your customers won’t, either.
A lot of guides will tell you to make sure your name is easy to say, easy to spell, memorable, and gives your customers a clear picture of what they can expect from your business. And those are all true tidbits of advice. Follow them. But at the end of the day, we think it’s important to pick a name that you like.
4) Protect your chosen name
By now, you’ve put in a lot of work to craft the perfect name for your business. Let’s make sure that work doesn’t go to waste. Nevada gives you two methods to protect your name, and you can pick one or the other—not both.
For starters, you could file a Name Reservation Request form. There’s a $25 fee for this filing, but it gives you 90 days of exclusive use of your name without actually commencing your business. This is the perfect option if you’ve come up with the perfect name but you’re not quite ready to form your business yet.
But if you are all set to form your business, then you should go ahead and file the Articles of Organization. This one has a $75 filing fee, but it actually creates your business. And once your business is created, your name is protected, too.
5) Get a DBA or Trade Name (Optional)
The most important name for your business is your legal name; it’s the name you’ll fill in on your Articles of Organization. But many businesses choose to have a second name, often called a DBA or trade name. For instance, you might want to offer a second product line without renaming your entire business, or you just found a new nickname you like.
Registering a DBA in Nevada is a touch more complicated than in other states. That’s simply because you’ll need to register on the county level instead of the state level. You can contact your local county clerk for information on fees, renewals, expiration dates, and so on. Please note that you must file your DBA in each county where your business operates.
Want more info? Get the full scoop on registering a DBA here.
Next Steps – Getting Started
We’ve gone into a lot of detail about searching for a Nevada business name in this guide, but here’s the deal: choosing an LLC name is just one step in the much bigger process of starting a business.
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all that goes into it, don’t panic. We’re here to help. You can catch the full guide to set up a Nevada LLC, but here’s the fly-by version:
Choose a business name
Every business in Nevada needs a name that’s both catchy and gives potential clients a good idea what the business does. The name also needs to be unique—both for legal reasons and so your business stands out from the competition.
Appoint your registered agent
Whether you elect to use a private Nevada registered agent, serve as your own, or you hire a service like the one we’ve listed here, you can’t skip this step. Without a registered agent, you won’t become a legitimate, registered entity.
File your formation documents
If you’re forming an LLC, you’ll need to file the Articles of Organization; corporations file the Articles of Incorporation. Once you fill it out and file it, this document is what officially forms your business in the state. There is a $75 fee for LLCs; corporations have a fee of $150. And both business types need to get a business license that costs $500. If you need help with this step, there are plenty of good Nevada LLC services online.
Beyond that, there are plenty of ongoing costs and maintenance requirements. We won’t go into a ton of detail here, though. Your registered agent (or online registered agent service) will help you keep tabs.
Conclusion
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Conducting a business name search is an important part of forming your business in Nevada. The search saves you time and helps you set up a name that makes your business stand out. We hope this guide made it simple to name your business.