Whether you’re searching for the perfect business name for your Idaho S Corp or Idaho C Corp, we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on how to conduct an ID Secretary of State business 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.
The name you choose cannot be in use by any other business in the state. This is why it's so important to perform an Idaho State corporation search before you begin your incorporation paperwork.
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.
All corporations must use one of the following in their names, usually at the end of the name: “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Limited” or their abbreviations.
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, Idaho State Tax Commission, Idaho Rangers, 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 Idaho Business Names
In addition to the general rules listed above, you'll need to follow some Idaho corporation laws that apply to naming your business.
For example, per the Idaho Code Title 30, Chapter 21, Part 3, § 30-21-302, 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 similar import in another language."
In addition, Idaho Code Title 30, Chapter 21, Part 3, § 30-21-301 contains a list of regulations associated with the naming of a business.
Coming Up with the Ideal Business Name
The perfect business name can be elusive. 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.
Idaho Corporation Name Search
Once you have an idea of your desired name, perform an ID corporation search to make sure another company isn't already using that name.
You can use the state's business entity search to check for name availability.
You can also use our simple and convenient Business Name Search Tool, which will search the state's business registry for you.
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must be careful that your Idaho 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 Incfile. You can even register the trademark yourself if it isn't already in use.
Let Incfile run a trademark search for you.
Register a DBA in Idaho
You may do business under a name that is different from your corporation's legal name. While many states refer to this as a trade name, fictitious name or "doing business as" (DBA), it's an assumed name in Idaho. You may decide to use an assumed name for a variety of reasons.
For example, your primary business may be called Liquid Media, Inc., and you have a chain called Liquid Mobility. You could register an assumed name just for that brand. You'd do that by filing a form for a Certificate of Assumed Business Name, or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf with our DBA service.
In order to keep your business names unique, you can also use the Idaho business entity search. You can perform an Idaho 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 Your Business Name with the ID Secretary of State
You’ve performed an ID Secretary of State business search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and determined whether you need an assumed 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 completing an Application for Reservation of Name form and filing it with the Idaho Secretary of State. The name will be reserved for 4 months. 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 ID Secretary of State. Or you can have Incfile do this for you.
Incorporate in Idaho for $0 + State Fee ($100)
FAQs About Naming Your Idaho Corporation
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.
Yes. Most corporations will be bound by general rules (applicable to all corporations) and specific rules (applicable in the state of Idaho). We’ve detailed these rules above.
Yes. You can conduct business under an assumed name. Details are above.
Yes. The ID Secretary of 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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