How to Conduct a Louisiana Business Search

A business search is an easy, free way to tell if any Louisiana business entity has a similar name, trademark, and/or domain name as your future company. 

Louisiana Secretary of State business search contact information

Here’s a handy list of contact information for Louisiana’s Secretary of State business search. 

Website: https://coraweb.sos.la.gov/CommercialSearch/CommercialSearch.aspx 

Phone: (225) 922-2880

Street address: 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Mailing address: P.O. Box 80519, Baton Rouge, LA 70898

Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Email: admin@sos.louisiana.gov

Step-by-step guide to an LA SOS business search

Let’s go over the steps to conduct your Louisiana business search.

Step 1: Navigate to the ‘Commercial Search’ page on the LA SOS website

Simply go to the Louisiana Secretary of State entity search website, and you should see:

Step 2: Select ‘Search Type’ based on how you’d like to search

Under “Search Type,” you have a couple of options that let you conduct a Louisiana business search based on your available information. 

• Entity Name: Name of the business—best for looking up other companies
• Business Number: Best for looking up your own business name
  • Charter Number: Louisiana Secretary of State-assigned ID number
  • Trade Registration Number: FTC-issued number for businesses dealing with products covered by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts
  • Name Reservation Number: Louisiana Secretary of State office filing that reserves a business name until you’re ready to incorporate
• Officer/Agent Name: Agents of the Louisiana Secretary of State may represent corporations incorporated outside of Louisiana but doing business within the state. 

For most purposes, you’ll only need to use the “Entity Name,” but you can use other options if necessary.

Step 3: Conducting your search

Conducting your Louisiana business search is simple. Here’s how to best maximize your search results. 

Let’s say I wanted to find Tiger football businesses in Louisiana, and I try the following search:

This yields the following search page:

That’s too many results. If I searched for “Tigers Football” instead, here’s what those results would look like.

This is what I’m looking for.

Make sure that you’re searching for a term that is broad enough to encompass all businesses you’d want to find while being narrow enough to rule out unwanted information.

Important naming guidelines in Louisiana

Louisiana has specific business naming requirements, such as Section 1360 of the Louisiana LLC Act. 

Regular LLCs must include “limited liability company,” “L.L.C.,” or “L.C.” in its name. Certain terms (e.g., “engineer,” “banking,” or similar) require specific approval from the appropriate Louisiana state board.

Naming guidelines vary per state, but there is a general set of principles you can follow for best practices. 

The most important thing to remember is distinguishing your name from others. You should conduct a Louisiana entity search to be absolutely sure that your business name is unique and not similar to existing names in state records.

The Louisiana Secretary of State conducts a thorough review of names when you file your business, so it’s best to make sure you’re following the guidelines.

Other naming considerations

Aside from following legal guidelines when naming your business, you also want to make sure it will attract customers. There are generally accepted practices for choosing a business name. Let’s go over a couple of quick actions you can and should take.

Domain name availability 

Your business name should match an appropriate domain for customers to find you easily. It’s one of the first steps of implementing the SEO basics. 

If you have a unique business name, you’ll still sometimes run into cases where people own your domain name. This is sometimes called cybersquatting, where people hold onto a domain name in the hopes that someone will want to buy it in the future.

You can contact the cybersquatter to buy and transfer the domain name or, in some cases, take legal action if they are infringing on a trademark.

Conducting a trademark search

It’s important to avoid trademark infringement. If you’re using another seller’s trademark in your business name, you could get in deep legal trouble. 

There are steps you can take to protect yourself against trademark infringement from other parties. We strongly recommend you use the business entity search to avoid infringing on a pre-existing trademark.

Next steps to start your business in LA

Now that you know how to search for business names in Louisiana, it’s time to start your business. You can reserve or register your business with the Secretary of State. Services like LegalZoom can help you with the necessary paperwork for Louisiana business filings.

Louisiana business searches made easy

Searching a business entity through the Louisiana Secretary of State website is a fast and easy way to avoid future legal disputes. Once you’re ready to register your business, trademark, or purchase a domain name, LegalZoom’s tools can help you get set up in a matter of minutes.

FAQs

How do I register a business in Louisiana? 

Registering a business in Louisiana is easy, but there are several steps to consider. 

First, create an online application to file a name reservation with the Secretary of State. Then, you’ll need to file your articles of incorporation with the Louisiana Secretary of State, The Louisiana Department of Revenue, and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

How much does it cost to conduct a Louisiana business search?

It is free to conduct a Louisiana business search through the Secretary of State’s website. But you will have to pay for other steps in the process. 

Reserving a company name with the Louisiana SOS costs $25 for 120 days. 

Business registration varies on the type of business entity. Here are some examples:

• LLC: $100 + $30 annual reports fee
• Corporation: $80
• Non-profit organization: $75

Can I search for inactive businesses?

Yes, Louisiana’s Secretary of State website allows you to search for both active and inactive business entities. The process is the same for inactive businesses as it is for active businesses.