Starting an LLC in Mississippi involves more than just a great business idea. You also need a great – and available – business name.
That could be a catchy business name, a name that describes what your LLC does, or some other type of name. Whatever name you鈥檙e going for, however, you need to make sure it鈥檚 available and complies with state requirements.
Here鈥檚 how to do a business entity search in Mississippi, so you can see whether the name you want for your LLC is available.
A business entity search will show you whether a name is available for your LLC. You can check whether another Mississippi business is already using the name (or a similar one).
Should your Mississippi business entity search show that a name is already being used, you鈥檒l likely need to find another name for your LLC.
Using an existing business name can lead to legal conflicts, confusion among customers, and potential trademark infringement issues.
Mississippi has specific naming guidelines that all LLCs must adhere to when choosing a business name. These are more like rules than guidelines.
The specific Mississippi naming guidelines for LLCs are:
The statute governing business names in Mississippi is.
Mississippi makes a searchable database you can use to check whether a specific business name is available. This is generally the best way to check your business鈥檚 potential name, but there are a couple of particular details you鈥檒l want to be aware of. Here鈥檚 how to go about conducting a business search in Mississippi.
You can access the through the Mississippi Secretary of State鈥檚 website. This is the official database of businesses registered in the state.
Select 鈥淏usiness Name鈥� from the top of the form. The other options (i.e. Business ID, Officer Name, Registered Agent) aren鈥檛 relevant for these purposes.
There are several ways to search business names. The two that are most helpful are 鈥淓xact Match鈥� and 鈥淪ounds Like.鈥� You鈥檒l want to conduct at least two searches using these different options:
Be sure to do both other Exact Name searches and a Sounds Like search. They show quite different results.
Results are returned on the same page, directly below the search options. How many of the results you review depends on which type of search you鈥檙e doing.
Check all of the results pages for the Exact Name searches. The Sounds Like search will probably have many pages; any relevant results will most likely be in the first 1-3 pages.
There isn鈥檛 a separate search for fictitious names (commonly 鈥淒BAs鈥�). Any relevant DBAs will be included in the results, along with the LLCs and other business entities.
Once you鈥檝e checked that a name is available, you can register it for your business. There are a few other things that you might want to do, too.
You鈥檒l know when you find a great name for your new LLC. If you don鈥檛 yet have a name yet, there are many ways to brainstorm potential names.
Once you have chosen a name, make sure to check that it’s not already taken. If available, register your LLC or reserve the name. After that, you鈥檙e ready to take the next step in establishing your LLC in Mississippi.
A business entity search will show you whether your business name, or something similar, is already in use. If you find that the name is already being used by another business, you鈥檒l have to find a different name for your LLC.
A search doesn鈥檛 confirm that your name is compliant with the state LLC naming requirements.
To find out whether the LLC name you want is available, conduct a聽on the Mississippi Secretary of State鈥檚 website. It鈥檚 under the Business Services part of the site.
In most cases, you should do both an Exact Match search (or several) and a Sounds Like search.
The fee for reserving a business name in Mississippi is $25, and the reservation lasts for 120 days. Should the 120 days expire and you not register an LLC under the name, you鈥檒l have to wait 60 days before you can reserve the name again. You can register the LLC using the name during those 60 days.
Yes, if you plan to operate under a name different from your LLC’s legal name, you must register the DBA with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. A DBA is filed through the Secretary of State鈥檚 online portal, where you鈥檒l find 鈥淭rade Name Registration.鈥� The cost is $25.
In Mississippi, LLC names must use an LLC designator (e.g. LLC, L.L.C.) and they must be unique from other businesses. It鈥檚 also important that the name doesn鈥檛 imply affiliation with a government agency, isn鈥檛 misleading, and only uses restricted terms (e.g. bank) if the LLC qualifies to.
Businesses that want to operate without the LLC designator can register a DBA after forming the LLC.
If the business name you want is already taken, you鈥檒l have to find a different one. You might consider similar names, variations, or synonyms. It can also be helpful to use a local or personal name in certain situations. Ultimately, you may choose to use an altogether different name.
This portion of our website is for informational or educational purposes only. 91吃瓜 is not a law firm, and the information on this website does not constitute legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, 91吃瓜 is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between 91吃瓜 and any other brands, services or logos on this page.
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