How To Do A Tennessee Business Name Search

The first step in forming an LLC or corporation in Tennessee is to verify the business name is available to use. Each business entity that is registered with the Tennessee Secretary of State must use a unique name. See our step-by-step guide to learn how to quickly search available names by using the state’s Business Entity Database.

Also See: Guide to Starting a Business in Tennessee

Steps To Search Corporation and LLC Names in Tennessee

Step 1: Visit the Tennessee Secretary of State Business Entity Database

Go to the Tennessee Secretary of State website.

Step 2: Search for a Business Name

Enter the name you would like to use.  In this example, we will look up “Acme” and click “Search.”  

Step 3: Review the Results

Searching the registered names, we get a list of all the businesses with the words “Acme.”  To be able to register a corporation or LLC name in Tennessee, the name must be distinguishable from the other names registered. If you were looking to form an LLC with this name, you wouldn’t be able to since there is already one registered.

To find more information about any of the registered business names, click on the link in the “Control #” column to see a detailed report.

While the name “Acme” by itself may not be available, other variants are such as “Acme Movers.”  Searching for those business names brings a result that says, “No Matches Found.”  Even if the name looks like it is available, the Secretary of State will do their own search to avoid confusing potential customers with a business name that sounds like someone else’s.  Typically words that sound alike but are spelled differently, and even abbreviations will make names show up as available but won’t be approved.

These are the basics of searching for a business name in Tennessee.  Even when the name of the business you want looks like it is available, the Secretary of State will make a final determination at the time of filing to ensure the name you picked isn’t too similar to other registered names. 

Something to also keep in mind is that even though each Corporation and LLC name must be unique, it may not stop someone else from using that name since business names for a sole proprietorship or partnership are not registered by the Secretary of State and are not required to be unique.  To protect your business name, consider getting a trademark.

Related: Should I trademark my business name?

What information can be looked up?

The database search can find several pieces of information about the business. Some of the highlights include:

• Business Name
• Status – Active means the entity is in good standing, and all reports and filing fees are up to date. If the status is “Inactive,” the names of these results may be available to register.
• Principal Office – This could be the business’s physical address, or it could be an address where business records are stored.
• Registered Agent’s information – A Tennessee Registered Agent is the singular point of contact for the entity should a legal, or tax notice need to be sent to the business.  This is often one of the owners, and if their home address is used, that address becomes public information.  Many people find this concerning and use a Registered Agent service like Northwest Registered Agent, so their home address isn’t publically listed. 
• A Certificate of Existence can also be ordered to prove the status of the entity.