Kentucky LLC Name Search & Naming Rules (2026)
Before you pay Kentucky's $40 filing fee, make sure your LLC name will actually be approved. Here's how to search the Secretary of State's database free, what Kentucky law requires in a name, and how to check yours in 10 seconds with our compliance tool.
Search name availability free using the Kentucky Secretary of State's business entity search (FastTrack). Under KRS 14A.3-010, your name must be distinguishable from every entity on record and must contain "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company," "LLC," or "LC" — Kentucky also allows "Ltd." and "Co." abbreviations. If your name is available, there's no fee to claim it — it's approved with your Articles of Organization. Not ready to file? Reserve it for $15 for 120 days.
- Name search
- Free — sos.ky.gov
- Required designator
- LLC, LC, Ltd. Co. + more
- Name reservation
- $15 · 120 days
- Reservation renewal
- $15 · another 120 days
- DBA / assumed name
- $20
- Governing law
- KRS 14A.3-010
Kentucky LLC Naming Rules (KRS 14A.3-010)
Kentucky's naming statute is more permissive than most states. Your LLC name must satisfy just three requirements — but the state rejects filings that miss any of them, so get this right before you pay the $40.
- Required designator: the name must contain "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company," "LLC," or "LC." Kentucky also allows "Limited" abbreviated as "Ltd." and "Company" as "Co." — so "Bluegrass Coffee Ltd. Co." is valid. Professional LLCs use "PLLC" or "PLC."
- Distinguishable on the record: your name must be distinguishable from every business entity already registered with the Kentucky Secretary of State. Adding punctuation or swapping "LLC" for "LC" doesn't make a name distinguishable.
- No restricted implications: words like "bank," "trust," "insurance," "engineer," or "credit union" imply licensed activity and can require approval from the relevant Kentucky regulator before the SOS accepts your filing.
Trademark check too: passing the state's distinguishability test doesn't protect you from trademark claims. Before printing signage, run your name through the USPTO's free trademark search (tmsearch.uspto.gov) and a basic Google + domain check.
Kentucky LLC Name Compliance Checker
Type your proposed name and this tool checks it against Kentucky's designator rules and restricted-word list instantly — then hands you off to the state's official availability search.
Kentucky LLC Name Compliance Checker
Checks KRS 14A.3-010 designator rules + restricted words · not a substitute for the state search
This checker validates format only. Availability is determined solely by the Kentucky Secretary of State — run the official business search before filing.
How to Search Kentucky LLC Name Availability (Free)
Go to the Kentucky SOS business search
The Secretary of State's free entity database (part of the FastTrack system) covers every LLC, corporation, and partnership on record in Kentucky.
Search the core words — without "LLC"
Search "Bluegrass Coffee" rather than "Bluegrass Coffee LLC" to surface the widest set of potential conflicts, including corporations and assumed names.
Check active entities for conflicts
If an active entity has your exact name or one that's not distinguishable from it, pick a different name. Dissolved entities generally free up their names.
File promptly — or reserve
Availability isn't a hold. Another founder can take your name between your search and your filing, so file your Articles of Organization quickly or reserve the name.
Reserving a Name ($15 for 120 Days)
Not ready to form yet? File Kentucky's Reservation or Renewal of Reserved Name form with a $15 fee and the state holds your name for 120 days. You can renew for another 120 days for $15 — as many times as you need. If you plan to file within days, skip the reservation: online Articles are usually approved the same day, so there's no meaningful gap to protect.
Assumed Names / DBA ($20)
Your LLC can operate under a brand different from its legal name by filing a Certificate of Assumed Name with the Secretary of State for $20. One LLC can hold multiple assumed names — useful for running several brands under one entity without forming multiple LLCs.
Ahmad Adil's Take:Founders overthink the name and underthink the domain. Before you fall in love with a name, check that the .com (or at least a clean variant) is available — and grab matching social handles. In Kentucky the state check takes 60 seconds; the branding check is what actually determines whether you'll be filing a $20 assumed name six months later because your real brand needed a different name.
- ✓Forms your Kentucky LLC for $39 + the $40 state fee
- ✓Files through Kentucky Business One Stop — same-day approval
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Kentucky LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $40 Articles of Organization fee, the $15 Annual Report, the $175-minimum LLET, and Kentucky’s 3.5% flat income tax — reflect current Kentucky Secretary of State and Department of Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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