Kansas Business Name Search (LLC Lookup Guide) – Apr. 2026

Your Limited Liability Company (LLC) is officially formed once your completed Articles of Organization documents have been accepted by the Kansas Secretary of State (SOS). Before this, you need to perform a business name search. This confirms that your desired LLC name is distinguishable and unique from existing business names. Your filing will be rejected if your name is not considered to be unique and distinguishable enough from existing business names.

In this article, I will discuss how to complete your Kansas business name search. You’ll learn how to interpret your results, ways to create distinguishability, and what not to do when performing your LLC name search in Kansas.

Kansas Business Name Search Overview

Under K.S.A. 17-7918, your official Kansas LLC name must be unique and distinguishable from existing business names already registered with the state.

You can use two main entity search tools when performing a business name search in Kansas:

1. The Business Entity Search tool: You can see all documents officially on file with the Office of the SOS.
2. The Name Availability Search tool: This checks your desired name against existing business entity records already on file.

How To Use The Kansas Name Availability Tool

1. Access The Portal And Enter Your Desired LLC Name

To start your search, go to the Kansas Name Availability Search tool page. Then, click on the “Enter Business Name” field and enter your desired LLC name. Afterwards, click “Search.”

2. Check Your Search Result

After clicking “Search,” the system will show you if your desired LLC name is available or not.

a. Your Name Is Available

Your name is unique and distinguishable from existing business names if your results show “Name is Available.” In this case, you can use this name for your LLC.

b. Your Name Is Unavailable

Your name is unavailable to use if your results show “Name Is Unavailable.” This means that your name is too similar to an existing business already registered with the state. In this case, you must choose a different name.

You can scroll down to the section below if you want to learn more about the state’s distinguishability requirements. 

Kansas SOS Contact Information

If you’re unsure of the exact naming rules and requirements, you can contact the Kansas SOS, Business Services Division. I’ve provided their main contact details below.

• Kansas SOS’s Office
  Docking State Office Building
  915 SW Harrison Street
  Topeka, KS 66612
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone number for business services: 785-296-4564
• Hours: 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

Kansas LLC Name Key Requirements

Under K.S.A. 17-7920, there are certain requirements that you need to be aware of when naming your LLC. I’ve discussed them in the sections below.

1. The Use Of Commas

Your desired LLC name can be filed with or without commas. Both versions will be accepted by the Kansas SOS.

Example: Your desired LLC name is “John Doe.” You can also use the following names:

• John Doe LLC.
• John Doe, LLC.

2. Required Designators

Your desired name must include a certain designator (name ending). This is so that your business can be clearly identified as an LLC. One of the following terms or abbreviations must be used:

• Limited Liability Company.
• Limited Company.
• LLC.
• L.L.C.
• LC.
• L.C.

3. Prohibited Designators

Your LLC name can NOT sound like a different business entity. It must clearly sound like an LLC to be accepted by the state. The following designators or abbreviations can NOT be used when filing your formation documents:

• Incorporated.
• Inc.
• Co.
• Corp.
• Corporation.
• PBC.
• Professional Association.
• PA.
• Registered Limited Liability Partnership.
• RLLP.

4. Optional Words

Under Kansas law, certain words can be used in your LLC’s name. These are optional and may be used to clearly describe your business.

The following words can be used in your desired name:

• Company.
• Association.
• Club.
• Foundation.
• Fund.
• Institute.
• Society.
• Union.
• Syndicate.
• Limited.
• Trust.

You can also use abbreviations of these words, provided that they have a similar meaning.

In addition, your LLC name can include the name of a member or manager.

5. Prohibited Words

The state of Kansas will NOT register sole proprietorships, d/b/a names, assumed names, trade names, or fictitious names. Therefore, some words can NOT be used in your desired LLC name, including:

• a.k.a.
• a/k/a.
• aka.
• also known as.
• assumed name.
• dba.
• d.b.a.
• d/b/a.
• doing business as.

