--- title: "New York LLC Search: Name Availability & Business Lookup 2026 | LLC Attorney" description: "How to search the NY Department of State database for an existing business or check LLC name availability in 2026: search tips, the distinguishable-name standard, what the 2026 LLC Transparency Act actually changed, and what a search reveals." canonical: https://llcattorney.com/states/ny/llc-search-new-york image: https://llcattorney.com/images/share-cover.png source_path: /states/ny/llc-search-new-york --- Key Takeaways - Search tool: Corporation and Business Entity Database, free, run by the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations - Search by entity name, dos id, assumed name, and assumed name id (entity type filter required) - Name reservation available for $20 (60 days) - New York does not require LLC members/owners to be listed in the public record - New LLC names must include a designator such as "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." - Same-day name-availability confirmation and formation filing available through LLC Attorney at no markup on state fees Searching New York's Corporation and Business Entity Database is simple enough on its own, but New York layers on a few genuine complications most states don't have: a shorter name-reservation window, a Certificate of Status you can't order online, and a 2026 transparency law that gets misreported far more often than it gets explained correctly. This guide covers exactly how to search for a New York business or check LLC name availability in 2026 — the Division of Corporations' search tool, New York's distinguishable-name standard, what the LLC Transparency Act actually does and doesn't disclose, and what a search reveals about an existing company. FreeCorporation and Business Entity Database search $25 (mail only)Certificate of Status fee $20 / 60 daysName reservation fee & duration Foreign LLCs only, non-public2026 LLC Transparency Act scope ## How to Search for a Business in New York Use the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations's Corporation and Business Entity Database to search for an existing business or check whether a new LLC name is available. Search by entity name, dos id, assumed name, and assumed name id (entity type filter required). The search is free. Search directly at apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry. Select the correct entity type filter before searching — an LLC search won't surface a matching corporation name and vice versa, which trips up filers checking for conflicts across entity types. Search the core name without "LLC" or punctuation first, then narrow down, since the Division of Corporations' matching is sensitive to exact formatting. Basic results show the entity name, DOS ID, status, entity type, initial filing date, and county. The detail page adds the date of organization, jurisdiction, and registered agent or service-of-process address. Document images generally aren't available online for most filings — copies have to be separately requested from the Division of Corporations. ## Checking Name Availability Before You File Use the same Corporation and Business Entity Database to check whether your desired name is available before filing. A name that looks clear in your search can still be rejected at filing if the Division determines it isn't sufficiently distinguishable from an existing entity. ### New York's Distinguishability Standard New York statute requires the Division of Corporations to reject any name that isn't "distinguishable" from names already on file. As in most states, the online search is a strong pre-check but not a legal guarantee — final confirmation only happens when your Articles of Organization are actually filed and reviewed. ## Reserving a Name in New York Before You Form **Name reservation available:** For $20, you can reserve your chosen name for 60 days before filing. File an Application for Reservation of Name for $20 to hold your name for 60 days — shorter than several peer states' 120-day windows. An extension is available through a separate extension-request form if you need more time before filing your Articles of Organization. ## Searching for DBAs and Fictitious Names in New York New York calls its DBA a "Certificate of Assumed Name." For LLCs and corporations, it's filed with the NYS Department of State, not the county — a different path than sole proprietors, who file locally with their county clerk instead. Many counties additionally require newspaper publication of the assumed name notice, on a timeline that varies locally (often around four consecutive weeks), separate from New York's better-known formation-stage publication requirement. ## New York LLC Naming Requirements Your new LLC's name must include a designator such as "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C.". New York maintains an extensive restricted-word list requiring prior consent: banking terms ("Acceptance," "Bank," "Finance," "Investment," "Loan," "Mortgage," "Savings," "Trust"), "Exchange" (requires Attorney General approval), "blind" or "handicapped" (requires Department of Social Services approval), and licensed-profession terms such as accountant, architect, attorney, dentist, or engineer. ## An Available LLC Name Isn't the Same as a Trademark-Safe Name New York offers its own trademark and service mark registration through the Department of State, separate