New York Corporation Names: Rules, Search, and Registration

Filing fee: $20 name reservation fee; $5 per name for official availability search

Processing time: Name reservation effective immediately upon filing; reservation valid for 60 days

State agency: New York Department of State, Division of Corporations — One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231

Annual report due: [PROCESSING_TIME]

State tax rate: [STATE_FEE]

Naming a New York corporation means meeting two sets of rules: general requirements that apply to all corporations and New York-specific rules under Business Corporation Law Article 3, § 301. Your name must be distinguishable from existing entities on file with the Department of State, include a required corporate designator, and avoid restricted words and phrases.

New York corporation name requirements

Your corporation name must be distinguishable from every other corporation, LLC, and limited partnership already on file with the New York Department of State. "Distinguishable" means more than just different spelling — the state won't accept a name that could be confused with an existing one. Suffixes, articles, conjunctions, number-to-word substitutions, singular or plural forms, and punctuation differences don't count as meaningful distinctions.

The name must end with one of these corporate designators: "Corporation," "Incorporated," "Limited," or the abbreviations "Corp.," "Inc.," or "Ltd." New York also publishes a list of restricted and prohibited words — terms tied to regulated industries, government agencies, or specific statutory restrictions. If your proposed name includes a word from that list, the Department of State may require additional review or reject the name outright.

Your name also can't mislead the public into thinking your corporation is a government agency, a government instrumentality, or a public corporation. Names that imply an illegal purpose are rejected as well.

• Must be distinguishable from all corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships on file with the NY Department of State

• Must end with "Corporation," "Incorporated," "Limited," "Corp.," "Inc.," or "Ltd."

• Cannot use suffixes, articles, conjunctions, number substitutions, or punctuation to fake distinctiveness from an existing name

• Cannot include restricted or prohibited words without additional state review or approval

• Cannot imply government affiliation or an illegal business purpose

How to search for an available corporation name in New York

Before filing anything, search the New York Department of State Corporation and Business Entity Database to check whether your proposed name is already taken or too similar to an existing entity. The database is free to search on your own. When you run the search, use only the distinctive part of your name — leave off the corporate designator — and try partial-word searches to catch similar names you might otherwise miss.

If you want an official confirmation from the state, the Department of State will search its records for $5 per name submitted. That fee is separate from the reservation fee and gives you a formal availability determination rather than a self-service result.

How to reserve a corporation name in New York

If you're not ready to file your Certificate of Incorporation yet, you can hold your chosen name for 60 days by filing an Application for Reservation of Name with the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. The filing fee is $20. Mail the completed application to: NYS Department of State, Division of Corporations, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231.

If you're ready to incorporate now, you don't need to reserve the name first — just include your chosen name when you file the Certificate of Incorporation. The reservation step is only useful if you need time between confirming availability and completing your filing.

Trademark and domain checks

State name approval doesn't protect you from federal trademark conflicts. The New York Department of State only checks its own database — it won't flag a name that's already registered as a federal trademark. A trademark owner can challenge your use of a confusingly similar name even after the state accepts your filing.

Search the USPTO's federal trademark database before you commit to a name. Look for exact matches and close variations — different spellings, spacing, and abbreviations can all create conflicts. If the name is clear, you can register it as a federal trademark to protect it going forward. A trademark attorney can help you figure out whether a name is truly clear and whether registration makes sense for your situation.

How to register a DBA (assumed name) in New York

If you want to run your corporation under a name other than the one on your Certificate of Incorporation, you need to file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Without that filing, your corporation must use its legal name on all contracts, signage, and advertising.

New York calls this an "assumed name" — it's the same concept as a DBA (doing business as) or fictitious trade name used in other states. The Certificate of Assumed Name is filed with the Department of State, not with county clerks. Before filing, search the state's business entity database and the assumed name records to confirm the name isn't already in use. Keep in mind that an assumed name is not the same as a trademark — registering one doesn't give you exclusive rights to the name beyond New York's filing records.