6. Words That Need Permission From The State To Use

When creating your LLC name, certain words require state permission to use. For example, you may need to file by paper or contact the SOS for additional guidance if your desired name includes words that suggest that you’re a regulated entity. Here are a few examples:

• banc.
• bank.
• church.
• college.
• cooperative.
• credit union.
• credit unions.
• insurance.
• savings and loan.
• trust company.
• trust companies.
• university.

How To Make Your LLC Name Distinguishable

If you perform a Kansas LLC name search but your desired name is already taken, you can use several methods to create uniqueness and distinguishability. I’ve discussed how to make your name distinguishable while keeping the same meaning in the sections below. These methods follow the state’s Name Availability Search guidelines.

1. Singular Or Plural Form

You can make your desired LLC name distinguishable by changing a word from singular to plural or vice versa.

Example: Your desired name is “Golden Cat LLC.” The following names should be accepted by the state:

• Golden Cats LLC.
• Golden Cat Services LLC.
• Golden Cats Services LLC.

2. Numbers Versus Words

Using words to represent numbers can create distinguishability. In other words, numbers written as digits are distinguishable from words representing the same number.

Example: Your desired name is “12 Peaks LLC.” However, a business is already using the name “12 Peaks Corp.”

In this case, you can use the following names instead:

• Twelve Peaks LLC.
• Twelve 2 Peaks LLC.
• XII Peaks LLC.

Changes That Don’t Create Distinguishability

The following sections discuss changes that won’t make your desired name unique and distinguishable in the state. Again, these methods follow the state’s Name Availability Search guidelines. These should improve your chances of your name getting approved.

1. Designator Changes

Changing your business suffix will NOT make your desired name unique and distinguishable. LLC endings are ignored by the state when checking name availability.

Example: Your desired name is “John Doe LLC.” The state will likely reject the following names:

• John Doe Corp.
• John Doe Inc.
• John Doe PLLC.

2. Words Ignored During Your Name Availability Search

As mentioned above, certain words require approval from the appropriate authority before they can be used in your business name. Because of that, they are ignored when the state checks whether your LLC name is unique compared to existing business names. The state will remove these words before making a comparison.

The following words are eliminated during your search. This also includes their abbreviations.

• Association.
• Chartered.
• Church.
• Club.
• Company.
• Foundation.
• Fund.
• Institute.
• Society.
• SPBLLC.
• Syndicate.
• Union.

Overall, adding or removing them will NOT create uniqueness and distinguishability.

3. Adding Filler Words

Adding non-meaningful or filler words usually does NOT create distinguishability, such as the, a, an, and, &, to, or with.

Example: Your desired LLC name is “River Stone LLC.” It may be rejected by the state if similar names exist:

• The River Stone LLC.
• River and Stone Inc.
• River Stone Corp.
• River With Stone L.C.

4. Punctuation, Symbols, And Special Characters

Adding or removing symbols, special characters, or punctuation will not create a unique business name. The Kansas SOS only looks at letters and numbers when determining name availability.

Examples include:

• Punctuation: . , ‘ ” : ; –
• Symbols: & @ # $ % * + =
• Special characters: ! ? ( ) [ ] { } /

The business name “Green Valley Market LLC” may be considered unavailable if these similar names exist:

• Green-Valley-Market Inc.
• Green Valley $arket L.C.
• Green*Valley*Market Inc.
• “Green Valley” Market, L.L.C.

What If My Kansas Business Name Is Rejected?

Don’t worry if your Articles of Organization formation documents are rejected. The state will tell you the reason behind the rejection, meaning that you can make the required changes when filing again. If this happens, you can use a variation or a totally different LLC name.

1. Do I Need To Reserve My Kansas Business Name?

You do NOT need to reserve your desired LLC name before registering it in Kansas. This is stated under K.S.A. 17-7923.

However, you can protect your desired LLC name by making a reservation before filing. This can be done online using the Kansas SOS’s online portal.

• Fee: $30 if using the online filing system or $35 when using the paper form.
• Valid time: Your name reservation is valid for 120 days. This period can NOT be extended. You must file a new reservation request.

Frequently Asked Questions