A Kansas LLC search is part of the first step in forming a limited liability company. The name availability search goes hand-in-hand with picking the desired name for the LLC because you want to make sure what you choose is not in use by another business.

The Kansas Secretary of State website is where you can get pertinent information about registered business names or to help you during the process of naming your LLC. The search you do on the site is quick. You can also use the online tool for various administrative tasks required for your limited liability company. 

There are a few ways to search. You can lookup by:

  • Filing number
  • Business entity name
  • Keywords
  • Registered agent information

If you need to check the availability of a name, the search tool is handy for research. Navigate to the government site and fill in the appropriate text field with the proposed name. "Reserve this Name" will appear on the screen for any name that is available for use. The system will notify you if a portion or the entire name is attached to another business. 

The name availability search provides a prompt "yes" or "no," and you can execute the query in minutes. Another option is to use the search station for business entities. This method allows you to browse all registered companies. 

When you arrive at the State website, you will see a box that has "Is the Name Available." You should type the name just as you would like it to be for your business with the LLC or L.L.C designator and any necessary capitalization. Come up with a new name or create a distinguishable variation if the name you enter shows unavailable after you execute the search. 

You can reserve a name if the system indicates that no other business has it yet. The cost is $30, but laws for a limited liability company do not require name reservation to form your LLC. However, you should take the step to reserve the name once you know it is not used. 

Using the Business Entity Database

To browse the names of registered businesses in Kansas, go to the Business Entity Search Station, also known as, BESS. You search the database by entering the name you want for your LLC. Do not include any punctuation or the designator LLC as you would with the name availability search. You also do not have to worry about capitalization. 

For a more comprehensive search to check for any entities with the potential of being similar to what you desire, do not type the whole name in the search field. Instead, enter only the first word or two. You could take it one step further by typing just a few letters that form the first part of the first word. For example for the name, "Printing Masters," input "print."

After hitting "search," if you receive a message that the database had no matches and nothing found, then you can use the name just as you like. If there are names that are located in the database not that similar to your desired name and there is a distinguishability, your name is available for the taking. On the other hand, if you see the exact name you are hoping to use for your LLC, then you cannot use it. You will need to use creativity to think of a new name or alter what you desired in a way that populates no hits in the database. 

The same goes for if the system indicates there is a "deceptively similar" entity name to your desired name. 

When you search a business entity, you can retrieve more than just a name. You can also get:

  • Information on whether a business is legally established
  • Registered agent's address
  • A look at whether a company is in good standing
  • The address of the business

As mentioned above, you can do administrative functions for your limited liability company with the search tool such as:

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