Key Takeaways
- Search tool: Delaware Entity Search, free, run by the Delaware Division of Corporations
- Search by entity name or file number
- Name reservation available for $75 (120 days)
- Delaware does not require LLC members/owners to be listed in the public record
- New LLC names must include a designator such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company"
- Same-day name-availability confirmation and formation filing available through LLC Attorney at no markup on state fees
Searching Delaware's entity database is different from every other state in this guide in one important way: the free tool tells you almost nothing beyond a name, a file number, and a formation date — no filing history, no documents, nothing about who owns the company, because Delaware's Certificate of Formation never requires that disclosure in the first place.
This guide covers exactly how to search for a Delaware business or check LLC name availability in 2026 — the deliberately minimal free Entity Search, Delaware's distinguishability standard, name reservation, county-level DBA registration, and the owner-privacy protection that makes Delaware the go-to state for anonymity.
How to Search for a Business in Delaware
Use the Delaware Division of Corporations's Delaware Entity Search to search for an existing business or check whether a new LLC name is available. Search by entity name or file number. The search is free.
Search directly at icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx.
Delaware's General Information Name Search isn't case-sensitive, and wrapping your search term in quotation marks forces an exact-phrase match rather than a broader partial match. The Division of Corporations explicitly prohibits automated or bulk searching against the tool — doing so can get your access suspended, which matters if you're checking names for multiple clients or entities.
A result shows the entity name, file number, formation date, and registered agent information — and that's genuinely close to the full extent of it. Delaware's free search does not show filing history, does not link to document images, and doesn't let you browse the entity's full record the way larger states' portals do; anything beyond the basics requires paying for the Division's Document Filing & Certificate Request Service.
Checking Name Availability Before You File
Delaware runs a separate, dedicated Name Availability Search tool specifically for reservation purposes, distinct from the general entity search — use that one when you actually need a yes/no availability answer, since the general search is built for looking up existing entities, not clearing new names. Either way, confirmed availability is only truly locked in via paid reservation or at the moment of filing.
Delaware's Distinguishability Standard
Title 6 §18-102 of the Delaware LLC Act requires a name to be "distinguishable upon the records" of the Division of Corporations. Designator-only differences ("Inc." vs. "Corp." vs. "LLC") against the same base name don't create distinguishability. The free General Information Name Search is informational only — it doesn't render a binding availability verdict.
Reserving a Name in Delaware Before You Form
Name reservation available: For $75, you can reserve your chosen name for 120 days before filing.
File through the Division of Corporations for $75, which holds the name for 120 days and can be renewed for additional $75 periods if you're not ready to file yet. Given how bare-bones the free search is, many filers treat the paid reservation itself as their real availability confirmation rather than relying on the free tool alone.
Searching for DBAs and Fictitious Names in Delaware
Delaware has no state-run DBA search at all. Trade name registration happens at the county level, through the Superior Court/Prothonotary's office in whichever of Delaware's three counties (New Castle, Kent, or Sussex) your business operates — there's no unified statewide search to check availability, so you'd need to check with the specific county directly.
Delaware LLC Naming Requirements
Your new LLC's name must include a designator such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company".
A Delaware LLC name can't use "Inc.," "Corp.," "Incorporated," or "Corporation" anywhere in the name, can't use licensed-profession terms (accountant, architect, attorney, dentist, engineer) without authorization, can't suggest bank or government affiliation, and can't facilitate illegal activity or hate speech under the Division's naming guidelines.
An Available LLC Name Isn't the Same as a Trademark-Safe Name
Yes — Delaware offers its own trademark registration through the Division of Corporations under Title 6, Chapter 33, for a $25 filing fee plus $10 for the Certificate of Registration. Notably, the registration is valid for 10 years — double the 5-year term most peer states offer — and is renewable for another 10-year term within 6 months of expiration.
Delaware's Entity Search only checks against other Delaware-registered entities — it has nothing to do with federal trademark rights, even though Delaware's own trademark program runs a full decade longer than most states'. Search the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) separately before committing to a name, since Delaware registration alone offers no protection against an existing federal trademark.
What a Delaware Business Search Reveals
This is Delaware's defining feature: the Certificate of Formation famously does not require listing any member or manager names at all — only the registered agent's name and address, and the signature of an authorized person, are required. Nothing about beneficial ownership is disclosed through the free entity search, which is precisely why Delaware (alongside Wyoming and Nevada) is the go-to state for owner-anonymity.
Delaware does not require LLC members/owners to be listed in the public record, so a standard search will not reveal ownership information.
Getting a Delaware Certificate of Good Standing
same-day and next-day expedite options available for an added fee
How to Search and Reserve Your Delaware LLC Name
If You Do It Yourself
Step 1 — Search the Delaware Entity Search at icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx.
Search by entity name or file number to confirm your desired name isn't already taken.
Step 2 — Apply the state's distinguishability standard, not just an exact-match check.
Title 6 §18-102 of the Delaware LLC Act requires a name to be "distinguishable upon the records" of the Division of Corporations. Designator-only differences ("Inc." vs. "Corp." vs. "LLC") against the same base name don't create distinguishability. The free General Information Name Search is informational only — it doesn't render a binding availability verdict.
Step 3 — Check your name against restricted/regulated words.
