Illinois LLC Name Search — Step 1 of 8
Illinois is stricter than most states about which abbreviations count — "Ltd." and "Co." won't work here. Here's how to pick a name that clears the Secretary of State's review the first time.
An Illinois LLC name must include Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C.; Ltd. or Co. alone is not a substitute. Search the SOS records before filing. Optional reservation costs $25 for 90 days. A search does not guarantee acceptance. The three-year name restriction applies to an administratively dissolved LLC, not every form of dissolution.
- Search tool
- Free
- Accepted designators
- LLC, L.L.C.
- "Ltd." / "Co." accepted?
- No
- Name reservation
- $25 / 90 days
- Dissolved-name hold
- Administrative dissolution: 3 years
- Governing law
- 805 ILCS 180
- Next step
- Step 2 →
Illinois Naming Rules
Under 805 ILCS 180, every Illinois LLC name must follow a few clear rules:
- Include a designator — "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." must appear in the name.
- "Ltd." and "Co." are not accepted — a detail that catches people off guard, since several other states do allow these abbreviations.
- Be distinguishable — your name can't be identical, or confusingly similar, to any other business name on file with the Illinois Secretary of State, including corporations and limited partnerships.
- Avoid restricted words — terms like "Bank," "Trust," "Insurance," "Attorney," or "University" generally require additional approval or proof of licensing before you can use them.
- Can't imply another business structure — words like "Corporation," "Corp.," "Incorporated," "Inc.," or "LP" aren't allowed since they suggest your business is something other than an LLC.
Name Compliance Checker
Type your proposed name to check it against Illinois's core naming rules:
Reserving Your Name (Optional)
- Not required, but available — if you're not ready to file your Articles of Organization yet, you can reserve your chosen name for 90 days for $25 (Form LLC-1.15).
- Renewable — you can repeat the reservation process if you need more time, though each renewal costs another $25.
- Doesn't create your LLC — reservation only protects the name; you still need to file the Articles of Organization separately to legally form your company.
- Assumed name option — if you want to operate under a different public-facing name, Illinois lets you register an assumed name, though these run on fixed 5-year cycles ending in years divisible by 5, regardless of when you file.
An administratively dissolved LLC’s name remains unavailable for three years after issuance of the dissolution notice. Other inactive statuses require their own review. Check the actual record and ask the SOS before relying on a name.
Illinois LLC Name Search — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. For filing and ongoing compliance, confirm the requirements with the responsible state agency. This is educational information, not legal or tax advice.
About Ahmad Adil → Illinois LLC Overview →