Oregon Business Name Search

Before you form an LLC, register an assumed name, or start a corporation, you’ll need to complete a business name search with the Oregon Business Name Search tool to see if your name is unique.

In our Oregon Business Name Search guide, we’ll show you exactly how to check LLC name availability in Oregon.

How to Check if Your Oregon LLC Name Is Available

Checking if your desired LLC name is available involves a few key steps, such as ensuring your business name follows state requirements and performing a domain name and state search. These are the steps you need to take to determine if your business name is available in Oregon. 

1. Follow LLC Naming Rules

Before you perform an LLC name search, you need to make sure your business name follows the state’s business name requirements. 

Some key guidelines for Oregon LLC names include:

• Your name must include the phrase “limited liability company” or one of its abbreviations (e.g., “LLC” or “L.L.C.”).
• Names submitted for registration must be composed of the English letters “a” through “z” and the Arabic and Roman numerals 0 through 9, in integers or spelled out.
• Your name may include the following special characters: asterisk (*); “at” sign (@); backslash (/); left brace ( { ); right brace ( } ); caret (^); dollar sign ($); “equal to” sign (=); “greater than” sign (>); “less than” sign (<); number sign (#); percentage sign (%); plus sign (+); tilde (~); and underscore (_).
• Your name may include the following punctuation: apostrophe (‘); left bracket ( [ ); right bracket( ] ); colon (:); comma (,); dash or hyphen (-); exclamation point (!); left parenthesis ( ( ); right parenthesis ( ) ); period (.); question mark (?); single quote mark (“); double quote mark (“ ”); semicolon (;); and slash (/).
• Your name must be distinguishable from any existing business in the state. This includes Oregon reserved names.

Keep an eye out for restricted words. These words, such as “FBI” or “Treasury,” are often restricted to keep your LLC from sounding like an official institution.

Oregon also has the following restrictions for LLC names:

• Your name can’t include the following words or abbreviations: “cooperative,” “corporation,” “corp.,” “incorporated,” “Inc.,” “limited partnership,” “L.P.,” “LP,” “Ltd.,” “limited liability partnership,” “L.L.P.,” and “LLP.”
• Your name can’t imply in any way that the business is an agency of the state or any of its political subdivisions without approval.

For more information, check out Oregon’s official state statutes on LLC name requirements and name distinguishability.

Distinguishability

It’s important that your name be distinguishable from all other business names. In Oregon, a distinguishable name is one that’s substantively different from all other existing or reserved business names in the state.

The following differences will make a business name distinguishable in Oregon:

• One or more different letters or numerals (except an “s” used to make a word plural possessive)
• Letters or numerals in a different order
• Different words or a different order of words
• A creative or unusual spelling 
• Expressing a number as a numeral vs. as a word

The following differences do NOT make a name distinguishable in Oregon:

• Business entity identifiers at the end of the name
• Plural or possessive forms of words
• Punctuation and special characters
• Spacing
• Articles, prepositions, and conjunctions

Failure to use a distinguishable name could result in the rejection of your formation filing.

2. Conduct a State Business Name Search

The first business name search you’ll need to perform is at the state level. This ensures your chosen business name is available and not in use by another entity. You can check your business name availability by searching the Oregon Business Name Search online database.

3. Check Available Domain Names

When choosing a business name you’ll need to find out whether or not a good web domain name is available. Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important. This small step can make a big difference in how prospective customers find your business.

The best way to determine if your desired URL is available is to search for it using your preferred domain registry, such as GoDaddy.

What if my LLC name is already taken? Our free AI-powered LLC name generator will give you thousands of new ideas.

4. Reserve Your LLC Name

You may reserve your LLC name in Oregon for up to 120 days before you officially register it with the state. This prevents other businesses from registering your name until you have the opportunity to register it yourself. 

You may request a name reservation form by calling the Oregon Secretary of State at (503) 986-2200 or submitting a query on this website. The filing fee is $100.

5. Conduct a Trademark or Service Mark Search

A trademark search is vital for safeguarding your brand identity and avoiding legal issues. Use the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)‘s online database to ensure your chosen business name or logo isn’t already protected. Remember that state-level LLC name availability doesn’t guarantee federal trademark clearance. Need expert help? Our guide to the best trademark services for startups can point you in the right direction.

6. Form Your Oregon LLC 

Once you complete the necessary business name searches, you’ll need to register your business with the state. To form an LLC in the Beaver State, entrepreneurs must file Articles of Organization with the Oregon Secretary of State. This filing officially establishes your business entity. 

Your Articles of Organization should include the LLC’s name, principal office address, duration, registered agent details, and whether the LLC will be managed by members or managers. Oregon also requires you to provide the name and address of each member or manager, ensuring transparency in the company’s leadership.

Oregon LLC Name Search FAQ

Oregon Business Resources