Sunbiz name search: how to check and register a business name in Florida
How to use the Sunbiz name search, read active and inactive results, register an LLC name or a Florida DBA, and why it isn't a trademark search.
In Florida, business names live on Sunbiz, the Division of Corporations' website. It's where you check whether a name is taken and where you register it, for an LLC, a corporation or a DBA.
Below: how to run a Sunbiz name search, what the results mean, the "distinguishable" rule, LLC and DBA filings, trademarks and the domain. Still choosing? Start with our guide to naming a business, or test a few words in the free domain name generator.
This is general information, not legal advice. An attorney can tell you how the statutes linked below apply to you.
How to do a Florida business name search on Sunbiz
Sunbiz has two name searches, and you need both.
- Search entity names. The Sunbiz search by entity name covers corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships and trademarks on file with Florida.
- Leave off the ending. Type "Pelicrest Bakery", not "Pelicrest Bakery LLC". Under Florida law, an ending like LLC or Inc. doesn't make one name different from another.
- Read the list. Sunbiz shows an alphabetical list starting at the closest match, with each name's document number and status. "Next List" shows more.
- Open any record that looks close. It shows the entity type (such as Florida Limited Liability Company or Florida Profit Corporation), filing date, status, last event, addresses and annual reports.
- Search fictitious names separately. DBAs sit in their own database, so run the fictitious name search too. Sunbiz notes there that "Records not found in that direction" means the name isn't registered with the Division.
- Try variations: your key word alone, plurals and likely misspellings.
What the results mean: active, inactive and held names
Sunbiz's explanation of status terms lists every label. The common ones:
- Active. A business in active status holds the name. Treat it as taken.
- INACT or InActive. The business is inactive, for example dissolved. Check the record's last event and its date before you count on the name.
- INACT/UA. Inactive, but the name is held for a statutory period and is unavailable. For example, the name of an LLC the state dissolved isn't available to another business for 1 year, unless the old company signs off.
- NAME HS. A business's previous name.
The Division won't check a name for you in advance. Its LLC filing instructions say "preliminary name searches and name reservations are no longer available from the Division of Corporations", and that you're responsible for any name infringement your choice causes. Your own search is the check.
What "distinguishable" means in Florida
LLC and corporation names must be distinguishable from the names already on file with the Department of State (s. 605.0112 for LLCs, s. 607.0401 for corporations). Fictitious names, general partnership registrations and limited liability partnership statements don't count against you.
A name isn't distinguishable if the only difference is:
- a suffix (LLC, Inc., Corp.)
- an article (a, an, the)
- "and" versus "&"
- the singular, plural or possessive form of a word
- punctuation or a symbol
So if Pelicrest Bakery LLC were on file, "The Pelicrest Bakery, Inc." and "Pelicrest Bakeries LLC" would count as the same name. "Pelicrest Pastry Kitchen LLC" changes real words, which is what the rule looks for.
The same sections add three rules. An LLC name must include "limited liability company", "LLC" or "L.L.C."; a corporation needs a word like Corporation, Company or Incorporated, or Corp., Inc. or Co. Neither may imply a link to a state or federal government body. And a name that isn't distinguishable can still be used with the other business's written consent, filed with yours, if the names aren't identical.
How to register a business name in Florida for an LLC or corporation
There's no separate name filing. The name is registered when you form the business: Articles of Organization for an LLC, or Articles of Incorporation for a corporation, filed with the Division of Corporations.
- It's public notice, not ownership. A filed LLC name is for public notice only and creates no presumption of ownership beyond common law. The corporation rule says the same.
- Keep the company active. The state can administratively dissolve an LLC that doesn't deliver its annual report or pay fees it owes. If another business lawfully takes the name after the hold ends, the old LLC must change its name to be reinstated.
Still building a shortlist? See our LLC name ideas.
How to get a DBA in Florida (fictitious name registration)
Florida's Fictitious Name Act covers any name you do business under other than your legal name, which most people call a DBA. You need one as a sole proprietor trading under a brand name, or if your LLC or corporation trades under a name other than its registered one. A registered, active business trading under its exact registered name doesn't.
