Florida Business Name Search (LLC lookup) - 2025 Guide

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LLC names

Once you’ve chosen a Florida LLC name, you need to compare it against existing businesses in the state.

This is done using the Sunbiz Business Entity Search tool.

And this is necessary because business names in the same state:

  • can’t be the same
  • can’t be too similar

If you file your LLC paperwork with a name that’s not available, your LLC filing will be rejected.

How do I search the Florida business entity name database?

You can use the business entity search to compare your business name against the existing business entities registered in Florida.

Note: This tool is sometimes called the Florida Business Name Search or the Florida Business Entity Search. They both refer to the same website and get you the same search records.

Visit the Florida Corporate Records Search page:

Florida Department of State: Business Entity Search

It’s simple to use:
Enter your desired LLC name in the “Entity Name” field. Then click “Search Now“.

Screenshot with instructions on how to use the Florida Business Entity Search

Search tips:

  • Leave out “LLC”, “L.L.C.”, “Limited Liability Company”, etc., when doing your searches.
  • Leave out any commas, periods, apostrophes, etc.
  • You can search using uppercase or lowercase letters.


How to interpret the Florida LLC search results

If the results show names that are not too similar to yours (meaning yours is distinguishable), then your Limited Liability Company name is available for use.

  • Let’s keep using the example above. If your desired name is Riverwalk Studios LLC, and the only similar names you saw were “Riverwalk Rentals” and “Riverwalk Studio Starters”, then your name should be available.
Screenshot of sample results from the Florida Business Entity Search
Example of Florida Business Entity Search results

If no results show up, that means your LLC name is unique and it should be available for use. To be safe, run your search again using only part of your LLC name (to double-check that there are no similar names).

  • For example, search just the word “Riverwalk” instead of Riverwalk Studios.

If your exact LLC name appears in the list of search records, your LLC name is not available for use because another Florida business entity is already using it.

If the results show a name that is very similar to yours, your LLC name may not be available for use.

  • If your desired name is Riverwalk Studios LLC, and the search results show a “Riverwalk Studio”, then your name is not available.

What if my desired LLC name isn’t available?

If your name is not unique, you’ll need to come up with a variation or a different name for your LLC.

Tip: Wait until your LLC is approved before you apply for your LLC EIN Number or purchase any other marketing materials. This way you don’t spend money on business supplies you can’t use because your business name isn’t available.

Florida Department of State Contact Information

You can call the Florida Department of State to ask questions about whether your LLC name is available.

Representatives at the Florida Department of State can help you use the Florida Business Name Search. They can’t guarantee that your LLC name will be available when you file, however.

The Division of Corporations phone number is 850-245-6000. Their hours are 8am to 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

Florida Limited Liability Company Name Requirements

As per Section 605.0112 of the Florida LLC Act, there are a few rules and requirements for naming a Florida business entity that you need to know.

Do I have to use a comma in my LLC name?

No, you don’t have to. You can file your LLC name with or without a comma. Both versions are accepted by the Department of State.

For example: If your desired business name is Grandpa Joe’s, you can file it as:

  • Grandpa Joe’s LLC
  • Grandpa Joe’s, LLC

Or, instead of having “LLC” as your designator (ending), there are a few other options in Florida.

What designators (endings) can I use in my LLC name?

Your Florida LLC name must contain one of the following designators at the end:

  • LLC
  • L.L.C.
  • Limited Liability Company

The following designators are not allowed

Your Florida LLC can’t make itself sound like a Florida Corporation or any other business entity besides an LLC.

The following words and designators can’t be used anywhere in your LLC name:

  • Inc.
  • Corp.
  • Incorporated
  • Corporation

What words are not allowed in my Florida LLC name?

Your Florida LLC name can’t contain words and abbreviations that are restricted by law.

For example, you can’t make your LLC name sound like it’s a bank, part of the government or a government agency, or anything else that misleads the public.

You also can’t use words that are reserved for licensed professionals. These vary by state, but some common examples are accountants, architects, attorneys, dentists, and engineers.

