Oregon LLC Name Search

The first step to forming an LLC in Oregon is to search your desired LLC name in the Oregon Business Registry and make sure it’s available for use.

You can browse existing business names in the Oregon Business Registry using the link below.

Oregon Business Entity Search:
Oregon Secretary of State Business Registry Search

Under “Search Methods”, first run your search with “Exact words in any word order” selected (the default), and then run your search again with “Extended search” selected. This will help ensure you see all Oregon business names that are potentially similar to your desired Oregon LLC name.

Oregon is fairly strict when it comes to LLC name availability. If your LLC name is rejected, the state will hold onto your money and give you 45 days to re-file with a different name. To avoid this happening to you – (after you do a few online searches) – we strongly recommend calling the Oregon Corporation Division at ​​503-986-2200​​​​​​ during normal business hours and asking for a preliminary LLC name check.

Searching LLC Names in the Oregon Business Registry

1. It’s best to search only part of your LLC name to ensure you see everything that is potentially similar. For example, if your desired Oregon LLC name is “Fresh Cut Designs LLC”, it’s best to just search “Fresh Cut”.

Why: This way, if there is a “Fresh Cut Designer” or “Fresh Cut Designing”, you’ll see both of them; which is important, since they will be confusingly similar to your name and the state will likely reject your Oregon LLC filing.

2. Leave out the designator “LLC”, “L.L.C.”, etc., during your search.

3. Leave out any punctuation like commas, periods, apostrophes, quotes, hyphens, etc.

4. The Oregon business registry ignores capitalization so you can search using uppercase, lowercase, or any combination.

5. Under “Search Methods”, search your LLC names with both “Exact words in any word order” selected as well as “Extended search“.

Determining the Oregon Business Registry search results:

• If the results show names that are not too similar to yours, then your desired Oregon LLC name is available for use.
• If a “Your search returned no business entity names” message appears, this means your desired Oregon LLC name is unique and available for use.
• If your desired LLC name already appears in the list exactly as you want it, your desired Oregon LLC name is not available for use. You’ll need to come up with a new name or unique variation that makes your LLC name distinguishable.
• If the results show a name that is deceptively similar to yours, your desired Oregon LLC name will likely be rejected. We recommend coming up with a new name or unique variation that makes your LLC distinguishable.

Oregon LLC Name Requirements & Restrictions

Before finalizing your LLC name, it’s important to understand the requirements and restrictions in Oregon.

Here is a brief overview (scroll down for details on each bullet point):

• You must use a proper designator at the end of your LLC name
• You can use a comma in your LLC name before the designator, or you can leave it out
• You cannot make it sound like your LLC is a Corporation or any other type of legal entity besides an LLC
• Your LLC name cannot be confusingly similar to an existing company in the state
• The use of certain words in your LLC name either requires special approval or is prohibited

LLC Designators

As per Oregon law (section 63.094), your Oregon LLC must contain one of the following designators at the end of its name:

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

Example: If your desired name is “Mark’s Printing Services”, it must be officially filed as:

• Mark’s Printing Services LLC
• Mark’s Printing Services L.L.C.
• Mark’s Printing Services Limited Liability Company

Tip: Most filers use “LLC” as their designator.

Comma in LLC Name

You can file your LLC name with or without a comma before the designator.

Example: You can file as either:

• Mark’s Printing Services LLC
• Mark’s Printing Services, LLC

Both are acceptable in Oregon and it’s your personal preference.

Restricted Designators

Your Oregon LLC cannot imply that it is a Corporation, Limited Partnership, or any other type of business entity besides an LLC.

You cannot use the following Designators anywhere in your LLC name:

• Corporation
• Corp.
• Inc.
• Incorporated
• Cooperative
• Limited Partnership
• LP
• L.P.
• Ltd.
• Limited Liability Partnership
• LLP
• L.L.P.

Distinguishability

Your desired LLC name must be “distinguishable upon the records” of the Oregon Secretary of State. “Distinguishable upon the records” is a fancy way of saying that your LLC name must be truly unique and not confusingly similar to an existing business registered in Oregon.

The following examples show business names that are not distinguishable. Meaning, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office will not allow both of these names to be in existence at the same time.

1. Designators:

• Michael’s Diner, LLC and Michael’s Diner, Inc.
  (not distinguishable)

2. Words that don’t really change the meaning of the name:

• 123 Bowlers Alley, LLC and 123 Bowlerz Alley, LLC
  (not distinguishable)

3. Plurals:

• Fresh Fruit, LLC and Fresh Fruits, LLC
  (not distinguishable)

4. Punctuation marks:

• 412 Grille, LLC and 4.1.2. Grille, LLC
  (not distinguishable)

5. Capitalization:

• Lee’s Footwear, LLC and lee’s footwear, llc
  (not distinguishable)

Restricted and Prohibited Words

Restricted words require approval from certain institutions, like departments of banking, insurance, education, and professional organizations. Prohibited words are those that are simply not allowed.

Restricted words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Credit Union, Trust, Insurance, Mortgage, College, University, Redevelopment, and Olympic.

Unless members are forming a Professional LLC (PLLC) and are licensed by the state, you cannot use the words Attorney, Lawyer, Engineer, Engineering, Doctors, Dentists, Architect, Land Surveyor, Appraiser, etc.

Prohibited words: Federal, Government, FBI, United States of America, United States, City, Borough, Township, and County. You cannot use curse words or vulgar words. You cannot use words that imply illegal activity, or words that suggest the company is a part of local, state, or federal government, or falsely leads the public to believe the company is associated with certain public institutions.

Reminders & Tips

Do not apply for your Federal Tax ID Number (EIN) until your Oregon LLC is approved.

Also, do not order business cards, letterheads, signs, marketing materials, etc., until the Oregon Secretary of State approves your LLC.

Next Step

Once you find an Oregon 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: Oregon LLC Registered Agent.

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

Oregon Secretary of State Contact Info

If you have any questions, you can contact the Oregon Secretary of State at ​​503-986-2200​​​​​​ (Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm).

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.