How to Name Your Washington, D.C., LLC

Whether you’re searching for the perfect business name or registering your LLC with the Washington, D.C., Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Bizee can help. We have all the information you need to know on how to conduct a District of Columbia business search, plus LLC naming rules, DBA 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.

Specific Rules for Washington, D.C., Business Names

As mentioned above, Washington, D.C., requires LLCs to comply with the general naming rules. In addition to these rules, the Code of the District of Columbia also states that no entity may use the word "bank" or any variation of it, unless with prior approval of the Mayor.

How to Come Up With a Business Name

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

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

District of Columbia Business Search

Once you have an idea of your preferred business name, you’ll need to perform a District of Columbia business entity search to make sure the name hasn’t been taken by another formed business.

Bizee offers a fast, simple and convenient tool to look up your proposed business name. The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs also has a tool that lets you search the District of Columbia business registry to see whether another formed business already has your desired business name.

Trademarks and Service Marks

You must be careful that your Washington, D.C., 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.

Washington, D.C., DBA or Trade Name

You may do business under a different name from your legal LLC name. In some states, this is called a DBA (doing business as) name, fictitious name or assumed name. In the District of Columbia, it's called a trade name. You may decide to use a Washington, D.C., trade name for a variety of reasons.

For example, your business might be called Currant Marketing Solutions, LLC, and under that company, you have an event planning business called Currant Events. You could file for a trade business name just for that company. You'll need to register your trade name with Washington, D.C., Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, or you can have Bizee 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.

Register Your Business Name with the Washington, D.C., Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs

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

FAQs About Washington, D.C., Business Names