Indiana LLC Name Search — Step 1 of 8
Indiana's naming rules are refreshingly simple compared to most states — but there's one quirk: the state ignores your designator when checking for conflicts. Here's how to pick a name that clears review.
Your Indiana LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." — Indiana does not accept "Ltd." or "Co." as substitutes. It must also be distinguishable from every other entity on file with the Secretary of State — and Indiana specifically ignores designators when checking uniqueness, so "ABC LLC" conflicts with an existing "ABC Inc." You can optionally reserve a name for 120 days for $20 (Indiana's longest reservation window of any nearby state) if you're not ready to file yet.
- Search tool
- Free
- Accepted designators
- LLC, L.L.C.
- "Ltd." / "Co." accepted?
- No
- Name reservation
- $20 / 120 days
- Designator counted?
- Ignored in check
- Governing law
- IC 23-0.5-3
- Next step
- Step 2 →
Indiana Naming Rules
Under Indiana Code 23-0.5-3, every Indiana 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 as substitutes for the required designator.
- Be distinguishable — your name can't be identical, or confusingly similar, to any other business name on file with the Indiana Secretary of State.
- Indiana ignores your designator when checking uniqueness — "ABC, LLC" is treated as conflicting with an existing "ABC, Inc." even though the designators differ.
- Can't imply another business structure — terms like "Corporation," "Corp.," or "Inc." aren't allowed since they're reserved for corporations.
- Notably permissive on restricted words — Indiana doesn't maintain a statutory list of banned words like many states, though terms such as "Bank" or "Insurance" may still be limited by separate regulatory rules outside the naming statute.
Name Compliance Checker
Type your proposed name to check it against Indiana'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 120 days through INBiz for $20.
- One of the longest reservation windows around — 120 days gives you more runway than the 90 or 60 days offered by some neighboring states.
- 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, Indiana lets you register a "Certificate of Assumed Business Name" ($21 online) with your county recorder.
Don't assume your designator makes a name uniqueA lot of founders assume changing "Inc." to "LLC" is enough to differentiate a name — Indiana explicitly disagrees. Since designators are ignored during the uniqueness check, focus on making the core, non-designator part of your name genuinely distinct before you file.
- ✓Confirms name availability before filing
- ✓Forms your Indiana LLC for $39 + the $95 state fee
- ✓Free Indiana registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Indiana LLC Name Search — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The guidance here — Indiana's naming rules under IC 23-0.5-3, the designator-ignoring uniqueness check, and the 120-day reservation window — reflects current Indiana Secretary of State guidance. This is educational information, not legal advice.
About Ahmad Adil → Indiana LLC Overview →