- Search both Sunbiz databases.
- Advertise the name. Your intention to register it must be advertised at least once in a newspaper, as defined in chapter 50 of the Florida Statutes, in the county where your principal place of business is or will be. You don't send proof: Sunbiz says you certify it when you sign. The ad rule has applied since July 1, 2009.
- File online. Register on Sunbiz with the name, mailing address, county and owners. An owner that is an LLC or corporation must be registered and active, with its Florida document number and, if it has one, its federal employer identification number.
- Pay the fee. Sunbiz lists the filing fee as $50 (checked October 15, 2026). Once submitted, the filing is public and can't be changed or refunded.
- Watch your words. A DBA can't include LLC, Inc., Corp. or similar terms unless the owner is that type of business.
Renewal. A registration is valid until December 31 of the fifth calendar year after you register. Renew any time in the expiration year; each renewal lasts 5 years. The Division must send a reminder by September 1, by email if you gave one. Miss the deadline and the registration expires. If you stop using the name, file a cancellation within 30 days.
What it doesn't do. Registration is for public notice only. It doesn't presume you have the right to own or use the name, and it doesn't reserve the name against future use. Sunbiz adds that the Division will not deny a registration for a duplicate name.
Skipping it. Until it complies, a business can't bring a lawsuit in a Florida court for that business, and the failure is a noncriminal violation.
Why a Sunbiz search is not a trademark search
Sunbiz checks your name against Florida filings, and that's all. It can't show you a federal trademark, or a business in another state using the same name. And by statute, a DBA registration doesn't affect trademark rights others already hold in the same or a similar name.
The USPTO draws the same line: using a business name doesn't necessarily qualify as trademark use.
So search the USPTO Trademark Search too, and look past exact matches. Trademarks may be confusingly similar if they look alike, sound alike, have similar meanings or create similar commercial impressions, and an examining attorney will refuse a federal registration on finding a likelihood of confusion. A trademark attorney can run a full clearance search.
| LLC or corporation name | Fictitious name (DBA) | Federal trademark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your company's legal name | A name you trade under that isn't your legal name | A brand name or logo for your goods or services |
| Where to search | Sunbiz entity name search | Sunbiz fictitious name search | USPTO Trademark Search |
| How you get it | File articles with the Division of Corporations | Advertise once, then register with the Division | Apply to the USPTO |
| If a similar name exists | Must be distinguishable, unless the other business consents | Duplicates aren't refused | Refused if confusingly similar |
Check the domain before you file
A name can be free on Sunbiz and taken as a .com, and the USPTO notes that registering a domain name doesn't give you any trademark rights. Check all three before you pay for anything.
Our guide on how to check if a domain name is available covers the details. The quicker route is the free domain name generator: type a word or two, get name ideas, and see which have the .com available (you can tick .net, .org, .co and more). Then get the domain through a registrar, always in your own name, or have Raileon set up the website, Google Business Profile, business email and socials. It's free, with no sign-up.
A simple order: shortlist three names, run all the checks, then file and register the domain the same day.
FAQ
Does a clear Sunbiz search mean my name is available?
Not for sure. It shows whether a similar name is already on file with Florida. The Division no longer runs preliminary name checks or reservations, so you'll know when it accepts your filing, and Sunbiz doesn't cover federal trademarks.
Do I need a DBA if I have an LLC?
Only if the LLC does business under a name that differs from its registered name. An active LLC trading under its exact registered name doesn't need a fictitious name registration.
Do I have to run a newspaper ad for a Florida DBA?
Yes. Your intention to register the name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper, as defined in chapter 50 of the Florida Statutes, in the county of your principal place of business. You certify it when you sign, and Sunbiz doesn't ask for proof.
How long does a Florida fictitious name registration last?
Until December 31 of the fifth calendar year after you register. You renew in the expiration year, and each renewal lasts 5 more years. If you miss it, the registration expires.
Next steps
Run your name through the free domain name generator to see which domains are open, then file with Sunbiz.
Name picked? We'll set up your website, Google profile and socials. Book a free 20-minute call.