A Pennsylvania Secretary of State business search now runs through the Department of State’s Business Filing Services portal. Its free Business Name Search shows every corporation, LLC, partnership and registered fictitious name on file. If no existing record uses a name that is the same apart from its ending or punctuation, your name is likely available.
The Department treats that search as a preliminary check, not an approval. To hold a name, Pennsylvania offers a one-time 120-day reservation for $70. DBAs, called fictitious names, are also registered with the state for $70, and some filers must advertise them in two newspapers.
Updated October 2026.
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Best LLC Formation Services in Pennsylvania (2026)
If you’d rather not handle forming your LLC once your name is clear in Pennsylvania yourself, these are the services we recommend, in order. The table compares price and what’s included.
| Rank | Provider | Best for | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | Forming an LLC with the agent, EIN and annual report included | $199/year + state fee at cost | LLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing |
| 2 | PA Registered Agent.org | Pennsylvania registered agent service only | $99/year | $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online |
| 3 | Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co | Pennsylvania registered agent service only | $99/year | in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online |
1. Mainstay Filing
Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Pennsylvania. It costs $199/year + state fee at cost and covers lLC formation filing, registered agent for the year, EIN application, annual report preparation and filing. The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.
2. PA Registered Agent.org
PA Registered Agent.org is a Pennsylvania registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.
3. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co is a Pennsylvania registered agent service at $99/year. It provides in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.
Pennsylvania business name search at a glance
| Item | Pennsylvania details (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Filing office | Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations |
| Search tool | Business Name Search in Business Filing Services (free) |
| LLC Certificate of Organization | $125 (Form DSCB:15-8821 plus a docketing statement) |
| Name reservation | $70; 120 days; one-time, not renewable |
| Fictitious name (DBA) | $70 with the Department of State; newspaper ads required only when an individual is a party |
| Annual report | $7 for for-profit LLCs, filed January 1 to September 30 |
| Name change (amendment) | $70 |
Fees come from the Department of State’s fees page and filing guides. Mainstay Filing’s Pennsylvania LLC cost guide lays out the total cost of forming and maintaining an LLC.
How to do a Pennsylvania business entity search
Pennsylvania retired its old corporations.pa.gov search. Bookmarks to that site no longer work; use file.dos.pa.gov instead.
1. Open Business Filing Services
Go to the Business Name Search. You can search without an account. You’ll need a free account later if you file online.
2. Search the main words
Enter the distinctive part of the name and leave off LLC, Inc. or Co. A search for “Keystone Brewing” finds “Keystone Brewing Company,” “Keystone Brewing LLC” and similar records in one list.
3. Review status and entity type
Open close matches to see whether they are active. Registered fictitious names show up as well, and they count when the Department compares names, even though no new entity can be formed under them.
4. Confirm before you print anything
The Department’s business guide calls an online search a preliminary check. For a written answer, you can request a name availability search by mail (three names for $15), or call the Bureau at 717-787-1057.
Still choosing? Namechk’s business name generator can supply ideas to test.
Pennsylvania business name rules
The rules below come from the Department of State’s Business Guide (rev. April 2025):
- LLCs: the name must include “company,” “limited” or “limited liability company,” or an abbreviation. An LLC name can’t suggest it is a corporation, so “corporation” and “incorporated” are out.
- Corporations: “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated” or “limited,” or an abbreviation. Professional corporations use “Professional Corporation” or “P.C.”
- Distinguishable upon the records: the name must differ from existing entity names, registered fictitious names and reservations. Dropping or swapping the designator doesn’t make a name distinguishable.
Words that need another agency’s approval
- Words suggesting a licensed profession or occupation need prior written approval from the relevant board under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
- Education terms need State Board of Education or Department of Education approval.
- Banking terms need the Department of Banking and Securities; insurance terms need the Insurance Department.
- Utility-related names may need approval from the Public Utility Commission or FERC.
How to reserve a business name in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s reservation is more expensive than most states’ and works only once, so time it carefully.
- Form: DSCB:15-208, Name Reservation/Transfer of Reservation, filed online through Business Filing Services or on paper.
- Fee: $70 (fees page).
- Term: 120 days. Bank names can be reserved for six months.
