New Hampshire Business Name Search (Step-by-Step Guide)

How to search for New Hampshire business names

Before registering for a new business entity name in New Hampshire, a business owner must first choose a name and an entity type. Once the business owner chooses a name, the business owner must determine if the name is available. The New Hampshire Department of State provides a search tool that allows a business owner to determine name availability. To search New Hampshire’s business names:

Review the results. If an exact match exists, the business owner must choose a different name. If a name is too similar, the business owner must also choose a different name. For example, if the business owner chose “ABC Widgets” and a company named “The ABC Widgets” exists, the name is too similar.

How to register a business name in New Hampshire

Once a business owner chooses a business name that is available, the business owner can register the business with the New Hampshire Department of State. Before starting the registration process, the business owner must choose an entity type.

Choosing a business type is something that takes some thought. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxes various entities in different ways. For example, the IRS taxes a corporation’s profits at the corporate level. When the directors take a paycheck, the money is taxed again at the personal level. With a limited liability company, the IRS taxes the profits once – on the members’ personal taxes.

Additionally, certain entities offer protection of personal assets from business creditors and lawsuits. The limited liability company and corporation are two of those entities. A sole proprietor has no protection of personal assets from business creditors and lawsuits.

If a business owner is not sure which entity is best for the business, she should consult an attorney before registering the business with the New Hampshire Department of State.

New Hampshire trademark/DBA name search

A business owner can also file a trademark in New Hampshire. NH.gov does not offer a trademark search. However, the business owner can file a trademark online. Filing a trademark in New Hampshire protects the trademark only in New Hampshire. To protect the trademark in other states, the business owner must file the trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

If a business owner wishes to determine whether a business name or logo has been trademarked at the federal level, search the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Check if the domain name is available

Before a business registers its name, the business owner should take additional steps to ensure that the name is available for domain and social media use. While the domain name and social media accounts or pages do not have to have the same name as the business, it is better for marketing purposes. If another person or entity is already using the name, a prospective business owner can choose another name to register at the state level or use a different name that describes the business for the domain name and social media accounts.

A business that has an internet presence has an advantage over those that do not, even if the business does not sell its products and services online. A website offers low-cost advertising, especially a site that often has new content.

To determine name availability for a domain name, navigate to a domain registry such as GoDaddy. Enter the business name in the search box. The system will advise as to availability.

If the name is available as a dot-com, we recommend registering the dot-com, dot-net, and dot-org extensions so that another person cannot use the same name with another extension.

Check if the social media name is available

Checking social media platforms for name availability is as simple as entering the business name in the search box. If the name is available, create an account for the business as soon as possible. If not, choose a different name – sometimes, a descriptive name brings in more hits than the business name.

If a business owner wishes to have the same name registered for the state, the business owner can check a different name with the New Hampshire Department of State, the domain registry, and social media platforms.

Naming considerations for New Hampshire business entities

New Hampshire requires most entities to have naming conventions, including appending certain words, phrases, or abbreviations after the business name.

Sole proprietorships and partnerships

A sole proprietorship or general partnership does not have to register with the New Hampshire Department of State. Thus, they do not require appending an entity type at the end of the name. However, the business name must include the surname or partners’ names.

If a business owner wishes to operate under a different name, he must register the trade name with the New Hampshire Department of State. Before registering the trade name, search the Department of State’s database with the search tool to ensure the name is available.

Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)

A business owner who chooses to incorporate as a limited liability company must append one of the following to the end of the business name:

Corporations

A business owner who chooses to incorporate as a corporation must append one of the following to the end of the business name:

Limited liability partnerships

A business owner who chooses to incorporate as a limited liability partnership must append one of the following to the end of the business name:

Limited partnerships

A business owner who chooses to incorporate as a limited partnership must append one of the following to the end of the business name:

Additionally, the name cannot contain a limited partner’s name unless the limited partner is also a general partner, or the general partner became a limited partner and the business name previously included the name of the limited partner.