from LLC entity-name registration, at $50 per classification. An available entity name in the Corporation and Business Entity Database gives you no state trademark rights on its own. The Division of Corporations only checks your name against other New York-registered entities — it has no connection to federal trademark rights. Search the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) separately before committing to a name, since a clear New York result offers no protection against an existing federal mark. ## What a New York Business Search Reveals New York's Articles of Organization do not require member names — the only geographic detail required is the county of location, and the articles can be signed by a non-member organizer or attorney, which preserves anonymity by default. New York's LLC Transparency Act took effect January 1, 2026, but was narrowed by amendment to apply only to foreign-formed LLCs registered to do business in New York; domestic (U.S.-formed) LLCs are exempt from reporting entirely. Even for the foreign LLCs it does cover, the beneficial-ownership database is non-public — accessible only to law enforcement, not searchable through this entity search tool. It's worth noting separately, since this page is about search rather than formation: New York uniquely requires new LLCs to publish formation notice in two county-designated newspapers for six consecutive weeks within 120 days of formation, then file a Certificate of Publication — a formation-stage step, not something this search tool itself surfaces. New York does not require LLC members/owners to be listed in the public record, so a standard search will not reveal ownership information. ## Getting a New York Certificate of Good Standing no online or phone ordering — requires a written request by mail, with paid expedite options (+$25 for 24-hour, +$75 for same-day, +$150 for 2-hour) ## How to Search and Reserve Your New York LLC Name ### If You Do It Yourself **Step 1 — Search the Corporation and Business Entity Database at apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry.** Search by entity name, dos id, assumed name, and assumed name id (entity type filter required) to confirm your desired name isn't already taken. **Step 2 — Apply the state's distinguishability standard, not just an exact-match check.** New York statute requires the Division of Corporations to reject any name that isn't "distinguishable" from names already on file. As in most states, the online search is a strong pre-check but not a legal guarantee — final confirmation only happens when your Articles of Organization are actually filed and reviewed. **Step 3 — Check your name against restricted/regulated words.** New York maintains an extensive restricted-word list requiring prior consent: banking terms ("Acceptance," "Bank," "Finance," "Investment," "Loan," "Mortgage," "Savings," "Trust"), "Exchange" (requires Attorney General approval), "blind" or "handicapped" (requires Department of Social Services approval), and licensed-profession terms such as accountant, architect, attorney, dentist, or engineer. **Step 4 — Confirm your name includes a required LLC designator.** Your name must include a designator such as "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C.". **Step 5 — Reserve your name for $20 if you're not ready to file yet.** File an Application for Reservation of Name for $20 to hold your name for 60 days — shorter than several peer states' 120-day windows. An extension is available through a separate extension-request form if you need more time before filing your Articles of Organization. **Step 6 — Run a separate USPTO trademark search before you commit.** The Division of Corporations only checks your name against other New York-registered entities — it has no connection to federal trademark rights. Search the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) separately before committing to a name, since a clear New York result offers no protection against an existing federal mark. **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 New York-specific search quirks.** The most common New York misconception in 2026 is overstating what the LLC Transparency Act changed — it applies only to foreign-formed LLCs registered to do business in New York, its database isn't public even for those entities, and it does nothing to expose domestic LLC owners. The second quirk is procedural: New York's Certificate of Status cannot be ordered online or by phone, a genuine friction point compared to nearly every other state in this group, where good standing certificates are typically instant. Ready to Launch Your Business in New York?Follow our fast, easy process to get started right now.[Start My Business](https://app.llcattorney.com/formation?intake_type=formation) ### If LLC Attorney Does It for You 1. Submit your desired business name at llcattorney.com along with one or two backup options. 2. LLC Attorney runs the New York name-availability search, checks it against restricted-word rules, and confirms your designator is correctly formatted before filing. 3. 