Whether you’re searching for the right business name or registering your LLC with the Wyoming Secretary of State (SOS), we can help. We’ve got all the information you need on conducting a Wyoming business search, LLC naming rules, trade names and registering your business.
General Rules for LLC Names
These rules typically apply to all LLCs, no matter what state they’re formed in.
The business name you have chosen cannot be used by any other LLC or corporation in the state. This is why it's imperative to conduct a Wyoming LLC search before you begin the filing process.
Business Name
It’s not enough for your LLC name to be unique. It cannot be similar to the name of a corporation or LLC in Wyoming either. For example, you cannot use the following factors to say your name is different from the name of another business:
- Suffixes, such as Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Incorporation, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.
- Definite articles, such as “A,” “An,” or “The”
- The conjunction "And," or “&"
- The singular, plural or possessive forms of words
- Abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, fonts, typefaces, etc.
All LLCs must have the words “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.” or “LLC” in their names, normally at the end of the name.
Most states will not allow you to form LLCs with names that:
- Are very similar to the name of a federal or state agency or organization (e.g., FBI, FDA, Wyoming Department of Revenue, Wyoming Police, 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 your business could not legally serve
Specific Rules for Wyoming Business Names
In addition to the general rules listed above, the Wyoming SOS has some specific naming rules for your LLC. You’ll need to follow these rules if you want to name your business appropriately.
One Wyoming LLC law is that certain words are restricted and require approval from other divisions of government. For example, words such as “academy," "college," "educate" and "school” require approval from the Department of Education. And words such as “bank," "banc," "trust" or "banco” require approval from the Division of Banking.
| Departament of Education Approval Required | Division of Banking Approval Required | Secretary of State Additional Review |
|---|---|---|
| Academy | Bank | Company names beginning with the letter A followed by a space or punctuation. |
| College | Banker | Company names containing special characters. |
| Educate | Banc | |
| Education | Bancorp | |
| Educational | Bancorporation | |
| Institute | Banque | |
| Institution | Banquers | |
| School | Banco | |
| University | Banca | |
| Trust | ||
| Words of similar import in any language. |
How to Come Up with a Business Name
Finding the perfect business name can be tricky. We have a complete guide to choosing the right business name, but basically, you'll want to choose a name that will:
Not be used by any other business in Wyoming
Best represent your product or services
Appeal to your customers
Be memorable enough to stand out
Need help coming up with business name ideas? Try our free Business Name Generator.
Wyoming Business Search
Once you have an idea of what business name you’d like to use, you’ll need to perform a Wyoming business entity search to make sure another business doesn’t already have that name. Incfile offers a fast, simple and convenient tool to look up your proposed business name. The Wyoming SOS also has a tool that lets you search the registry of LLCs and corporations to see whether someone already has your desired business name.
Trademarks and Service Marks
You must ensure that your Wyoming LLC name doesn’t infringe on the trademark or service mark of another business. The easiest way to do that is to complete a trademark search through Incfile. If no one else is using it, you can even register it as a trademark yourself.
Let Incfile run a trademark search for you.
Wyoming DBA or Trade Name
You may choose to do business as a different name from your legal LLC name. In some states, this is called a DBA (doing business as) or assumed name. In Wyoming, it’s known as a trade name. You may choose to use a trade name for a variety of reasons.
For example, your LLC might be called Wyoming Renewable Energies Holding Company, LLC, but you want to be known as Wyoming Wind Power. It's not mandatory to file a Wyoming DBA, but if you choose to do so, you may file an Application for Registration of Trade Name or you can have Incfile do it on your behalf through our DBA service.
Note: A trade name is not the same as a trademark. Learn more about trademark vs. DBA.
Register Your Business Name with the Wyoming SOS
After you’ve completed a Wyoming business search, checked availability, followed the naming rules and decided whether you need a trade name, you can then register your LLC name. There are a couple of ways to do this.
If you don’t want to form your LLC right now, you can reserve the business name. You’ll need to complete an Application for Reservation of Name and file it with the Wyoming SOS. Once you do so, your name will be reserved for 120 days. You don’t need to reserve a name if you’re forming your business right away.
If you’re ready to start your LLC, you can file your Articles of Organization with the Wyoming SOS or have Incfile do it for you.
Form an LLC in Wyoming for $0 + State Fee ($100)
FAQs about Wyoming Business Names
Just go to the free Business Name Search tool and enter your proposed business name. You can also perform a Wyoming SOS business search of the state's registry, which will tell you whether there are any Wyoming corporations or LLCs with that name.
Yes. Most LLCs will be bound by general rules applicable to all LLCs, and specific rules applicable in the State of Wyoming. We’ve detailed these rules above.
Yes. You can choose to conduct business under a different name called a trade name. Details are above.
Yes. The Wyoming SOS allows you to reserve a name if you don’t want to start your business immediately. Details are above. If you’re ready to start your business now, you don’t need to reserve a name.
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