Prepare for your Oregon business incorporation by preparing a unique and compliant business name. Conduct an entity search to verify which names are available.
Starting a business will take time and effort. You have a lot on your mind, from filing paperwork to finding a good location to hiring staff. In this process, it’s easy to neglect one crucial thing: your company’s name.
You may think, “I just need to come up with a name and register it.” More often than not, the process is a bit more complicated. The state of Oregon requires every business to have a unique name. Therefore, you don’t have as much freedom to choose your business name.
Online tools can help you check whether a particular LLC name is already in use in the state of Oregon. You can use the Swyft Filings business name search tool. The tool is entirely free and easy to use. All you need to do is send the following information:
Your name and email.
The desired entity name and your location (in this case, Oregon).
You’ll receive a reply in no more than one business hour. After that, you can proceed with forming your LLC.
Key Takeaways
If you want to register a small business in Oregon, you need to come up with a unique name.
The state of Oregon prescribes specific name conventions that you need to follow.
Swyft Filings can help you check the state’s databases to see whether a particular name is available.
You can reserve a business name to prevent others from grabbing it until you get everything in order.
Oregon’s Business Name Conventions
The Oregon Secretary of State has specific rules you need to follow to name your new business:[1]
The business name you want to use can’t be in use by any other business in the Oregon business registry.
The new business name can’t be similar to a business name already in use. You can’t use suffixes, definite articles, conjunctions, and singular/plural forms to differentiate your business entity from an existing one.
If you’re starting an Oregon corporation, the name needs to contain words like “Incorporated,” “Limited,” “Corporation,” or their abbreviations.
If you’re starting an Oregon LLC, the LLC name needs to contain words like “limited liability company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.”
The name can’t contain any words or abbreviations indicating that your new business is related to a government agency.
Your business name shouldn’t include any exact words or abbreviations that would imply a purpose that is illegal in the state of Oregon.
Benefits of an Oregon Business Entity Search
Conducting an Oregon business entity search has several key benefits:
Allows you to verify if a name is taken — The state of Oregon doesn’t allow the existence of two businesses with an identical or similar name. You can ensure your name is unique by running a quick (and, best of all, free) search.
Saves money — Registering an already taken business name can result in lawsuits and legal issues. If you spend a few minutes running a business name search, you can save yourself from unpleasant scenarios and significant expenses.
Gets you one step closer to forming your LLC — Conducting a business entity search is the first step toward obtaining a business license, filing a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), and launching your company.
Offers several search methods — If you want to conduct an advanced search, you can browse the state’s business registry database by entity number, entity type, and registered agent.
Next Steps
You’ve run a business name search and established that the name you want is available. What now?
Complete Your Name Reservation
You’ve checked name availability across public records and the Oregon business registry, and the results are encouraging: nobody’s using the business name you want. However, that doesn’t mean someone can’t grab it from under you. What can you do if you’ve set your eyes on a business name but aren’t ready to launch your business yet?
The state of Oregon allows you to reserve a business name for 120 days (four months). This gives you enough time to gather the necessary paperwork and go through all processes to launch your business.
You can reserve your business name online, by mail, or in person. If you choose to do so online, go to the business section of the Secretary of State’s website, and fill out the Application for Name Reservation. You’ll need to pay a $100 filing fee.
Complete the name reservation process by mail or in person, download the form, and fill it out. Then, send it to this address:
Secretary of State — Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327
Keep in mind that you’re not legally required to reserve your business name in the state of Oregon. You can skip the name reservation step if you’re ready to launch your LLC immediately. Usually, many future business owners need extra time to take care of the technicalities before venturing into entrepreneurship.
According to the state of Oregon, registering your name doesn’t give you exclusive rights to it. Someone else may have trademarked the name before you registered it.[2] Therefore, a trademark search could also be a smart move.
Choose a Domain Name
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a business without an internet presence. The internet is like a powerful portal through which you can attract more customers and generate more revenue. It opens the doors to more than just local customers. With the internet, you can reach people across the globe and sell them your products and services.
