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California LLC naming requirements
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GPT-4o mini
When forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in California, there are specific naming requirements that you must adhere to:
1. **Distinctiveness**: The name of your LLC must be distinguishable from the names of existing businesses registered in California. You can check the availability of your desired name through the California Secretary of State's business name database.
2. **LLC Designator**: The name must include one of the following designators: "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." This informs the public of the company’s legal structure.
3. **No Prohibited Words**: Certain words are restricted or prohibited in LLC names. For instance, you may not use words that imply your LLC is a corporation (like "Incorporated," "InCorp," "Corp," or "Incorporation") unless you are an authorized entity. Additionally, state and federal government agency terms, such as "FBI," "Treasury," or "Bank," are also prohibited unless properly authorized.
4. **No Misleading Names**: Your LLC's name cannot be misleading regarding the purpose of the business or suggest that it is connected to a governmental agency.
5. **Name Availability**: You can conduct a preliminary name search on the California Secretary of State’s website to ensure that your desired name is both available and meets the state’s requirements.
6. **Reservation of Name**: If you find a name you’d like to use but are not ready to file your LLC formation, you can reserve the name for up to 60 days for a fee.
Once you have chosen an appropriate name that meets these requirements, you can proceed with filing your Articles of Organization to officially create your LLC. Always consider consulting with a legal professional to ensure compliance with naming regulations and other aspects of forming an LLC.
1. **Distinctiveness**: The name of your LLC must be distinguishable from the names of existing businesses registered in California. You can check the availability of your desired name through the California Secretary of State's business name database.
2. **LLC Designator**: The name must include one of the following designators: "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." This informs the public of the company’s legal structure.
3. **No Prohibited Words**: Certain words are restricted or prohibited in LLC names. For instance, you may not use words that imply your LLC is a corporation (like "Incorporated," "InCorp," "Corp," or "Incorporation") unless you are an authorized entity. Additionally, state and federal government agency terms, such as "FBI," "Treasury," or "Bank," are also prohibited unless properly authorized.
4. **No Misleading Names**: Your LLC's name cannot be misleading regarding the purpose of the business or suggest that it is connected to a governmental agency.
5. **Name Availability**: You can conduct a preliminary name search on the California Secretary of State’s website to ensure that your desired name is both available and meets the state’s requirements.
6. **Reservation of Name**: If you find a name you’d like to use but are not ready to file your LLC formation, you can reserve the name for up to 60 days for a fee.
Once you have chosen an appropriate name that meets these requirements, you can proceed with filing your Articles of Organization to officially create your LLC. Always consider consulting with a legal professional to ensure compliance with naming regulations and other aspects of forming an LLC.
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