In 2022, New Jersey contributed over $5 billion to the nation’s economy, which earned it a rank of 10th for gross domestic product. This state is a great place to start out if you’re new to business, as there are ample opportunities, and the economy’s in excellent shape.
Regardless of what industry you’re in though, it’s essential to pick a memorable name. But others may have already thought up your dream name, which is why it’s important to check if it’s available before registering it.
In this article, we’ll show you how to do a New Jersey business entity search to ensure you’re clear of legal troubles in the future.
Do a New Jersey Secretary of State Business Entity Search
The Secretary of State will have a business entity name search on their website since they’re in charge of the registrations. So this is one of the best places to start.
There are two ways you can check on this site: search registered businesses or search for available names.
Search Registered Businesses
Within this category, you have three choices: business name, keyword search, or entity ID. Since you’re just checking for name availability, you can forget about the last option.
With the business name search, you can type in the whole name if you wish; you can also use the “%” character as a wildcard. Either way, hit “Search” to see what comes up. In the results list, you’ll see the business names, entity IDs, city, type, and incorporated dates.
With the keyword search, you’ll have to put in one to five keywords; wildcards are not allowed. This is a good way to play around with different ideas and see if anyone’s come up with similar combinations. The results list will show the same information as with the business name search option.
Search for Available Names
This search function is specifically for business name availability. All you can do is type in the business name and then click on “Search.”
Instead of a results list, the next page will tell you whether or not the business name is available. If it isn’t, you’ll get a red warning box that lists all names that are identical or similar. If it is, you’ll get a green box with “Available! [Name] is available!”
Get on Google
Google (or your search engine) can be your best friend for a New Jersey business search. You won’t have to figure out another website since you’re already familiar with it.
Simply type in your desired business name, plus “New Jersey” and a city name if you want. After hitting “enter,” go through the pages of results to check for similar or identical names.
Keep an eye out on domain names too, as well as social media handles. This can be a good time to reserve everything relevant to ensure you keep your branding consistent in the future.
Try Our Business Search Tool
On our site, we have an easy-to-use business search tool on our business registration page. But before you use it, check out our services, which you can customize on top of our free business registration service.
Whether or not you decide to use our services, it’s also free to use our tool. Type in the name you want for your business, select LLC, corporation, or PLLC, and then “Check availability.” Like the State of New Jersey business entity search, we’ll tell you immediately if the name’s free to take.
If you want to proceed with our services, then you can fill out your details so one of our friendly agents can reach out to you to discuss things further.
Always Do a New Jersey Business Entity Search First
A New Jersey business entity search is a must if you want to save time and trouble. Not only is it free through the various methods we’ve listed above, but it’s also quick to carry out.
Taking a few minutes now to make sure your desired business name is available will pay off when you have peace of mind knowing it’s truly unique. So don’t skip this crucial step!
Sign up with Business Anywhere now to use our free business registration service. We also offer online notary and virtual mailbox services.