Your Florida business name must be distinguishable (unique)

When you search the Florida Department of State Business Entity Search, you will compare your desired LLC name to existing businesses in the state.

If your name is not unique, you’ll need to come up with a variation or a different business name.

Below are rules and examples of LLC names that are not distinguishable.

Designators

Differences in designators (endings) don’t create distinguishability.

If your desired LLC name is Manatee Boat Company LLC, it’s not available to use if any of the following are found in the Florida Business Name Search results:

  • Manatee Boat Company, Inc.
  • Manatee Boat Company, Corp.
  • Manatee Boat Company, L.L.C.

Filler Words

Adding non-meaningful or filler words (the, a, an, and, &) won’t create distinguishability.

If your desired LLC name is Mockingbird Farms LLC, it’s not available to use if any of the following are found:

  • The Mockingbird Farms LLC
  • A Mockingbird Farm Inc.
  • Mockingbird and Farms L.L.C.
  • Mockingbird & Farms Corp

Plural or Singular Words and Possessive Words

Adding a letter “s” to make a word plural or possessive doesn’t create distinguishability.

If your desired LLC name is Ricky’s Oranges LLC, it’s not available to use if any of the following are found:

  • Rickys Oranges LLC
  • Ricky’s Orange Inc.
  • Rickys Orange, L.L.C.

Punctuation and Symbols

Adding punctuation and special characters won’t create distinguishability.

If your desired LLC name is Fearless Leader Logistics LLC, it’s not available to use if any of the following are found:

  • Fearless-Leader-Logistics LLC
  • Fearless Leader! Logistics, Inc.
  • Fearless’ Leader’ Logistics’ L.L.C.
  • Fearless & Leader: Logistics Corp

Want to watch a video tutorial instead?

The video below shows you how to search LLC names in Florida.

The video starts with LLC name rules in Florida. Then at the 3:30 minute mark, you can see LLC searches being completed.

Florida LLC Name Search

What if my Florida business name is rejected?

If you file your Florida Articles of Organization (the document that creates your Florida LLC) and the business name is not available, don’t panic. The state will notify you and tell you why your filing was rejected.

You will just need to file again with a variation of your LLC name or a different LLC name.

Florida Business Name FAQs

Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz is the leading expert on LLC education, and has been teaching for 15 years. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.

12 comments on “Florida Name Search”

Disclaimer: Nothing on this page shall be interpreted as legal or tax advice. Rules and regulations vary by location. They also change over time and are specific to your situation. Furthermore, this comment section is provided so people can share their thoughts and experience. Please consult a licensed professional if you have legal or tax questions.

  1. So i see a company name frieght kings inc.
    But i want to use freight king llc. Can i use it? And i did my research on uspto and seen frieght kings inc based in California and not Florida.

    Reply
    • Hi Eric, the Florida Division of Corporations will likely reject your LLC name since isn’t distinguishable. A trademark registered with the USPTO is a federal trademark (national), so it doesn’t matter where the mark owner’s address is. Hope that helps.

      Reply
    • Hi Tye, an LLC name (or any business entity name) in Florida that is “inactive” for more than 1 year, then becomes publicly available. However, we usually recommend proceeding with caution and doing extra research. Make sure the name isn’t still being used somewhere to avoid confusing potential customers/clients. Make sure the name doesn’t have a bad reputation. Make sure the name is not filed as a federal trademark. You can search the USPTO’s trademark database called TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System). Please see here: USPTO: Search trademark database. Also make sure to search trademarks in Florida. Please see here: Florida Division of Corporations: Search by trademark name. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  2. Matt, your tutorials have been extremely helpful and informative. When searching for a name for an LLC, can the same name be used if it is a completely different type of business? For example: Smith Bicycle Repair and Smith Florist

    Reply
    • Hey Victoria, glad to hear! Yes, the same root (ex: “Smith”) can be used for different LLC names. So in your example, Smith Bicycle Repair LLC and Smith Florist LLC can both be in existence. The only exception to this would be if there was a state-level or federal-level trademark filed for the root word that was registered in the same business class.

      Reply

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