What does a District of Columbia LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.

Can I reserve a business name in District of Columbia before I file?

Yes. The DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection charges $50 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

How much does it cost to register a business name in District of Columbia?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $99 for an LLC and $99 for a corporation, then biennial report, $300, due april 1 every two years.

Are there words I can't use in a District of Columbia business name?

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In District of Columbia that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Federal and National. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in District of Columbia each year?

The Census Bureau counted 15,752 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +9.7% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

What if the District of Columbia registry shows an inactive company with my name?

Only active registrations block a name. Of the 504,096 entities in our copy of the District of Columbia registry, 116,308 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether District of Columbia allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.

Does a District of Columbia registration protect my name in other states?

No. It protects the name inside District of Columbia's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the District of Columbia lookup.

District of Columbia business name generator — every idea checked against Secretary of State records

Washington, D.C. isn't a state, but it runs a full business registry through DLCP and publishes it as open data — which is why our copy of the District's records is unusually complete. Names that sound governmental are the ones to avoid here: 'Federal', 'National' and 'United States' all draw extra scrutiny.

Run the District of Columbia check — One search covers the District of Columbia registry, federal trademarks and the domain. Free, no signup.

Help me name my business →

How to land a name that's actually available in District of Columbia

Start with the registry. Search the District of Columbia registry for the exact name; it's the check that decides whether you can file at all.
Then the two checks the state doesn't do. A federal trademark reaches across state lines, and the .com decides whether customers find you — both run here automatically.
Lock it in. District of Columbia will hold it for 120 days for $50. The system of record is the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection; confirm there before paying a filing fee.

Already have a name in mind?

You don't have to start from ideas — the same checker verifies a specific name. Enter the exact name you're considering and it's searched against the District of Columbia registry, federal trademark filings, and domain registrars in one pass.

Check a specific name →

Inside the District of Columbia registry

We keep a full copy of the District of Columbia registry — 504,096 entities. About 116,308 of them are active; the rest are dissolved or otherwise inactive — and only the active ones block a name.

The most common words in District of Columbia business names are Services, Group, Associates, Foundation, International and Street. A name built from those is competing with thousands of near-neighbours — fine for a search, harder for a filing. 40% of names end in an LLC designator. The average registered name is 26.1 characters long.

Name ideas that fit District of Columbia — and clear its registry

Registry data says what NOT to build a District of Columbia name from: Services, Group, Associates, Foundation and International are the most-used words in the state's registered names, so a name leaning on them will have dozens of near-neighbours. The generator treats those as background noise and favours combinations the registry hasn't seen.

When an idea clears, District of Columbia lets you hold it: a name reservation costs $50 and lasts 120 days — enough time to finish the paperwork without watching the name every morning.

Remember the suffix: a District of Columbia LLC name has to end in LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company, and the generator appends it before checking so what you see is what you'd file.

District of Columbia naming rules: what the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection will and won't accept

The rule that matters most in District of Columbia is distinguishable upon the records of the Mayor (DLCP). In practice that means a name that differs from an existing one only by punctuation, spacing, capitalization or the entity suffix will be refused. Designators are fixed: LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company for an LLC, Corporation, Corp. and Incorporated for a corporation.

A few words are gated. In District of Columbia that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Federal, National and United States — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

The fees are straightforward: forming an LLC costs $99, a corporation $99 and a name reservation is $50 and holds the name for 120 days. Corponline filings 1-5 business days; expedited same-day for a fee.

The ongoing obligation: Biennial report, $300, due April 1 every two years. Miss it and the entity slides to an inactive status — at which point the name can be taken by someone else.

As published by the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, (202) 442-4400 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.

How busy is District of Columbia right now?

Businesses in District of Columbia filed 15,752 new business applications in the twelve months to August 2026 — +9.7% on the year before, the 45th-highest total of any state and 22.4 per 1,000 residents (ranked 8th per person). April was the busiest month with 1,696 applications, and District of Columbia accounts for 0.3% of all U.S. filings.

Name ideas here get checked against a registry that grows by hundreds of entries a day.

What America names its businesses — 26 million registered names decoded →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 12,276 applications in calendar 2019.

How District of Columbia decides whether a name is taken

Three things the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection looks at, and one it doesn't:

Status. Only entities in an active status hold their names. Dissolved, revoked and withdrawn registrations release the name — with the caveat that a very recent lapse can still be reinstated, which our result notes when it applies.
Distinguishability. Your name must differ from every active District of Columbia name by more than punctuation, spacing, capitalisation or the entity designator. Two names that read the same aloud are usually treated as the same name.
Designator. The recorded name of an LLC ends in an LLC designator and a corporation's in Inc., Corp. or an accepted equivalent; leave it off and the filing is returned.
Not trademarks. The registry never checks the USPTO. A name can be free in District of Columbia and still infringe a federal mark, so run both — the checker on this page does.

Naming rules, fees and reservation windows come from District of Columbia statute and change; treat the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection's current guidance as final before you file. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection

The DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection maintains District of Columbia's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for District of Columbia business names. Useful official resources:

Official District of Columbia business entity search — the state's own lookup.
DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Using the official District of Columbia search

Search here first. The checker above covers the District of Columbia registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
Open the official District of Columbia entity search and look up your shortlisted name exactly as you plan to file it, including the entity suffix.
Review matching records — check each match's status (active registrations block a name; dissolved ones usually don't) and how close the spelling is to yours.
File or reserve promptly. Availability is first-come-first-served; a name that's clear today can be registered by someone else tomorrow.

Frequently asked questions

What does a District of Columbia LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.
Can I reserve a business name in District of Columbia before I file?: Yes. The DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection charges $50 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.
How much does it cost to register a business name in District of Columbia?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $99 for an LLC and $99 for a corporation, then biennial report, $300, due april 1 every two years.
Are there words I can't use in a District of Columbia business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In District of Columbia that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Federal and National. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in District of Columbia each year?: The Census Bureau counted 15,752 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +9.7% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
What if the District of Columbia registry shows an inactive company with my name?: Only active registrations block a name. Of the 504,096 entities in our copy of the District of Columbia registry, 116,308 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether District of Columbia allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.
Does a District of Columbia registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside District of Columbia's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the District of Columbia lookup.

Already have a name? Run the District of Columbia Secretary of State business search to see if it's taken.

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