How much does it cost to register a business name in Vermont?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $125 for an LLC and $125 for a corporation, then annual report, $35 (llc) / $45 (corp), due within 3 months of the fiscal year end.

Are there words I can't use in a Vermont business name?

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Vermont that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Engineer. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Vermont each year?

The Census Bureau counted 8,481 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +16.3% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

What if the Vermont registry shows an inactive company with my name?

Only active registrations block a name. Of the 150,617 entities in our copy of the Vermont registry, 150,617 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Vermont allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.

Does a Vermont registration protect my name in other states?

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

What does a Vermont LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company and Limited 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 Vermont before I file?

Yes. The Vermont Secretary of State charges $20 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

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

Vermont has the fewest registered businesses of any state, about 150,000 in our copy of the registry, which makes it one of the easiest places to find a clean name — and 'Green Mountain' is the exception that proves it. Vermont also created the L3C, a low-profit LLC, so that designator appears in its records.

Find an available Vermont business name — Describe what your business does — you'll get name ideas with a verdict on each: state records, federal trademarks, and domains, checked in one pass. Free, no signup to start.

Help me name my business →

How to land a name that's actually available in Vermont

Type the exact name, suffix included. The checker runs it against the Vermont registry, the federal trademark register and domain registrars in one pass.
Read the close matches, not just the verdict. Vermont refuses names that aren't distinguishable — a near-miss on the list is the one that will block you.
Reserve or file while it's clear. Vermont will hold it for 120 days for $20. Confirm at the official Vermont Secretary of State search first.

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 Vermont registry, federal trademark filings, and domain registrars in one pass.

Check a specific name →

Inside the Vermont registry

We keep a full copy of the Vermont registry — 150,617 entities: 60% LLCs, 18% corporations and 6% nonprofits.

The most common words in Vermont business names are Services, Farm, Properties, Mountain, Group and Solutions. If your idea leans on one of them, expect close matches; the checker shows you exactly which. 57% of names end in an LLC designator. The average registered name is 23.9 characters long.

Name ideas that fit Vermont — and clear its registry

Registry data says what NOT to build a Vermont name from: Services, Farm, Properties, Mountain and Group 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, Vermont lets you hold it: a name reservation costs $20 and lasts 120 days — enough time to finish the paperwork without watching the name every morning.

Remember the suffix: a Vermont 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.

Vermont naming rules: what the Vermont Secretary of State will and won't accept

The rule that matters most in Vermont is distinguishable on the records of the Secretary of State. Swapping 'Inc.' for 'LLC', adding 'The', or changing a comma does not make a name distinguishable here. An LLC name must end in LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company and Limited Company; a corporation uses Corporation, Corp., Incorporated and Inc., among others.

Some words need permission first. In Vermont that list includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative, Engineer and Farmers — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

What it costs: forming an LLC costs $125, a corporation $125 and a name reservation is $20 and holds the name for 120 days. Online filings are usually immediate.

After you file: Annual report, $35 (LLC) / $45 (corp), due within 3 months of the fiscal year end. 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 Vermont Secretary of State, (802) 828-2386 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.

How busy is Vermont right now?

In the year to August 2026, Vermont recorded 8,481 new business applications — +16.3% on the year before, the 51st-highest total of any state and 13.1 per 1,000 residents (ranked 42nd per person). April was the busiest month with 960 applications, and Vermont accounts for 0.1% of all U.S. filings.

The busier the state, the more the obvious names are gone; the generator's job is to find the ones that are still open.

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

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 5,570 applications in calendar 2019.

What makes a name available in Vermont?

It must be distinguishable from names already on the Vermont registry — usually more than a difference in punctuation, spacing, or an entity suffix.
Only active registrations block a name. A dissolved or revoked entity with the same name typically doesn't stop you — though a recently inactive one can carry a reinstatement risk worth knowing about (our checker flags exactly that case).
Entity suffixes are required, not decorative. An LLC's legal name must carry an LLC designator; a corporation needs Inc., Corp., or an equivalent accepted in Vermont.
Registry clearance is not trademark clearance. The Vermont Secretary of State checks its own records only — it will register a name that infringes a federal trademark. Check both.

Note: naming rules, fees, and reservation windows are set by Vermont statute and change over time — treat the Vermont Secretary of State's own guidance as final for filing decisions. This page is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Vermont Secretary of State

The Vermont Secretary of State maintains Vermont's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Vermont business names. Useful official resources:

Official Vermont business entity search — the state's own lookup.
Vermont Secretary of State — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Using the official Vermont search

Search here first. The checker above covers the Vermont registry plus federal trademarks and domains in one pass — most dead-end names are eliminated in seconds.
Open the official Vermont 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

How much does it cost to register a business name in Vermont?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $125 for an LLC and $125 for a corporation, then annual report, $35 (llc) / $45 (corp), due within 3 months of the fiscal year end.
Are there words I can't use in a Vermont business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Vermont that includes Bank, Trust, Insurance, Cooperative and Engineer. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Vermont each year?: The Census Bureau counted 8,481 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +16.3% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
What if the Vermont registry shows an inactive company with my name?: Only active registrations block a name. Of the 150,617 entities in our copy of the Vermont registry, 150,617 are active. A dissolved entity's name is usually available — but check whether Vermont allows reinstatement, which can revive the older claim.
Does a Vermont registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Vermont's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Vermont lookup.
What does a Vermont LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company and Limited 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 Vermont before I file?: Yes. The Vermont Secretary of State charges $20 to reserve a name for 120 days. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

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

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