Colorado LLC Name Search — Step 1 of 8
Colorado's naming rules are refreshingly simple — but there's one twist that catches people off guard: unlike most states, the designator you choose (LLC vs. Ltd. Liability Co.) actually counts toward whether your name is distinguishable. Here's how to check and lock in a compliant name.
Your Colorado LLC name must include an approved designator — "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company" (or a couple of less common variants) — and be distinguishable from every other entity on file with the Secretary of State, not just other LLCs. Start with the free Colorado Secretary of State Name Availability Search. Colorado compares more than spelling: capitalization, periods, commas, underscores, apostrophes, and reverse apostrophes do not create distinction, while spacing, hyphens, parentheses, and entity identifiers may. The Secretary of State’s live result controls.
- Name search
- Free
- Required designator
- LLC / L.L.C.
- Reservation (optional)
- $25 / 120 days
- Designator counts?
- Yes (unusual)
- Formatting differences
- Some count; some do not
- Trade name (DBA)
- $20 + $5/yr
- Next step
- Step 2 →
Colorado's Naming Rules
Colorado's Uniform Limited Liability Company Act keeps the rules short — but the "distinguishable" test has one wrinkle worth understanding before you fall in love with a name:
- Must include a designator — "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," "L.L.C.," "Ltd. Liability Co.," or "Ltd. Liability Company."
- Must be distinguishable from every other business entity on file with the Colorado Secretary of State — corporations and other entity types too, not just LLCs.
- Can't falsely imply a government affiliation or a different entity type than it actually is.
- Restricted words like "Bank," "Insurance," or "University" may need extra approval or licensing before use.
Colorado compares entity identifiers and specific formatting. The SOS gives “ABC LLC” versus “ABC Limited Liability Company” as a distinguishable pair. Spacing, hyphens and parentheses can distinguish names; case, periods, commas, underscores and apostrophes do not. A distinguishable name still needs the correct identifier for its entity type. Official name-comparison examples.
Name Compliance Checker
Type in your proposed LLC name to check it against Colorado's core naming rules:
Reserving Your Name (Optional)
Because Colorado auto-checks your name for free the moment you file your Articles of Organization, a separate reservation is entirely optional — most people skip it and go straight to filing. But if you're not ready to file yet and want to lock in a name:
- File a Statement of Reservation of Name online with the Secretary of State for $25.
- Holds your name for 120 days, giving you time to finish other preparations before filing.
- Also check the USPTO trademark database separately — state name availability and federal trademark protection are two different systems, and a name can clear Colorado's database while still infringing a federal trademark.
Trade names are different from entity names. Colorado permits a trade name that is similar to or the same as another recorded name. Trade-name filing does not confer exclusive use or resolve trademark rights. Check the current filing and any renewal requirements for your entity type separately. SOS trade-name and name-availability guidance.
- ✓Ask whether name screening is included. The state decides name availability and filing acceptance.
- ✓Optional formation assistance; confirm filing scope, service pricing and submission responsibilities.
- ✓Confirm registered-agent eligibility, coverage, included periods and renewal charges.
- ✓Review address-use rules and privacy policies; a service does not remove all information from public filings.
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Colorado LLC Name Search — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The naming guidance here — the required designators, Colorado's unusual designator-counts-toward-distinguishability rule, and the trade name process — reflects current Colorado Secretary of State guidance. This is educational information, not legal advice.
About Ahmad Adil → Colorado LLC Overview →