Oklahoma LLC Name Search

The first step to forming an LLC in Oklahoma is to search your desired LLC name and make sure it is available for use.

Your Oklahoma LLC name must be unique and must follow certain state requirements.

Oklahoma LLC Name Requirements

Before searching your LLC name in Oklahoma, 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 Oklahoma LLC name. The abbreviation “LLC” is the most common.

2. Because an Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma.

Differences in designators (the identifiers at the end of a business name) and differences in grammar do not create distinguishability.

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 Oklahoma Name Database

1. Visit the Oklahoma Database:
Go to the Business Entities Search page: https://www.sos.ok.gov/business/corp/records.aspx

2. Search your LLC:
Enter your desired LLC name in the “Organization Name” box and click the “magnifying glass” icon/button.

• Leave out the designator (“LLC”, “L.L.C.”, etc.) and leave out any punctuation.
• Capitalization doesn’t matter. You can search in uppercase or lowercase.
• 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 Oklahoma LLC name is “Johnny Apple Farm LLC”, just enter “johnny apple”).
• To be even more thorough, just enter a part of the first word. (Ex: if your desired Oklahoma LLC name is “Printing Solutions LLC”, just enter “print”).

3. Browse the Results:
Click the “Search” button and browse the list of existing Oklahoma businesses:

• If the results show names that are not too similar to yours (meaning yours is distinguishable), then your desired Oklahoma LLC name is available for use.
• If a “No results found for criteria” message appears, that means your desired Oklahoma LLC name is unique and available for use.
• If your desired LLC name appears in the list exactly as you want it, your desired Oklahoma 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 yours, your desired Oklahoma 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: If you’re not 100% sure if your desired Oklahoma LLC name is distinguishable, you can file your paperwork with the state. If your name is not available, the Oklahoma Secretary of State will send back your filing and let you know that the name needs to be changed. If you don’t want to waste time though, you can also contact the Secretary of State below.

Important: Do not apply for your Federal Tax ID Number (EIN) until your LLC is approved. Also, do not purchase a domain name, business cards, letterhead, signs, marketing materials, etc., until the Oklahoma Secretary of State approves your LLC.

Next Step

Once you find a Oklahoma LLC name that is unique and distinguishable, you’re ready to select your LLC’s Registered Agent. We’ll discuss this in the next lesson: Oklahoma LLC Registered Agent.

And check out TRUIC’s business name generator if you need help coming up with an LLC name.

Oklahoma Secretary of State Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can contact the Oklahoma Secretary of State at 405-522-2520 (Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm).

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. 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.