How To Name Your Wyoming Corporation
Learn the rules for naming a corporation in Wyoming — from required designators and prohibited terms to name availability searches and trademark checks. A practical guide from Bizee.
Bizee Editorial Staff
Editorial Team
Wyoming corporation naming rules at a glance
Filing fee: $100 (online) / $102 (mail)
Processing time: Typically 3–5 business days (online)
State agency: Wyoming Secretary of State
Annual report due: On or before the first day of the anniversary month of formation
State tax rate: No state corporate income tax
Wyoming corporation naming requirements
Wyoming requires every corporation name to be distinguishable from existing business names on file with the Secretary of State, include a required corporate designator like "Corporation" or "Inc.", avoid terms that imply government affiliation, and not suggest an unlawful purpose. The name also can't infringe on a registered trademark.
Distinguishability requirement
Your corporation's name must be distinguishable from every other business name already on record with the Wyoming Secretary of State. That means it can't be identical to — or easily confused with — an existing corporation, LLC, or other registered entity in Wyoming.
The distinguishability test is stricter than it sounds. Wyoming doesn't allow you to use suffixes like "Corporation," "Company," "Incorporated," "Limited," "Corp.," "Co.," "Inc.," or "Ltd." to make an otherwise identical name appear different. If the root name is the same as an existing business, adding or swapping a designator won't make it pass.
Required corporate designators
Every Wyoming corporation name must include a word or abbreviation that signals it's a corporation. Accepted designators include: Corporation, Corp., Incorporated, Inc., Company, Co., or Limited. You need at least one of these — the state won't approve a name without it.
Most founders go with "Inc." or "Corp." — they're short, widely recognized, and signal credibility to customers and vendors right away.
Prohibited words and restricted terms
Wyoming prohibits corporation names that suggest government affiliation or an unlawful purpose. A few specific restrictions apply.
No words that imply the business is a government agency or affiliated with a federal or state entity — terms like "Federal," "United States," or "State" can trigger this restriction
No words that imply a purpose the corporation isn't legally authorized to carry out — for example, a standard business corporation can't use terms that suggest it's a bank or insurance company without meeting those licensing requirements
No words that are obscene or otherwise prohibited under Wyoming law
Some restricted words — like "Bank," "Trust," or "Insurance" — may be allowed with written approval from the relevant state regulatory agency. If your business operates in a regulated industry, check with that agency before filing.
How to check name availability in Wyoming
Before you file, search the Wyoming Secretary of State's business entity database to confirm your name is available. The search tool is free and available at the Wyoming Business Center online portal. Run the search before you get attached to a name — it's a lot easier to pivot before filing than after.
Search for close variations of your name, not just the exact version. If a business named "Teton Peak Corp." is already registered, "Teton Peak Corporation" likely won't pass the distinguishability test either.
Name reservation
Wyoming allows you to reserve a corporation name before you're ready to file. A reservation holds the name for 120 days and costs $50. You file the Application for Reservation of Name with the Wyoming Secretary of State. If you're forming your corporation right away, you don't need to reserve the name first — you can include it directly in your Articles of Incorporation.
Trademark and service mark conflicts
The Wyoming Secretary of State only checks whether your name is distinguishable from other registered Wyoming businesses. It doesn't check federal trademark registrations. That means the state can approve your corporation name and you can still be on the hook for trademark infringement if the name conflicts with a federally registered mark.
Before you file, search the USPTO's trademark database at uspto.gov to check whether your name — or anything close to it — is already registered. A name that creates a likelihood of confusion with an existing mark can expose your corporation to an infringement claim even if Wyoming approved it. A trademark attorney can help you assess the risk if you're unsure.
Choosing a name that works for your business
Meeting Wyoming's legal requirements is the floor, not the goal. A name that passes the state's rules can still be hard to remember, hard to spell, or too narrow for where your business is headed.
A few things worth thinking through before you commit: Does the name describe what you do clearly enough that a new customer gets it immediately? Is it broad enough that you won't outgrow it if you expand your products or move to a new market? Is the domain name available? Does it work across the platforms where your customers will find you?
Plus, check whether the name is available as a trade name in Wyoming if you plan to do business under a different name than your legal corporation name. Wyoming allows corporations to register a trade name — sometimes called a DBA — with the Secretary of State.
FAQ
Your Wyoming corporation name must be distinguishable from all existing business names on file with the Wyoming Secretary of State, include a corporate designator like "Inc.," "Corp.," "Corporation," or "Limited," and avoid words that imply government affiliation or an unlawful purpose. It also can't infringe on a federally registered trademark.
Search the Wyoming Secretary of State's business entity database through the Wyoming Business Center online portal. The search is free. Run it before you file — and search for close variations of your name, not just the exact version, since names that are confusingly similar to existing registrations won't pass the distinguishability test.
It depends. A trade name — sometimes called a DBA, or "doing business as" — lets your Wyoming corporation operate under a name that's different from its legal name. You don't need one if you plan to do business under your corporation's legal name. If you want to use a different name for marketing or branding, you'll need to register a trade name with the Wyoming Secretary of State.
File a trade name registration with the Wyoming Secretary of State. The registration is separate from your Articles of Incorporation and covers the name you want to use publicly. Wyoming trade name registrations are renewed annually. Check the Secretary of State's website for the current filing fee and renewal requirements.
Yes. Wyoming allows you to reserve a corporation name for 120 days by filing an Application for Reservation of Name with the Secretary of State. The reservation fee is $50. If you're ready to file your Articles of Incorporation right away, you don't need to reserve the name first — you can include it directly in your formation documents.
Generally, yes — with one key difference. Wyoming LLCs must include a designator like "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company" instead of a corporate designator. The distinguishability requirement, the prohibition on government-affiliated terms, and the trademark check process all apply the same way to both entity types.
No. The Wyoming Secretary of State only checks whether your name is distinguishable from other registered Wyoming businesses. It doesn't search federal trademark records. That means your name can be approved by the state and still conflict with a federally registered trademark. Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov before you file to avoid that risk.
