While these costs can be high for a startup or start-up, they offer your corporate brand national protections backed by federal laws. That said, if others try to do business with the same – or a similar – name – to yours, you`ll have a precedent on your side. For most small businesses, this is really not necessary unless they plan to go national. Need help developing business name ideas? Try our free business name generator. Some companies, such as corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs), are required to file with the state and obtain the necessary licenses and permits. Learn how to search for a business in South Carolina on the South Carolina Secretary of State (SOS) website and register your LLC name. Visit the South Carolina Business One Stop website for a list of licenses by county. To determine if your business needs a professional license, contact the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Finding the perfect business name can be elusive.

We have a comprehensive guide to choosing the right business name, but essentially, you should choose a name that: LLCs and corporations require unique names in South Carolina that must meet certain naming requirements: Once you have an idea of what you want as your business name, you need to do a search for business entities in South Carolina. ensure that the name has not been adopted by another founded company. Incfile offers a quick, easy, and convenient tool to search for your suggested business name. The South Carolina Secretary of State also has a business unit search that allows you to search the South Carolina State Registry to determine if the desired name is available or if another company is using your preferred name. Every day, the USPTO organizes events across the country aimed solely at aspiring inventors and entrepreneurs, from trademark fundamentals to patent research workshops. Check out our USPTO events calendar and find something near you today. Registering a business name in South Carolina occurs when you form your business entity (LLC or corporation) with the state. You must first select your business structure, and then perform a search for a business name to ensure the name is available. After that, you need to form your entity with your company name with the state. Follow our step-by-step guide and read our FAQ to get started.

The type of business structure you form determines how you register the company with the state. Use our guide to choosing a business structure to choose the business structure that`s right for you, whether it`s sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs) and corporations. If you don`t want to form your LLC now, you can reserve the company name. You can request a name reservation from the South Carolina Secretary of State. Your name will be reserved for 120 days once the request is processed. If you form your South Carolina LLC right away, you don`t need to reserve a name. Use our intuitive and free business name finder and enter the desired company name. You can also search the availability of business names in South Carolina on the state registry to see if there are any companies or LLCs with that name in the state. Your LLC name should be original, but that`s not enough.

Nor can it resemble the name of a company or LLC in South Carolina. For example, you cannot use the following factors to say that your name is different from the name of another company and is distinguishable: Once you have confirmed and secured the availability of your business name, you can register a trademark for your business. It usually costs around $225 to $400 plus attorney fees and renewal fees every 10 years. Many businesses in South Carolina can or must obtain certain licenses and permits, but this is not always necessary. Licenses for sales tax, environment, health and safety, etc. are available. There are also licenses and permits for certain professions. Once you`ve completed a search for business entities in South Carolina, checked availability, followed naming rules, and decided whether you needed a fictitious or adopted business name, you can register your LLC name.

There are several ways to do this. If you want to change the legal name of your LLC or corporation by filing a change to the legal name of an existing corporation. Here are links to forms for both options: The factors you should consider when choosing a business structure depend on your needs and desires for personal liability protection, tax obligations, and paperwork to maintain business compliance. Your preferred business name may not be used by any other LLC or corporation incorporated in the State of South Carolina. For this reason, it is imperative to research business units in South Carolina before beginning the registration process. By default, sole proprietorships operate under the same name as the owner, while partnerships must include the surnames of all partners. Yes. The state of South Carolina allows you to do business using a fictitious or fictitious business name. See above for details. The types of forms you need to fill out depend on the type of business you own. It can be a domestic or foreign company, a non-profit organization, an LLC, etc.

Standard forms are also available on the South Carolina SOS website. Some licenses can only be purchased locally, but this varies. South Carolina businesses must purchase certain local licenses. Some businesses may not need a local license, depending on state or federal laws. You must ensure that your South Carolina LLC name does not infringe the trademark or service mark of another company. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name doesn`t is to do a trademark search through Incfile. If no one else uses it, you can even register it yourself as a trademark. In South Carolina, LLCs and foreign and non-South Carolina companies must file a fictitious name form if they do not use their legal name. Foreign limited partnerships must submit a deed of the adopted name. Incfile can help you find the right business name or register your LLC with the South Carolina Secretary of State. We have all the information you need to conduct a business search in South Carolina, as well as LLC naming rules, aliases, and your business registration. You can do business under a name other than your legal name LLC.

In some states, this is called DBA (doing business as), trade name or assumed name. The state of South Carolina refers to this as a fictitious or assumed name. You may use a fictitious South Carolina business name for a variety of reasons. For example, your business might be called Coastal PR Solutions, LLC, and under that company, you have an event planning company called Coastal Events. You can submit a fictitious business name only for this business.