Virginia Business Name Search

Although creating a business name is critical to having a successful Virginia business, it is more essential to conduct a business name search to ensure its availability. Therefore, we created our Virginia business name guide to help you find an available name in Virginia and register it with their State Agency.

Continue reading our Virginia business name search to find out how to create an original Virginia business name, check if it is available, register it with the Virginia State Agency, and more!


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How To Prepare Before You Search For Virginia Business Name Availability

Before you can begin your Virginia business name search, you need to have a brilliant business name. Additionally, to make your Virginia business name search more manageable, you need to focus on techniques to make the name original; here are some methods you can use.

  • Underused keywords can make your Virginia business name unique and memorable.
  • Mission statements can make your business name personal and individual.
  • Rhyming and alliteration can make your Virginia business name catchier and easier to remember.

You can get additional business naming help by using our Virginia business name generator to find keywords and rhymes for memorable business name ideas.

How To Search For An Available Virginia Business Name 

After using our tips and techniques to create a brilliant Virginia business name, you need to conduct a Virginia business name search to check its availability.

The quickest way to search for an available Virginia business name is to head to the Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission website and search their database; you enter your business name into the search to find results. You can also do this with the Virginia State Agency phone number or email.

Alternatively, you can use our Virginia business name generator; it has a domain name filter to find available domain names in Virginia.

How To Register An Virginia Business Name 

After checking if your Virginia business name is available, the final step is to register it with the Virginia State agency; there are multiple ways to do this. 

The easiest way to do this is on the Virginia State Agency website. You need to file a form to register your Virginia business name; there are multiple forms depending on the business entity you want to register. 

The filing fee for the Virginia business name registration form will differ depending on the business entity you register.

You can also download the PDF name registration form and mail it to the Virginia State Agency address.

Policies And Procedure For Registering A Virginia Business Name

Although you know the options to register your Virginia business name, you need to know the specific policies and procedures to complete the name registration process. Here are the Virginia State Agency policies and procedures you need to know.

You need to head to the Virginia State Agency website to register any business entity name. For example, to file a trade name, you can file a fictitious business name form on the site. To file the form, you need to include information like your business name, location, and payment details (for the necessary filing fee).

You can find the specific filing fee amount on the form.

If you aren’t ready to register your Virginia business name, you can reserve it; to reserve the business name, you need to pay a filing fee of $10. 

After filing the form, you must obtain your Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).

You can also download the business name registration form in PDF and mail it to the Virginia State Agency address.

Virginia Business Registration Office

The business registration office in Virginia is the Virginia State Agency. You need to go through the agency to check your business name availability and register your business name. Here are the Virginia State Agency contact details you need to register your business name.

Virginia State Agency Websitehttps://www.virginia.gov/
Virginia State Agency Phone Number804 371-973
Virginia State Agency Email Address[email protected]
Virginia State Agency Business HoursBetween 8:15 am and 5 pm 
Between Monday and Friday

How Do You Register A Virginia Business Name On An Online Portal?

Although you can register your Virginia business name by downloading and mailing the PDF form to the physical State agency location, the easiest and fastest way to register your Virginia business name is through their website.

File a form to register your Virginia business name; there are multiple forms depending on the business entity you want to register (LLC, partnership, trade name, etc.).

You also need to enter details, such as your business name and payment details for the filing fee. The filing fee for the form differs depending on the business entity you register.

How Costly Is It To Register A Virginia Business Name?

There are multiple filing fees on the Virginia State Agency website; the prices differ depending on the business entity you register. You can find the specific filing fee amounts on the filing forms.

There is also a $10 filing fee to reserve your Virginia business name. Reserving your Virginia business name is an excellent idea if you aren’t ready to register it but don’t want to lose it to another business.

To pay the filing fee, you need to enter payment details on the required Virginia business name registration form.

Why Should You Register A Virginia Business Name?

Registering your business name in Virginia can be a lengthy process, so you should know the benefits you can get from it before you begin. Here are reasons to register your Virginia business name.

The first reason is that a bank won’t open a business bank account for you without a registered business. You can use a business bank account to manage your business funds easier and make easy payments like business purchases and salaries.

The second reason you should register your Virginia business name is that you can avoid legal fees. If you don’t have a registered Virginia business, you need to pay regulatory fees to the Virginia State government to maintain your business; they design these fees to pressure you into registering.

The last reason you should register your Virginia business name is to receive financial support from lenders and investors. If you don’t register the Virginia business name, you have a minimal chance of receiving their support.

What Support Is There When You Register A Virginia Business Name

Once you use the services of the Virginia State Agency, you can use them again to file additional forms (another business name registration form, a business name change form, etc.). They can assist you if you call or email them.

You can also receive financial support; banks can support you with a business bank account, investors can give your funding, and lenders can provide you with loans.

Virginia Business Name Search Final Summary

In conclusion, our Virginia business name search guide can help you find the best business name for your Virginia business, check if it is available, and register it with the Virginia State agency. 

File a form to register your Virginia business name; there are multiple forms depending on the business entity you want to register. You can file the name registration form online or download it and mail it.

You can consult our business name search list if you want information on business name registration in other states.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

You can register your business name via the State Corporate Commission website.

Useful information:

- You will have to pay a fee, depending on the corporate structure you've chosen - click here for more information.

- If you're not ready to register your business name, you can reserve it. The fee for business name reservation is 10 dollars.

- Apart from doing an online form submission, you can download the needed PDF files and mail them to the physical address of the State Corporate Commission.

To register your business name, you'll need to go through the following steps:

- File articles of organization with the State Corporate Commission.

- File an article of incorporation with the same state entity.

- If you want to, you can also go through the registration of doing business as (DBA) name.

- Obtain federal employer identification number (EIN).

- Open a company bank account.

Depending on the niche you want to operate in, you may have to obtain a few additional specialized licenses and permits for the business name registration to go through.

Name distinguishability is a requirement in Virginia for a business name registration request to be approved. If another company has already registered the business title you want, you will have to seek an alternative.

The addition of a letter, variation of a word, a plural or a contextual difference can be used to make your business name distinguishable.

If you're not certain how to distinguish your name from an existing one, you'll benefit from this official explanation.

While a variation can be registered, it's still best to strive for originality. A business name that isn't similar to the title of another entity will give you branding and marketing benefits on top of the easy registration.

If you're still unable to find a business name that suits you, try using our business name generator to get unique name ideas (click here to find our business name generator).

The easiest way to do this is on the Virginia State Agency website. File a form to register your Virginia business name; there are multiple forms depending on the business entity. The filing fees for the Virginia business name registration form also differ depending on the business entity. You can also download the name registration form and mail it to the Virginia State Agency address.

Here is why you should register your Virginia business name. If you register your Virginia business name you can open a business bank account; you can manage funds easier and make easy payments like business purchases. You can avoid legal fees. Without a registered business, you need to pay regulatory fees to the Virginia State government to maintain your business. You can receive financial support from lenders and investors.

Author

Matija Kolaric

Matija Kolaric

Amazing content is the core of what we do. With more than 5 years of experience in branding, name development, and business, Matija helps create and manage content production.

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