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Whether you’re searching for the right business name for your Georgia S Corp or Georgia C Corp, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on how to conduct a GA corporation search, plus business naming rules, assumed names and trademarks.
General Rules for Corporation Names
These rules generally apply to all corporations, wherever they're formed.
Your Corporation Name Must Be Unique
The name you select cannot be in use by any other business in the state. This is why it's so important to perform a Georgia Secretary of State corporation search before you begin your incorporation paperwork.
Your Corporation Name Must Not Be Confusable with Another Business Name
It’s not enough for your corporation name to be unique. It also cannot be similar to the name of another business in the state. In addition, you cannot use any of the following features in an attempt to differentiate your corporation name from that of another business:
- Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., etc.
- Definite articles, such as “A,” “An” or “The”
- The conjunction "And" or “&"
- Numbers in place of numerals (or vice versa), e.g., "One World" is the same as "1 World"
- The singular, plural or possessive forms of words
- Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
Your Corporation Name Must Contain Certain Words
All corporations must use one of the following in their names, usually at the end of the name: “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Limited” or their abbreviations.
Your Corporation Name May Be Subject to Other General Restrictions
Most states will not allow you to incorporate with names that:
- Are similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia State Patrol, Treasury, etc.)
- Suggest affiliation with a federal or state agency or organization
- Use the term “Olympic” or any terms that are trademarks of the International Olympic Committee
- Imply a purpose that would be illegal for your business to carry out
Specific Rules for Georgia Business Names
In addition to the general rules listed above, you'll need to follow Georgia corporation law applicable to naming your business.For example, per Georgia Code Title 14, Chapter 2, Article 4, § 14-2-401, the name of a corporation:
- Must contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language
- May not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by Code Section 14-2-301 and its articles of incorporation
- May not contain anything which, in the reasonable judgment of the Secretary of State, is obscene.
- Shall not in any instance exceed 80 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
The Art of Naming Your Corporation
Finding the perfect business name can be tricky. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but essentially, you'll want to choose a name that will:
- Appeal to your customers
- Be memorable enough to stand out
- Best represent your product or services
- Not be used by another business
Need help coming up with business name ideas? Try our free name generator.
Georgia Corporation Name Search
Once you have an idea of the name you want, perform a Georgia business lookup to make sure another company isn't already using that name.
You can use the state's online portal to perform a name search.
You can also use our simple and convenient Business Name Search tool, which will search the state's business registry for you.
Use Bizee’s Free Tool to Find Out Whether Your Preferred Name is Available for Your GA Corporation
Check Your Corporation Name
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must be careful that your Georgia corporation name doesn't infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to ensure you're not infringing is to perform a trademark search through Bizee. If the trademark isn't already in use, you can even register it yourself.
Make Sure Your Corporation is Starting Off on the Right Foot When It Comes to Intellectual Property.
Let Bizee run a trademark search for you.
Bizee’s Trademark and Registration Service
Register a DBA in Georgia
You may do business under a name different from your corporation's legal name. While many states refer to this as a trade name, assumed name or "doing business as" (DBA), Georgia calls it a fictitious name, though "trade name" is also often used. You may decide to use a Georgia trade name for a variety of reasons.
For example, your primary business may be called Southern Hospitality, Inc., and you have a chain called Peachy Catering. You could register a trade name just for that brand. You'd do that by registering your trade name with the Clerk of Superior Court of the county where your business is located. In addition, per state law, you must publish a notice of your trade name registration "in the paper in which the sheriff's advertisements are printed once a week for two weeks."
You can also have Bizee do it on your behalf with our DBA service.
In order to keep your business names unique, you can also use the Georgia business entity search. You can perform a Georgia assumed name search to find out whether any other companies are already using the assumed name you want. We can also help you with this via our DBA name service.
Note: A trade name is not the same as a trademark. Learn more about trademark vs. DBA.
Register and Manage a DBA or Assumed Name Through Our Easy-To-Use Service
Get a DBA or Assumed Name
Register Your Business Name with the GA Sec State
You’ve performed a Georgia Corporation search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and determined whether you need a trade name. Now you can register your corporation name in one of two ways.
- If you don’t want to form your corporation right away, you can reserve the business name. You'll do this by submitting a Name Reservation Request form and filing it with the GA Sec State. The name will be reserved for 30 days. If you're starting your business right away, you don't need to reserve a name.
- If you’re ready to start your corporation, you can indicate your chosen business name when you file your Articles of Incorporation with the GA Sec State. Or you can have Bizee do this for you.
Bizee Can Handle All Your GA Corporation Formation Paperwork for You — and We’ll Do It for Free!
Incorporate in Georgia for $0 + State Fee ($100)
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FAQs About Naming Your GA Corporation
How Do I Find an Available Corporation Name?
Use our free Business Name Search tool and enter your chosen business name. You can also perform a search of the state's registry, which will tell you whether any other corporations or LLCs in the state are already using that name.
Are There Any Rules for Naming My GA Corporation?
Yes. Most corporations will be bound by general rules (applicable to all corporations) and specific rules (applicable in the State of Georgia). We’ve detailed these rules above.
Can I Do Business Under a Name Different from My GA Corporation?
Yes. You can conduct business under an assumed name. Details are above.
Can I Reserve a Name for My GA Corporation?
Yes. The GA Sec State allows you to reserve a name if you're not ready to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you do want to start your business right away, you don't need to reserve a name.
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