Deal alert! Northwest will form your LLC for $39 (60% discount). See details.
The first step to forming an LLC in Indiana is to search your desired LLC name and make sure it is available for use.
Indiana LLC Name Requirements
Before searching your LLC name in Indiana, there are a few requirements you need to know:
1. The abbreviations “LLC” or “L.L.C.” must be used at the end of your Indiana LLC name. The abbreviation “LLC” is the most common.
2. Because an Indiana LLC is not a Corporation, your desired LLC name cannot use the word “Corporation”, “Incorporated,” or their abbreviations (“Corp.”, “Inc.”).
3. Your desired LLC name must be distinguishable. This means it must be different and unique from all other businesses registered in Indiana.
Differences in designators (the identifiers at the end of a business name) and differences in grammar do not create distinguishability.
Need to save time? Hire a company to form your LLC:
Northwest ($39 + state fee) or LegalZoom ($149 + state fee)
(Learn why Northwest is #1 in Northwest vs LegalZoom)
For example:
LLC, L.L.C, Inc., Corp.
- singular, plural, and possessive
- A, An, The
- and, or, &
- hyphens, slashes, periods, commas
- three vs. 3
The following examples are NOT distinguishable:
- Smith Investments, LLC vs. Smith Investments, Inc.
- Apple Farm, LLC vs. Apple Farms, LLC
- Print Shop, LLC vs. The Print Shop, LLC
- Night & Day, LLC vs. Night and Day, LLC
- Peter Paul & Mary Studios, LLC vs. Peter-Paul-Mary Studios, Inc
- Three Teachers Consulting, LLC vs. 3 Teachers Consulting, LLC
Searching the Indiana Name Database
1. Visit Database
Go to the InBiz: Department of Business Services Database
2. Select Defaults
At the top of the form (under “Business Search”), select “Starts With” and “Business Name” (they may already be the defaults).
You can ignore the bottom half under “Advanced Search”. It’s not needed.
3. Search your LLC
Enter your desired LLC name in the “Business Name” search box.
- Leave out the ending “LLC” and any punctuation.
- Capitalization doesn’t matter.
- To be thorough, just enter the first word or two of your LLC name to ensure you see everything that is potentially similar. (Ex: if your desired Indiana LLC name is “Johnny Apple Farm LLC”, just enter “Johnny Apple”).
- To be even more thorough, you can enter just a part of the first word. (Ex: if your desired Indiana LLC name is “Printing Solutions LLC”, just enter “print”).
4. Browse the Results
Click the “Search” button at the bottom and browse the list of existing Indiana businesses:
- If a “No data found” message appears, that means your desired LLC name is available for use.
- If the results show names that are not too similar to yours (meaning yours is distinguishable), then your desired LLC name is available for use.
- If your desired LLC name appears in the list exactly as you want it, your desired LLC name is not available for use. You’ll need to think of a new name or use some creativity and come up with a unique variation.
- If the results show a name that is deceptively similar to your desired LLC name, your desired LLC name is not available for use. You’ll need to think of a new name or use some creativity and come up with a unique variation.
Tip: And don’t worry, if you’re not 100% sure that your desired Indiana LLC name is distinguishable, just file your paperwork with the state. If your name is not available, the state will send back your filing and let you know that the name needs to be changed.
And check out TRUIC’s business name generator if you need help coming up with an LLC name.
Indiana Secretary of State Contact Info
If you have any questions, you can contact the Indiana Secretary of State at 317-234-9768 (8:00am to 4:30pm, M-F)
How do I change my LLC name?
You can change your LLC’s name later by filing an Amendment form with the Secretary of State.
We have step-by-step instructions on how to change an LLC name in Indiana.
INDIANA LLC GUIDE
Follow the lessons below to form your Indiana LLC.
I would like to learn about your services and costs to set up LLC in Indiana and Wyoming (if you handle that as well)
Hi Tony, we don’t offer filing services. We are an education company. If you’d like to file the LLCs yourself, please see our Indiana LLC and Wyoming LLC guides. If you’d like to hire someone to file the LLCs for you, please see Best LLC Services.
I am forming an LLC- If my business name is “Business name LLC,” can I also go by Business Name Co. and Business Name Company?
Hi Matthew, no, you couldn’t use “Business Name Co.” and “Business Name Company” without filing an Assumed Name (aka DBA) – for each name – with the Indiana Secretary of State.