Indiana Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Indiana. Validate state naming rules instantly, then search the Secretary of State's records free through INBiz — Indiana's single portal for every business filing.
Reviewed by Slava Akulov, CEO & Co-Founder at Jupid · Last updated: July 2026
Validate the name format, then search the official Indiana Secretary of State — INBiz Business Search records.
1.Search the state registry (Indiana Secretary of State — INBiz Business Search) for existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names
2.Check federal trademarks at USPTO.gov — state approval does not protect you from trademark claims
3.Verify the .com domain is available for your name
4.Grab matching social media handles (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook)
5.Lock the name in by filing your formation documents — or reserve it first (details below)
Fee
Around $10 online or $20 by mail (confirm in INBiz)
Holds the name for
120 days
How to file
Online through INBiz (Online Services, then Name Reservations)
Whether Indiana reservations can be renewed is not clearly stated — confirm with the Secretary of State before relying on an extension.
How Business Name Availability Works in Indiana
Indiana consolidated everything into INBiz (inbiz.in.gov) — the state's one-stop portal covering the Secretary of State's name search, name reservations, entity formations, and assumed-name filings. The business search is free and covers LLCs, corporations, reserved names, and assumed business names registered by entities.
Naming follows Indiana's uniform business code: under IC 23-0.5-3-1, an LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "L.L.C.," or "LLC," and under IC 23-0.5-3-4 it generally must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every existing and reserved name. Corporations need "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" or an abbreviation. A reservation holds a name for 120 days, filed through INBiz — around $10 online or $20 by mail, but confirm the current fee in the portal before filing.
Indiana's DBA system runs on two tracks. Registered entities file an Assumed Business Name with the Secretary of State through INBiz; sole proprietors and general partnerships instead record theirs with the county recorder of each county where they do business. Formation itself is affordable — $95 for an LLC — and Indiana asks for a business entity report only every other year, at $32.
Indiana Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Generally must be distinguishable on the records of the Secretary of State from existing entities and reserved names (IC 23-0.5-3-4)
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by Indiana Code § 23-0.5-3-1 (designators) and § 23-0.5-3-4 (distinguishability)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — banking terms generally require approval from the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Indiana Department of Financial Institutions review is generally required
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions overseen by the Department of Financial Institutions
- • "Savings" — savings-institution wording is generally reviewed by the Department of Financial Institutions
- • "Insurance" — insurance-related names are typically reviewed under Indiana Department of Insurance rules
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Indiana
Use the tool above to open the Indiana Secretary of State — INBiz Business Search search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. INBiz is Indiana's single front door — name searches, reservations, formations, and assumed-name filings for registered entities all run through one portal, and LLCs report only every other year with a $32 biennial business entity report.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Indiana registry does not protect you from a federal trademark claim.
Check that the matching .com domain is available before you commit — renaming an LLC later means an amendment filing and new bank paperwork.
Confirm your name is free on Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn so your branding stays consistent everywhere.
Indiana lets you reserve a name for 120 days for Around $10 online or $20 by mail (confirm in INBiz) — Online through INBiz (Online Services, then Name Reservations).
What Registering a Name Costs in Indiana
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $95 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $32 | Every 2 years |
| Name reservation | Around $10 online or $20 by mail (confirm in INBiz) | Holds the name 120 days |
| Assumed Business Name | Indiana runs a dual track: LLCs and corporations file an Assumed Business Name with the Secretary of State through INBiz (around $20 online, $30 by paper — confirm current fees), while sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county recorder in each county where they operate. | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Indiana LLC tax and fee calculator for the full annual cost picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching Indiana Business Names Through INBiz
INBiz wraps the Secretary of State's business search in the same portal you will later use to file. The search is free and shows entity status, formation dates, registered agents, and filing histories — plus assumed business names registered by LLCs and corporations.
The blind spot is the county track: assumed names recorded by sole proprietors and general partnerships live at each county recorder's office, not in INBiz. If your market is local, a call to the recorder in your county (and neighboring ones) closes the gap; a web and USPTO trademark search covers the rest.
When the name is clear, reserve it for 120 days through INBiz (Online Services, then Name Reservations) or file the Articles of Organization directly for $95 — formation is what actually secures the name.
Indiana Naming Rules Under IC 23-0.5
Indiana's Uniform Business Organizations Code puts naming rules for all entity types in one place. An LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "L.L.C.," or "LLC" (IC 23-0.5-3-1); a corporation needs "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" or an abbreviation. The distinguishability test in IC 23-0.5-3-4 is the familiar one: generally, your name must differ in some recognizable way from what is already on the Secretary of State's records.
As elsewhere, cosmetic changes rarely help — punctuation, spacing, capitalization, or a different designator will not make "Hoosier Consulting LLC" distinguishable from "Hoosier Consulting Inc." Change a key word instead.
Regulated words route through regulators: banking, trust, savings, and credit-union terms generally require Department of Financial Institutions approval, and insurance wording is typically reviewed under Department of Insurance rules.
Indiana's Dual-Track Assumed Business Names
Which office takes your DBA depends on what you are. Registered entities — LLCs, corporations, LPs — file a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Secretary of State through INBiz, at around $20 online or $30 on paper (confirm current fees in the portal). The filing appears in the same searchable database as the entity itself.
Sole proprietors and general partnerships take the other track: they file their assumed business name with the county recorder in each county where they do business. There is no state-level registration for them, which is why county records matter when you are checking whether a name is truly free.
Neither track grants exclusivity — an assumed name is public notice of who stands behind a trade name, nothing more. For real protection, form the entity under the name or pursue a trademark. And note the reporting rhythm once you form: Indiana LLCs file a business entity report every two years ($32 online), one of the lighter compliance loads in the country.
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