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 New York LLC Name? Talk to an attorney before finalizing a New York LLC name if you're unsure whether the 2026 LLC Transparency Act's foreign-LLC reporting requirement applies to your structure, if you're weighing whether to expedite a Certificate of Status given the mail-only ordering process, or if the newspaper publication requirement's cost and timing need to be built into your formation plan alongside the name check itself. ### Is New York a State Where Name Clearance Complexity Matters More? New York is genuinely more involved than most states in this group: name reservation runs a shorter 60 days than the 90-120 day windows common elsewhere, a Certificate of Status can't be ordered online or by phone at all, and the formation-stage newspaper publication requirement adds a real timing and cost dimension that a simple name search doesn't capture. None of that shows up in the search results themselves, so it's easy to underestimate what comes next after a clean name check. ## What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's New York Name Search A clean database search doesn't guarantee your filing gets accepted — New York's distinguishability call happens at filing time, and the formation-stage publication requirement adds a step most states skip entirely. LLC Attorney handles both as part of every New York formation order. - A New York 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. New York's mail-only Certificate of Status process and mandatory publication requirement trip up a lot of filers — LLC Attorney manages both so a paperwork quirk doesn't turn into a formation delay. ## Ready to Form Your New York LLC? Once you've confirmed your name is available, LLC Attorney can handle the rest of your New York LLC formation, starting at $49. See our [full pricing](/pricing) for all service tiers. Ready to Launch Your Business in New York?Follow our fast, easy process to get started right now.[Start My New York LLC](https://app.llcattorney.com/formation?intake_type=formation) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is the New York business search free? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes. The Corporation and Business Entity Database is free to search, with no account required to look up an entity by name or DOS ID. ### How do I check if an LLC name is available in New York? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Search the same Corporation and Business Entity Database, filtered to the correct entity type, to check whether your name is already taken. New York requires names to be "distinguishable" from those on file, and the search is a pre-check, not a legal guarantee — the Division of Corporations makes the final call at filing. ### Can I reserve an LLC name in New York before filing? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes. An Application for Reservation of Name costs $20 and holds the name for 60 days — shorter than many other states. An extension is available through a separate form if you need more time. ### Are LLC owners public record in New York? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Generally, no — New York's Articles of Organization don't require member names. The 2026 LLC Transparency Act only requires beneficial-ownership reporting from foreign-formed LLCs registered to do business in New York, and even that database is non-public, restricted to law enforcement access — it does not make domestic LLC owners searchable. ### How do I get a Certificate of Good Standing in New York? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) You can order a Certificate of Status for $25, but unlike most states it can't be requested online or by phone — you must mail a written request to the Division of Corporations. Expedited processing is available for an added fee: +$25 for 24-hour, +$75 for same-day, or +$150 for 2-hour service. ### Does the New York business search also cover DBAs/fictitious names? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes, in a sense — LLCs and corporations file a Certificate of Assumed Name directly with the NYS Department of State (not the county), and many counties additionally require newspaper publication of the notice. This is separate from New York's better-known requirement to publish formation notice for a new LLC itself. ### What must my new LLC name include in New York? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Your New York LLC name must contain "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." and be distinguishable from every other entity on file. New York maintains an unusually long restricted-word list, including banking terms, "Exchange," and various licensed-profession terms, each requiring prior consent or approval. ### Does an available LLC name in New York mean it's trademark-safe? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) No. The Division of Corporations only checks your name against other New York business entities — it has nothing to do with federal trademark rights. Search the USPTO's TESS database separately, and consider New York's own state trademark registration ($50 per classification) if the name is core to your brand. ### Does LLC Attorney check name availability before filing? ![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75) Yes. LLC Attorney runs a New York name-availability search as part of every formation order, and flags any restricted-word or distinguishability issue before you pay a filing fee. ## Learn More About New York - [New York LLC Formation](/states/ny/llc-formation-new-york) - [New York Registered Agent](/states/ny/registered-agent-new-york) - [New York LLC Taxes](/states/ny/llc-taxes-new-york)