Is your business name taken?

A name can be "taken" in four different places: the Nevada business records, the web, social media and the trademark records. The checker above covers the web and social media. Here's how to clear the other two, step by step, using Nevada's new ORION portal.

Step 1: Search Nevada business names on ORION

On September 14, 2026, the Nevada Secretary of State replaced SilverFlume with the ORION Business Portal. Many older guides still point to SilverFlume. Searching is free and doesn't need an account.

1. Open the ORION business search.
2. Type the main words of your name in Entity Name, without "LLC" or "Inc." For "Desert Bloom Cleaning LLC", search "Desert Bloom".
3. Run the search with Search Type set to "Starts With", then again with "Contains". "Fuzzy Search" is useful for catching names that are spelled a little differently.
4. Look for names that are the same as yours or only slightly different. Don't skip businesses marked inactive: a name that's still on file with the state can block yours.

No close matches is a good sign, but it isn't a final approval. The Secretary of State decides when you file.

Step 2: Know Nevada's naming rules

LLCs. Nevada law (NRS 86.171) says an LLC's name must include "Limited-Liability Company", "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Company" or "Limited", or one of the abbreviations "Ltd.", "L.L.C.", "L.C.", "LLC" or "LC".

Corporations. A corporation's name doesn't always need "Inc." or "Corp." But if the name looks like a person's name, such as "Maria Lopez", it must add a word like "Inc.", "Corporation" or "Company" (NRS 78.035).

Every business entity. The name must be distinguishable from every other name on file with the Secretary of State, including reserved names. Adding "LLC" or changing "and" to "&" usually isn't enough to make a name different.

Words that need approval. Words like "bank", "trust", "engineer" and "architect" need approval from the matching state agency or licensing board before you can use them.

Step 3: Reserve the name if you're not ready to file

Found a name you love but not ready to form your LLC or corporation? The Secretary of State can hold it for you for 90 days (NRS 86.176 for LLCs, NRS 78.040 for corporations). Reservations are filed in ORION, and the state's ORION help page has a short video called "How to Reserve Your Business Name". Check the current fee there before you file.

Step 4: File a DBA if you use a different name

A DBA ("doing business as") is called a fictitious firm name in Nevada. Under NRS 602.010, you need one when you do business under a name that's different from the legal name of the owners. For example:

• Maria Lopez runs a cleaning business called "Desert Bloom Cleaning".
• "Desert Bloom Cleaning LLC" sells under the name "Bloom Maids".

In Southern Nevada, you file it with the Clark County Clerk. That covers Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas, since they're all in Clark County. The Clerk accepts paper forms by mail or in person. It doesn't accept online filing, and your filing must be renewed every five years. You can also search existing fictitious firm names first. Your city business license is a separate step.

Step 5: Check trademarks

Registering a business name with the state doesn't give you trademark rights. And someone else's trademark can stop you from using a name even if the state approved it.

• Federal: search the USPTO trademark database for your name and close variations, especially in your industry.
• Nevada: search Nevada trademarks and service marks on ORION.

If you're spending real money on a brand, a short consultation with a trademark attorney is worth it.

Tips for a name that works online

• Say it out loud. If you have to spell it for people ("that's bloom with two o's"), customers won't find you.
• Go for the .com. It's still what most people type. If it's taken, "get" + your name, or your name + "lv" or "vegas", are common options.
• Skip hyphens and numbers. They're easy to mistype and hard to say.
• Use the same handle everywhere. One handle across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook is easier to remember and to tag.
• Think about growth. "Summerlin Pool Care" is great until you want Henderson customers too.
• Grab it all on the same day. Once you decide, register the domain and the handles right away, even before you file with the state.