How to Conduct an Oregon Business Entity Search

The Oregon Secretary of State business search, usually called the business name search, is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to learn more about businesses in the state. Whether you’re a veteran business owner who wants to verify the status of a potential business partner or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who needs to research name availability, this search is your go-to resource.

But using the search can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never used a tool like this before. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve assembled a step-by-step guide to using the search efficiently. We’ll also discuss some essential business name guidelines and what to do after searching business names.

Let’s get started.

Oregon Secretary of State Contact Information

Address: 255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151 Salem OR 97310	Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.
Telephone: ​503-986-2200​​​​​​	Website: https://sos.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx

Oregon Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Oregon has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Oregon, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Oregon business name should follow: 

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a word like “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,” or “limited.” Abbreviations of these words are also acceptable. Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “LLC” with or without periods.
• Your name must use standard English characters and Arabic or Roman numerals. Standard punctuation is also acceptable. 
• A corporation may not include the word “cooperative” in its name.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one.

How to Search for Business Name Availability in Oregon

One of the most common ways to use the business name search is to check if your business name is available. There are actually a few other search options, including a variety of business name searches and looking up a business by its registry number. We’ll cover those options later, but for this section, we’ll focus on name availability.

Step 1: Set up your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the business name search homepage. Once there, you’ll need to click on the bubble labeled “Business Name Availability Check” (pictured below). This is the recommended way to check name availability.

Next, type the full business name you’re hoping to use into the search bar; leave off entity designators like “LLC” or “Inc.” These designators aren’t considered when evaluating if a name is distinguishable, so it’s not necessary to include them in your search.

Step 2: Review your results

There are only two possible results when you run a name availability search. Ideally, you’ll see a message that your name appears to be available. For example, here’s the message we saw when we searched “John Smith Landscaping.”

If this happens, there’s a good chance that your name is available for you to use.

In contrast, if your name appears to conflict with a name on file, you’ll see a list of the name(s) that your desired name conflicts with. If you see this message, you’ll probably need to tweak your name until it meets Oregon’s name availability standards or pick a new name altogether.

Keep in mind that a name availability search isn’t a guarantee of name availability; the state database isn’t 100% up to date at all times. It takes up to two weeks for a new business record to appear on the business registry, so there’s a (small) chance that your desired name could be claimed even though the tool says it’s available. The Secretary of State’s office will make the final determination about availability when you make a name reservation or file formation paperwork.

How to Search for Business Entity Details by Business Name

Another common reason to use the business name search is to find details about an existing company, and the easiest way to do that is searching by a business name. We’ll cover how to accomplish a name search in this section.

Step 1: Choose your search filters and type your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the search homepage, where you’ll see a variety of ways you can use the search.

We’ve already covered the name availability search above, but here’s a quick glance at your other name search options:

• Exact words in exact word order (as keyed): This setting acts like an exact match search, retrieving business names that are identical to your search terms. You should use this option if you’re certain you know the full business name (designators aren’t accounted for by this search, so it’ll function without those).
• Exact words in exact word order (followed by anything else): This search option is a slight variation of the one above; this version will retrieve business names that start with the exact words you search, but those names may or may not include other words immediately following the words you searched. You should use this search if you know how the business name begins but not how it ends.
• Exact words in any word order: This search retrieves business names with the exact words you typed, but they could be ordered differently within the name. You should use this search if you’re confident of the spelling within a name but not the word sequence.
• Sound-alike words in exact word order: All of the above searches require precise spelling, but this option doesn’t. You should use this setting if you’re confident about the word sequence in a business name but you don’t know its exact spelling.
• Sound-alike words in any order: This search retrieves business names that have similar-sounding words (so spelling matters less), but it removes the restriction about word sequencing. Use this setting if you have a general idea of the words in a business name, but you don’t remember the correct order or spelling for those words.
• Extended search in any word order: This search is the slowest and the most general, as it will retrieve business names that include synonyms, alternate spellings, and different sequences of the search terms you type. You should only use this option if you’re uncertain about the keywords included in a business name or if you only remember one or two words in that name.

For the best results, use the most precise search method you can (these searches are listed in descending order of precision). For example, if you’re searching for your own business, you know exactly how your name is spelled, so you’d need to use the “Exact words in exact word order” search. But if you’re trying to look up the name of that taco truck you saw while driving to work, you might use the “Sound-alike words in any order” setting since you’re uncertain about its exact business name.

Next, you have three options to filter your search results, located on the right-hand side of the search homepage:

• Search for active and inactive businesses: This tells the search tool to include listings for all businesses, regardless of whether they’re active or inactive.
• Search for active businesses only: This setting filters the results so only businesses that are currently operating in the state are displayed.
• Search for inactive businesses only: This filter instructs the search to exclude active companies from your search results.

Set your filters and search type to best suit your search goals. Then, type your search terms into the search bar and click “Search for Business Name.”

Step 2: Review your search results

On the following page, you’ll see all of the businesses that match your search terms. For example, here’s what our search results looked like when we ran an “Exact Words in Any Word Order” search of “hot dog.”

On this first page, you’ll see the entity type, status, name status, and full business name for each matching business. You’ll also see the company’s registry number. On the far right-hand side, you can see if there are any searchable businesses that are associated with a particular company (under the “Assoc Search” column).

If you’d like to learn more about a particular company, click on its registry number or business name. This will pull up the company’s business entity data page.

On this page, you can see more information, including the company’s registry date, the day their next renewal is due, the principal office address and mailing address, name and address for the registered agent, and relevant information about key individuals like a member (if it’s an LLC) or a president (for a corporation).

You can also see the company’s name history and a summary of its filing history. From this page, you can click the “Copies” link to get started requesting copies of these filings, if needed.

How to Search by Business Registry Number

The Oregon Secretary of State assigns a registry number to the businesses that register with the state; this number is unique, so searching by the number can give you a more direct route to that company’s relevant content.

To get started, navigate to the search homepage, type the registry number into the search bar labeled “Registry Number, ” and then click the “Search for Business Name” button.

As long as you typed the number correctly, you’ll be taken straight to the associated company’s business entity data page. From there, you can review the company’s information and filing history.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Oregon

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Oregon business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Oregon business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Oregon allows you to reserve a business name.

You can get a name reservation by filing the Application for Name Reservation form with the Secretary of State. There’s currently a $100 filing fee for this form. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in the state will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering an Oregon business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting an Oregon LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up an email address and social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Beaver State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.