Maine Business Search

Maine's SOS, Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions website offers a corporate name search tool that can be used to do general name searches.

It is important to note that this tool is limited to 100 results, so you should search the specific name you want to use, as well as a number of variations to be thorough.

In the blank search bar next to "Keyword from name to be searched," enter the business name you want to use. It is best to enter the full name, minus any determiners (like "LLC" or "Corporation") or punctuation, as the search tool is limited to 100 results. Leave the search bar next to "Charter number" blank.

After clicking on "Click Here to Search," if you see a message saying "Found 0 entries for query: [X] in category ALL CATEGORIES," that means that there are no existing businesses matching your name. You can then move on to registering your business.

If you see a list of businesses, you will need to carefully go through each entry and determine how similar it is to your chosen name. If you see your chosen name registered, or a name that is very similar, you should decide on a variation of the name and try your search again.

Ensuring that your business name is available for registration is just step one. You should also check that you can use the matching domain name and email address for your business so that customers can easily find you.

Conduct a search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) trademark database to check that your name has not been trademarked or is in the process of being trademarked.

You should consult a lawyer before taking this step to determine whether a trademark is necessary for your business. If it is, you can download and complete the Application for Registration of a Mark.

If you are not planning on registering your business just yet, you can reserve your business name for up to 120 days by filing an Application for Reservation of Name. The application costs $20.00 and must be filed by mail.