How to Name Your Florida LLC
Learn the naming rules for a Florida LLC, how to search name availability on Sunbiz, and how to register a fictitious name. Step-by-step guidance from Bizee.
Bizee Editorial Staff
Editorial Team
Florida LLC at a glance
Filing fee: $125 (Articles of Organization state fee)
Processing time: 3–5 business days (standard); expedited options available
State agency: Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
Annual report due: May 1 each year
State tax rate: No personal income tax; 5.5% corporate income tax for C Corps
Florida LLC naming requirements
Florida LLC names must include the words "limited liability company" or an abbreviation — "LLC" or "L.L.C." — and must be distinguishable from every other business entity already registered with the Florida Department of State. Those two rules apply to every LLC formed in the state, and they're the first things to check before you settle on a name.
"Distinguishable" doesn't mean identical. Florida will reject a name that's too similar to an existing one — even if the spelling differs slightly or you've added a generic word like "group" or "services." The state compares names against its full database of active and reserved entities, so a name that looks unique to you may still be too close to pass.
Most people don't realize how much time they can lose by falling in love with a name before checking availability. Search first, then build your brand around what's actually available.
- Name must include "limited liability company," "LLC," or "L.L.C."
- Name must be distinguishable from all active and reserved entities in the Florida corporate database
- Name cannot imply a purpose the LLC isn't authorized to carry out
- Certain words — like "bank," "attorney," or "university" — require additional approval before use
How to search for name availability in Florida
Search for name availability through Sunbiz — the Florida Division of Corporations' official online system. Enter your proposed name and Sunbiz checks it against every active and reserved business entity in the state's database. The search is free and takes under a minute.
Run the search before you print business cards, build a website, or file anything. If the name is taken, you'll need to go back to the drawing board — and the state won't refund your filing fee if you submit Articles of Organization with a name that gets rejected.
Plus, it's worth searching a few variations of your name. If your first choice is unavailable, having 2 or 3 backups ready keeps the process moving.
Restricted words and approval requirements
Some words are restricted in Florida LLC names and require written approval from a state agency before you can use them. Words that suggest a regulated profession — things like "bank," "attorney," "engineer," or "university" — fall into this category. Using one without approval will get your filing rejected.
The approval process depends on the word. A name including "attorney" typically requires sign-off from the Florida Bar. A name including "bank" requires approval from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. If you're unsure whether your name triggers a restriction, talk to a legal professional before you file.
Trademarks and service marks
A name that clears the Sunbiz database can still infringe on a federally registered trademark. The Florida state search only checks names registered in Florida — it doesn't check the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. If another business holds a federal trademark on a name you want to use, you can end up in a dispute even after your LLC is formed.
Search the USPTO's trademark database at uspto.gov before you commit to a name. If you find a conflict, pick a different name. If you want to protect your own name nationally, you can file a trademark application with the USPTO after your LLC is formed.
Florida fictitious name (DBA) registration
Florida lets your LLC do business under a name that's different from its legal name. In Florida, this is called a "fictitious name" — elsewhere it's often called a DBA (doing business as). If you want to run a second brand, use a shorter trade name, or keep your legal LLC name off customer-facing materials, a fictitious name registration is how you do it.
You register a fictitious name through Sunbiz. The registration fee is $50 and the fictitious name must be renewed every 5 years. One thing that catches people off guard: Florida requires you to publish a notice of your fictitious name in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where your principal place of business is located before the registration is complete.
- Registration fee: $50
- Renewal: every 5 years
- Publication requirement: notice must run in a local newspaper before registration is finalized
- Register through Sunbiz at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz
How to register your Florida LLC name
Your LLC name gets registered when you file your Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations. There's no separate name registration step — the name you put on the Articles is the name that gets recorded. The state filing fee for Articles of Organization is $125.
If you're not ready to file yet but want to hold your name, Florida lets you reserve it. A name reservation costs $25 and holds the name for 120 days. File the reservation through Sunbiz.
The sequence that works: search Sunbiz to confirm availability, reserve the name if you need time, then file your Articles of Organization when you're ready. Skipping the search and going straight to filing is the mistake that costs people both time and the $125 fee.
- Articles of Organization state fee: $125
- Name reservation fee: $25 (holds name for 120 days)
- File through Sunbiz at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz
- No separate name registration — the Articles filing records your name
FAQ
Search through Sunbiz — the Florida Division of Corporations' official online system at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz. Enter your proposed name and the system checks it against every active and reserved business entity in Florida's database. The search is free. Run it before you file anything, because the state won't refund your filing fee if your name gets rejected.
Your Florida LLC name must include "limited liability company," "LLC," or "L.L.C.," and it must be distinguishable from all other active and reserved entities in the Florida corporate database. Certain words — things like "bank," "attorney," or "university" — require written approval from a state agency before you can use them. The name also can't imply a purpose your LLC isn't authorized to carry out.
Yes. Florida lets your LLC operate under a fictitious name — also called a DBA. You register the fictitious name through Sunbiz for a $50 fee. Before the registration is finalized, Florida requires you to publish a notice in a local newspaper in the county where your business is located. The fictitious name registration needs to be renewed every 5 years.
Yes. Florida lets you reserve a business name for 120 days while you get ready to file. The reservation fee is $25 and you file it through Sunbiz. A reservation doesn't form your LLC — it just holds the name so no one else can register it while you're preparing your Articles of Organization.
No. The Sunbiz search only checks names registered in Florida — it doesn't check the federal trademark database. A name that clears Sunbiz can still infringe on a federally registered trademark held by a business in another state. Search the USPTO trademark database at uspto.gov before you commit to a name. If you find a conflict, choose a different name.
Your LLC name is registered when you file your Articles of Organization — there's no separate name registration fee. The Articles of Organization state filing fee is $125. If you want to reserve a name before filing, that costs $25 and holds the name for 120 days. A fictitious name (DBA) registration is a separate $50 fee.
