Vermont Business Entity Searches & Naming Your LLC

Whether you’re searching for the right business name or registering your LLC with the Vermont Secretary of State (SOS), Bizee can help. We have all the information you need on how to conduct an Vermont business search, plus LLC naming rules, assumed names and registering your business.

General Rules for LLC Names

These rules typically apply to all LLCs, regardless of which state they're formed in.

Your LLC Name Must Be Unique

Your LLC Name Must Not Be Confusable With Another Business Name

It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique. It also cannot be similar to the name of a corporation or LLC in Vermont. For example, you cannot use the following factors to say your name is different from the name of another business:

Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.
Definite articles, such as “A,” “An,” or “The”
The conjunction "And," or “&"
The singular, plural or possessive forms of words
Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.

Your LLC Name Must Contain Certain Words

Your LLC Name May Have Other General Restrictions

Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:

Are very similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Vermont Comptroller, Vermont Police, Treasury, etc.)
Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the International Olympic Committee
Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out

Specific Rules for Texas Business Names

As mentioned above, Vermont requires LLCs to comply with the general naming rules. In addition to the general rules, Vermont states in their general content restrictions that they will not accept a business name if it includes discriminatory, indecent, or obscene language. You’ll need to follow these rules to name your business appropriately.

How to Come Up With a Business Name

Finding the perfect business name can be tricky. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but basically, you'll want to choose a name that will:

Best represent your product or services
Be memorable enough to stand out
Appeal to your customers
Not be used by any other business in Vermont

Read Our Guide to Choosing a Business Name

Need help coming up with business name ideas? Try our free Business Name Generator.

Get Business Name Ideas

Vermont Business Search

Once you have an idea of the business name you’d like to use, you’ll need to perform a Vermont business name search to make sure it isn’t already taken by another business in the state of Vermont.

Bizee offers a fast, simple and convenient tool to look up your proposed business name. The Vermont SOS, Corporations Division also has a tool that lets you search the State of Vermont business registry to see whether someone already has your desired business name.

Find Out Whether Your Preferred Business Name is Available in Vermont With Bizee’s Free Tool

Check Your LLC Name

Trademarks and Service Marks

You must be careful that your Vermont LLC name doesn’t infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to make sure your proposed business name doesn’t do that is to complete a trademark search through Bizee. If no one else is using it, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.

Make Sure Your Business is Starting Off on the Right Foot When It Comes to Intellectual Property.

Let Bizee run a trademark search for you.

Bizee’s Trademark and Registration Service

Vermont DBA or Assumed Name

You may decide to do business under a different name other than your legal LLC name. In some states, this is called a DBA (doing business as), fictitious name or trade name. In Vermont, it's called an assumed business name. You may choose to use a Vermont assumed business name for a variety of reasons.

For example, your business might be called Vermont Marketing Solutions, LLC, and under that company, you have an event planning business called Burlington Opulent Events. You could file for an assumed business name just for that brand. You'll do that with the Assumed Business Name - Online Registration Service, or you can have Bizee’s team do it on your behalf through our DBA service.

Note: A trade name is not the same as a trademark. Learn more about trademark vs. DBA.

Get a DBA or Assumed Name

Register Your Business Name With the Vermont Secretary of State

Once you’ve completed a Vermont business entity search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need an assumed name, you can register your LLC name. There are a couple of ways to do this.

If you don’t want to form your LLC right now, you can reserve the business name. You’ll need to request a form online, and once completed file it with the VT SOS. Once you do so, your name will be reserved for 120 days. You don’t need to reserve a name if you’re forming your business right away.
If you’re ready to start your LLC now, you can file your Articles of Organization with the Vermont SOS or have Bizee do it for you.

Bizee Can Handle All Your Formation Paperwork With the State of Vermont for You — and We’ll Do It for Free!

Incorporate in Vermont for $0 + State Fee ($125)

Start Your LLC Now

FAQs About Vermont Business Names

How Do I Search for My Vermont Business Name?

Are There Any Rules for Naming My Business in Vermont?

Can I Do Business Under a Different Name Than My LLC Name in Vermont?

Can I Reserve a Name for My Vermont LLC?

incorporate now

Launch your business with bizee

No Contracts. No Surprises. Only $0 + State Fee to Launch Your Business.

Start Now

How to Name Your Vermont LLC

Create your business today for $0 + VT state fee.