- No renewal: once a reservation expires, anyone, including the original applicant, can reserve the name again.
- Limits: fictitious names can’t be reserved.
Since an LLC’s Certificate of Organization costs $125, many founders skip the reservation and file as soon as the name clears.
Check trademarks, domains and social handles
The Department of State’s database lists Pennsylvania entities and fictitious names, not federal trademarks. Search the USPTO trademark database before you commit. Pennsylvania also registers state trademarks for $50, with a five-year term.
Then make sure you can use the name online. Namechk checks domains and social media usernames together, and the domain name generator suggests alternatives when the .com you want is gone.
We created a tool that makes it easy.
Registering a fictitious name (DBA) in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Fictitious Names Act (54 Pa.C.S. § 301 and following) requires a business that uses any name other than its own legal name to register that name with the Department of State, not a county office. Details from the Department’s fictitious names page:
- Form and fee: DSCB:54-311, $70. Amendments, withdrawals and cancellations are also $70 each.
- Advertising: required only when an individual is one of the parties to the name. In that case, publish notice in two newspapers of general circulation in the county where the business is based, one of which must be a legal newspaper (one is enough if the county has only one). Keep the proofs; you don’t file them.
- Designators: “Inc.” or “LLC” can appear in a fictitious name only if an owner is that type of entity.
- Penalty for skipping it: an unregistered business can’t enforce contracts in Pennsylvania courts until it registers, and a court may impose a $500 penalty.
After the search: forming your Pennsylvania business
When the name is clear, our Pennsylvania LLC guide walks through formation step by step. The essentials:
- File a Certificate of Organization (DSCB:15-8821) with a docketing statement. The fee is $125 (LLC filing page). Unlike corporations, LLCs don’t have to advertise their formation.
- Set up a registered office. Pennsylvania doesn’t require a registered agent; instead, the LLC keeps a Pennsylvania registered office address or names a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP). Mainstay Filing includes registered agent service in its formation package (Pennsylvania costs), and our Pennsylvania registered agent guide explains the options.
- Get an EIN from the IRS (free).
- File the $7 annual report each year between January 1 and September 30, starting the year after formation. Beginning with reports not filed in 2027, missing it can lead to administrative dissolution and loss of your exclusive right to the name. Our Pennsylvania start-a-business guide covers tax registration.
FAQs
Where do I search for a business name in Pennsylvania?
Use the Business Name Search in the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Business Filing Services portal at file.dos.pa.gov. It is free and covers corporations, LLCs, partnerships and registered fictitious names. The old corporations.pa.gov search no longer works. The Department considers an online search a preliminary check, not an approval of the name.
How much is a name reservation in Pennsylvania?
A Pennsylvania name reservation costs $70 and lasts 120 days, using form DSCB:15-208. It can’t be renewed: after it expires, anyone, including you, may reserve the name again. Fictitious names can’t be reserved. Because forming an LLC costs $125, many founders file the Certificate of Organization instead.
Do I need to advertise a fictitious name in Pennsylvania?
Only if an individual is a party to the name. In that case, Pennsylvania requires notice in two newspapers of general circulation in the county where the business is located, one of them a legal newspaper. Entities such as LLCs and corporations registering a fictitious name don’t need to advertise. Registration itself costs $70 with the Department of State.
What happens if I don’t register a fictitious name in Pennsylvania?
Under the Fictitious Names Act, a business using an unregistered fictitious name can’t enforce contracts in Pennsylvania courts until it registers, and a court may impose a $500 penalty. Registering costs $70 with the Department of State, so it’s inexpensive protection if you trade under any name other than your legal one.
Does Pennsylvania require an annual report for LLCs?
Yes, since 2025. Pennsylvania LLCs file an annual report each year between January 1 and September 30, starting the year after formation. The fee is $7 for for-profit LLCs. Beginning with reports not filed in 2027, an LLC that misses it faces administrative dissolution and loses its exclusive right to its name.
Does a Pennsylvania business search check trademarks?
No. The Department of State’s Business Name Search covers entities and fictitious names registered in Pennsylvania. It doesn’t show federal trademarks, so search the USPTO database as well. Pennsylvania registers state trademarks separately for $50. Check domain names and social media handles before you settle on a name.
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