How to Check Business Name Availability in Georgia: eCorp Search

To check business name availability in Georgia, run a preliminary search on the Secretary of State’s eCorp system at ecorp.sos.ga.gov, then file a $35 name reservation request to get an official ruling. The search tool is useful for spotting obvious conflicts, but the site itself warns that it is for research only and does not serve as an official availability check.¹ The reservation is the only way to definitively confirm and hold a name, and it locks in your choice for 30 days.²

Reservation is optional. You can go straight to filing your formation documents and let the Corporations Division check availability at that point. But if the name is taken, your filing gets rejected and you lose the fee. Reserving first is cheap insurance.

Searching the eCorp Business Database

Start at ecorp.sos.ga.gov/businesssearch. You can search by business name, control number, registered agent, or officer name. For the widest view of potential conflicts, type your proposed name and use the filters to find entities that start with or contain your keywords.¹

Read the status column carefully. “Active/Compliance” means the entity is alive and using that name. “Withdrawn” or “Terminated” entities are no longer operating, but their names may still be off-limits. Administratively dissolved entities have their names reserved for up to five years after the dissolution date, and during that window no one else can register under that name.³ The search results themselves won’t tell you which names are actually available; they just flag conflicts you can see.

Georgia’s Distinguishability Standard

Every corporate name in Georgia must be “distinguishable upon the records” of the Secretary of State from every other registered entity name.⁴ The same standard applies to LLCs and limited partnerships.² The Corporations Division reads that requirement strictly.

Changing only the entity ending is not enough. If “Peachtree Solutions LLC” is already registered, you cannot claim distinguishability with “Peachtree Solutions Inc.” or “Peachtree Solutions Company.” The state ignores the articles “a,” “an,” and “the,” so “The Peachtree Solutions” fails too. Differences in punctuation, special characters, and capitalization are disregarded when the state compares names. A corporate name also cannot exceed 80 characters, including spaces and punctuation.⁴

Required Endings by Entity Type

Georgia requires a specific designator based on what you are forming. Miss the ending, or use one that belongs to a different entity type, and the name will be rejected.

Corporations must include “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” or “limited,” or an abbreviation such as “Corp.,” “Inc.,” “Co.,” or “Ltd.”⁴
LLCs must include “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an abbreviation such as “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “LC,” or “L.C.” An LLC name cannot contain words like “corporation,” “incorporated,” or “limited partnership” that suggest a different entity type.⁵
Limited partnerships must include “limited partnership” or the abbreviation “L.P.”⁶

Get the designator right on your reservation request. If you reserve a name ending in “LLC” and later file corporate articles, the mismatch will cause problems.

Restricted Words

Some words are off-limits without the appropriate license or charter. Georgia banking law prohibits anyone other than an authorized bank from using “bank,” “banker,” or “banking company” in a business name, and the same restriction applies to “trust,” “trust company,” and “credit union.”⁷ The Department of Banking and Finance advises the Secretary of State on names that appear inconsistent with these limits. Professional corporations face additional restrictions on titles tied to specific licensed professions.⁸ If your business involves a regulated profession, check with the relevant licensing board before settling on a name.

Filing a Name Reservation for an Official Answer

The reservation request is the only filing that gives you a definitive answer on availability. You can submit online at ecorp.sos.ga.gov or download the paper form and mail it in.² The application asks for your legal name, mailing address, the entity type you plan to form, and three proposed names in order of preference.⁹

Use all three slots. If your first pick is unavailable, the state moves down your list without a new application. If all three are taken, you get a rejection notice and can resubmit with new choices at no additional charge.²

Fees and Processing

The total cost is $35, which breaks down as a $25 filing fee plus a $10 service charge. The fee is nonrefundable. Online payment is by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.²

Standard processing runs about seven business days. Two expedited options are available on top of the base $35:

Two-business-day service: $120 additional.
Same-day service: $275 additional. Requests must arrive by noon on a business day; anything received after noon is processed by noon the next business day.¹⁰

Mail filings take longer because of postal transit and manual handling. File online if timing matters.

What the Reservation Actually Does

An approved reservation holds the name for 30 days or until you file your formation documents, whichever comes first.² There is no automatic renewal; if you need more time, you reapply and pay another $35.

The Secretary of State warns not to invest in advertising, signage, or contracts under a reserved name. The reservation only holds the name for filing purposes. Wait until your certificate of organization or incorporation actually issues before operating under the name.

Dissolved Entities in the Search Results

A dissolved business showing up in eCorp doesn’t mean its name is free. What matters is how the entity was dissolved.

When the Secretary of State administratively dissolves a corporation or LLC (usually for missing annual registrations or losing a registered agent), the state holds that name for five years after dissolution. During that window, only the dissolved entity can reinstate and reclaim the name.³¹¹

Voluntary dissolution is different. When owners choose to dissolve their own entity, the name generally becomes available once dissolution is effective.

State Availability Is Not Trademark Protection

This is where most Georgia founders trip up. Clearing the Secretary of State’s distinguishability check is a filing-level clearance, nothing more. The state’s own FAQ says entity name registration is “not ‘name protection.'”³ A name can pass Georgia’s availability check and still infringe on a federally registered trademark, and a federal trademark holder can force you to rebrand no matter what the Secretary of State approved.

Trademark rights in Georgia come from actually using the mark in commerce, not from any registration. Before you commit to a name, run it through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s free database at tmsearch.uspto.gov. Catching a federal conflict early is far cheaper than discovering it after business cards, signage, and a signed lease.

One more boundary worth naming: if you plan to operate under a name different from your registered entity name, that “doing business as” filing happens at the county level with the Clerk of Superior Court, not through the Secretary of State.¹²¹³ The eCorp availability check does not cover trade names.

1
Georgia Secretary of State. Business Search Service
2
Georgia Secretary of State. How to Guide: How to Reserve a Name
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Georgia Secretary of State. Business Division FAQ
4
Justia. Georgia Code 14-2-401 – Corporate Name
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Georgia Secretary of State. Limited Liability Companies – Name
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Justia. Georgia Code 14-9-102 – Partnership Name
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Justia. Georgia Code 7-1-243 – Restrictions on Banking and Trust Nomenclature
8
Justia. Georgia Code 14-7-4 – Professional Services
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Georgia.gov. Reserve a Business Name with Georgia Secretary of State
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Georgia Secretary of State. Corporations Division Filing Fees
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Justia. Georgia Code 14-11-603 – Judicial and Administrative Dissolution; Reservation of Name
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Georgia.gov. File for a DBA (Doing Business As)
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Justia. Georgia Code 10-1-490 – Required Registration Statement for Business Using Trade, Partnership, or Other Name Not Showing Ownership