A Delaware LLC name can't use "Inc.," "Corp.," "Incorporated," or "Corporation" anywhere in the name, can't use licensed-profession terms (accountant, architect, attorney, dentist, engineer) without authorization, can't suggest bank or government affiliation, and can't facilitate illegal activity or hate speech under the Division's naming guidelines.
Step 4 — Confirm your name includes a required LLC designator.
Your name must include a designator such as "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company".
Step 5 — Reserve your name for $75 if you're not ready to file yet.
File through the Division of Corporations for $75, which holds the name for 120 days and can be renewed for additional $75 periods if you're not ready to file yet. Given how bare-bones the free search is, many filers treat the paid reservation itself as their real availability confirmation rather than relying on the free tool alone.
Step 6 — Run a separate USPTO trademark search before you commit.
Delaware's Entity Search only checks against other Delaware-registered entities — it has nothing to do with federal trademark rights, even though Delaware's own trademark program runs a full decade longer than most states'. Search the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) separately before committing to a name, since Delaware registration alone offers no protection against an existing federal trademark.
Step 7 — File your formation documents promptly once you've confirmed availability.
If you didn't reserve the name, nothing holds it for you — another filer could take it first.
Step 8 — Watch for Delaware-specific search quirks.
Delaware's free search is genuinely bare-bones by design — no document images, no filing history, nothing beyond the basic facts — which is a real practical limitation if you're doing due diligence on an existing company. The flip side is Delaware's single biggest draw: the Certificate of Formation never requires disclosing member or manager names, at formation or afterward, making it the strongest owner-privacy protection of any state in this guide. DBA registration is also entirely county-level with no statewide search, so don't expect the Division of Corporations to help you check trade name availability.
If LLC Attorney Does It for You
- Submit your desired business name at llcattorney.com along with one or two backup options.
- LLC Attorney runs the Delaware name-availability search, checks it against restricted-word rules, and confirms your designator is correctly formatted before filing.
- Receive confirmation once your name is filed, plus access to flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) if a trademark conflict or distinguishability question comes up.
When Should You Talk to an Attorney About Your Delaware LLC Name?
Talk to an attorney before finalizing your Delaware LLC name if the free search's limited detail leaves you uncertain whether a similar-looking entity is actually a conflict, if owner-anonymity is the whole reason you're forming in Delaware and you want to make sure your operating agreement and any required disclosures elsewhere (banking, other states' foreign qualification filings) don't undercut that privacy, or if you need certified documents and want help navigating the Division's paid Document Filing & Certificate Request Service.
Is Delaware a State Where Name Clearance Complexity Matters More?
Delaware's search tool is deliberately minimal, and that minimalism is the whole story here. The free General Information Name Search gives you a name, a file number, a formation date, and a registered agent — full stop. There's no filing history, no document images, and no way to confirm true name availability without either paying for the dedicated Name Availability Search or simply filing a paid reservation. If you need anything beyond those bare facts — an actual copy of the Certificate of Formation, a full filing history, or a binding availability answer — budget for the Division's paid services rather than expecting the free tool to deliver it.
What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's Delaware Name Search
Delaware's minimal free search means you can't rely on it the way you might in Florida or California. LLC Attorney handles the paid Name Availability confirmation and reservation sequencing as part of every Delaware formation order, so a bare-bones search result doesn't leave you guessing.
- A Delaware name-availability search run for you before you pay any state filing fee.
- Restricted-word and distinguishability screening, so your filing isn't rejected for a naming issue you didn't know about.
- Formation starting at $49, with your confirmed name filed the same day where the state allows it.
- Access to professionally trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for trademark-conflict questions.
Delaware's privacy protection is real, but the tools to confirm a name are thinner than in most states — LLC Attorney fills that gap so your filing is genuinely confirmed, not just hopefully clear.
Ready to Form Your Delaware LLC?
Once you've confirmed your name is available, LLC Attorney can handle the rest of your Delaware LLC formation, starting at $49. See our full pricing for all service tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
The basic General Information Name Search is free, but it's limited to name, file number, formation date, and registered agent — anything deeper requires the Division's paid Document Filing & Certificate Request Service.
Use Delaware's dedicated Name Availability Search (separate from the general entity search) for a yes/no read, but true confirmation only comes via a paid name reservation or at the moment you file — the free general search isn't built to render a binding availability verdict.
Yes. A name reservation costs $75, lasts 120 days, and can be renewed for additional $75 periods. Given how limited the free search is, many filers treat this paid reservation as their real confirmation of availability.
No — and this is Delaware's signature feature. The Certificate of Formation never requires listing any member or manager name, at formation or in any later filing, making Delaware the strongest owner-privacy state in this guide.
Order a Certificate of Good Standing directly from the Division of Corporations for $50, with same-day and next-day expedite options available for an additional fee.
There's no statewide DBA search in Delaware at all. Trade names are registered at the county level through the Superior Court/Prothonotary's office in New Castle, Kent, or Sussex County — whichever matches your business location — with no unified state-run search.
Your Delaware LLC name must include "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company" and be distinguishable upon the Division's records — designator-only differences against the same base name don't count as distinguishing.
No. Delaware's Entity Search only checks against other Delaware entities, not federal trademarks. Search the USPTO's TESS database separately — though it's worth noting Delaware's own state trademark registration runs a full 10 years, twice the length most other states offer.
Yes. LLC Attorney runs a Delaware name-availability search as part of every formation order, and flags any restricted-word or distinguishability issue before you pay a filing fee.