When launching an Oregon business, you should create a website to advertise your products, gather a customer base, answer questions, etc. If you decide to go down the website lane, you must consider the domain name.
You probably don’t want to have a domain that’s completely different from your company’s name. For example, if your company’s named Al’s Hardware Store, you most likely don’t want a domain named Al’s Shop or something completely different. Like a business name, a domain name needs to be unique, so you need to conduct a search to see your options.
Registering a domain name gives you ownership over it for a specific period. When that period expires, you’ll need to renew your contract.
It’s all fun and games if you grab the desired name on your first try. What happens if Squarespace shows you that the name you want isn’t available? In such cases, you have two options:
Find a similar domain name that you’re happy to use.
Contact the owner of the desired domain name.
The second option is a long shot, but it’s worth a try. The current owner may be willing to sell you the domain name.
Consider a DBA
Sometimes, your Oregon LLC name may sound too “official” to be used for marketing purposes or when dealing with customers. Thus, you may consider getting a DBA (doing business as) name. This fictitious business name can but doesn’t have to be similar to your actual business entity name.
A DBA gives you more freedom. You can drop the “LLC,” “Corp.,” and similar suffixes and get a clean, easy-to-remember name.
Let’s say your company’s name is “Mike’s Pizza Shop LLC.” You may not want the whole thing on cups, to-go boxes, employee uniforms, the sign above your shop, etc. Plus, when you think about it, your customers probably won’t say, “Hey, let’s go to Mike’s Pizza Shop LLC.” Instead, they’ll say, “Let’s go to Mike’s” or “Let’s go to Mike’s Pizza.”
Because of this, you may want to get a DBA and use this abbreviated form of the official name. You’ll need to go through the official DBA process of completing the assumed name registration. The first step is the Oregon Secretary of State business search, during which you need to ensure nobody else in the state is using the name you’re interested in.[3]
You can do this online or via mail. If you choose the former, here’s what you’ll need to do:
Go to the Secretary of State’s website and log in.
Fill out the online application.
Submit the form and wait for the reply.
If you want to do it via mail, follow these instructions:
Download this file and fill in the required fields.
Send it to this address:
Secretary of State - Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327
The filing fee is $50.
File Your LLC Online
You’ve conducted your Oregon business entity search and found the perfect name for your new business. You’ve also registered a domain name and got a DBA. Completing these steps means you’ve crossed off essential items on your to-do list. However, there’s a long way to go before becoming an entrepreneur.
Swyft Filings can help you every step of the way. Besides helping you search for a potentially perfect business name for your Oregon LLC, we can untie legal knots and help you form your company. Swyft Filings can also help with taxes, business name changes, annual reports, etc., to keep assisting you through your business journey once you’re up and running.
FAQs
How do I find out if a business name is available in Oregon?
You can search the Secretary of State’s website or let Swyft Filings take care of it with our free search tool while you relax or focus on other aspects of forming a business. Both options are entirely free.
What is the Oregon Secretary of State Business Entity Search?
The Oregon Secretary of State business entity search is a portal to get more information about existing businesses in the state. It helps you check whether a specific name is in use.
How do I find a business entity in Oregon?
You can find a business entity in Oregon through the Oregon Secretary of State’s website. Another option is using the Swyft Filing free business search tool.
How much does an Oregon business entity search cost?
An Oregon business entity search is free, regardless of whether you decide to do it yourself or use Swyft Filings’ tool.
What are some of the benefits of a business entity search?
You’ll save time and money in the long run by conducting a business entity search before trying to incorporate. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing the name you want isn’t used by anyone else in the state and that you can’t get into legal trouble for taking it.
How can I find a person’s address for a business in Oregon?
An entity search will help you find a business address and other public information.
Bibliography
Oregon Secretary of State. “Select Your Business Name and Structure.” Accessed May 19, 2023.
Oregon Secretary of State. “Business Name Availability Check.” Accessed May 22, 2023.
Oregon Secretary of State. “Assumed Business Name Registration.” Accessed May 19, 2023.
