A Vermont Secretary of State business search runs through the Online Business Service Center. Its Business Search covers every corporation, LLC, partnership and assumed business name registered in Vermont. If no record has a name that is the same as yours once you discount endings, synonyms and alternate spellings, the name is likely available.
Vermont applies a stricter name test than many states, and it now calls DBAs assumed business names rather than trade names. A 120-day name reservation costs $25 for an LLC, and an assumed business name costs $70 for five years.
Updated October 2026.
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Best LLC Formation Services in Vermont (2026)
If you’d rather not handle forming your LLC once your name is clear in Vermont 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 | VT Registered Agent.org | Vermont 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 | Vermont Registered Agent.co | Vermont 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 Vermont. 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. VT Registered Agent.org
VT Registered Agent.org is a Vermont 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. Vermont Registered Agent.co
Vermont Registered Agent.co is a Vermont 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.
Vermont business name search at a glance
| Item | Vermont details (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Filing office | Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division (Business Services) |
| Search tool | Business Search in the Online Business Service Center |
| LLC Articles of Organization | $155; filed online with no extra fee |
| Name reservation | $25 for an LLC name; 120 days (11 V.S.A. § 1652) |
| Assumed business name (DBA) | $70 with the Secretary of State; renew every five years |
| LLC annual report | $45, due within three months after the end of the fiscal year |
| Amendment (LLC name change) | $35 |
Fees come from the Secretary of State’s fees and statutes page. Mainstay Filing’s Vermont LLC cost guide shows total formation and annual costs.
How to search Vermont business names
The Secretary of State has reorganized its business pages. Old links to sos.vermont.gov/corporations no longer work, and the previous bizfilings search address now opens only a generic page, so start from the current Business Search.
Search the core words
Enter the distinctive part of your name and skip LLC or Inc. “Mad River Maple” is a better query than “Mad River Maple Company, LLC.” Then search a few variations, including likely misspellings and sound-alikes.
Think like a Vermont examiner
Since July 1, 2015, Vermont has required names to be distinguishable in the records, and its business name rules (C.V.R. 04-020-001, Rule 3) list differences that don’t count:
- Synonyms and homophones (“Green Valley” vs. “Green Vale” may fail)
- Alternate spellings, verb tense and plurals
- Different formats of the same number
- Adding “Vermont” or “Green Mountains”
- Adding a domain suffix such as .com
Check assumed names, too
Assumed business names appear in the same search. Even though they don’t block an entity name in every case, they show who already trades under a name locally. Need fresh options? Namechk’s business name generator can help.
Vermont name requirements
- LLC: the name must end with “Limited Liability Company” (or LLC, Ltd. Liability Co.) or “Limited Company” (or LC, Ltd. Co.). Professional LLCs add “Professional” or use PLC; low-profit LLCs use L3C.
- Corporation: must contain corporation, incorporated, company or limited, or Corp, Inc, Co or Ltd. Professional corporations use PC, PA, SC or Ltd.
- Cooperative: “cooperative” or “coop” is reserved for registered cooperatives.
- Not allowed: names that falsely suggest government affiliation, and discriminatory, indecent or obscene language.
How to reserve a business name in Vermont
Since July 1, 2025, Vermont handles all name reservations under one statute, 11 V.S.A. § 1652 (the LLC Act points to it in § 4006).
- How: file online through the Online Business Service Center.
- Fee: $25 for an LLC name; renewal is also $25.
- Term: 120 days of exclusive use once the Secretary finds the name available.
- Transfer: the holder can transfer the reservation by filing a notice of transfer.
A reservation makes sense when you’ve settled on a name but need a few months before forming the company, for example while you line up partners or financing. If you’re ready now, filing the Articles of Organization protects the name just as well. Either way, a reservation covers only the state’s records; it won’t secure a trademark, a domain or social handles.
Check trademarks, domains and social handles
The Business Search doesn’t cover federal trademarks. Search the USPTO trademark database, and use Vermont’s trademark search for state marks. Vermont registers trademarks only, not service marks, for $35 (trademark page).
Then make sure you can use the name online. Namechk checks domains and social handles together, and the domain name generator offers alternatives if your .com is taken.
We created a tool that makes it easy.
How to register an assumed business name (DBA) in Vermont
Vermont’s assumed business name registration, formerly known as a trade name registration, is filed with the Secretary of State, not a town clerk.
- Who needs one: anyone doing business under a name other than their legal name. Individuals using their full legal name are exempt.
- Fee: $70.
- Term: five years, then renew.
- Name limits: an assumed name can’t include entity designators such as LLC or Inc., and it can’t imply government affiliation.
- How: online through the Online Business Service Center.
Sole proprietors file here too, so a single state filing covers a DBA anywhere in Vermont. An LLC that trades only under its exact registered name doesn’t need an assumed business name; one that adds a brand name on signs, invoices or a website does.
After the search: forming your Vermont business
Once you have a clear name, our Vermont LLC guide walks through formation.
- File Articles of Organization online. The fee is $155, with no extra charge for filing online (LLC filing page).
- Appoint a registered agent: a Vermont resident or a business authorized in Vermont (11 V.S.A. § 4007). Mainstay Filing includes registered agent service in its formation package (Vermont costs); see our Vermont registered agent guide.
- Get an EIN from the IRS (free).
- File the annual report ($45) online within three months after your fiscal year ends, which is January 1 to March 31 for calendar-year LLCs (annual reports). Our Vermont start-a-business guide covers taxes and licenses.
FAQs
How do I search for a business in Vermont?
Use the Business Search in the Vermont Secretary of State’s Online Business Service Center at bizfilings.vermont.gov. It lists corporations, LLCs, partnerships and assumed business names registered in Vermont. Old links to sos.vermont.gov/corporations and the previous bizfilings search address no longer lead to the search, so use the current Business Search page.
Why is Vermont strict about business names?
Since July 1, 2015, Vermont has required names to be distinguishable in the Secretary of State’s records, and its rules say synonyms, homophones, alternate spellings, tense, plurals, number formats, adding Vermont or Green Mountains, and domain suffixes don’t make a name different. A clearly different key word is usually needed.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Vermont?
Reserving an LLC name in Vermont costs $25, and renewing the reservation costs $25. Under 11 V.S.A. § 1652, the Secretary of State reserves an available name for the applicant’s exclusive use for 120 days. The holder can transfer the reservation to another person by filing a notice of transfer.
What is an assumed business name in Vermont?
It’s Vermont’s term for a DBA, formerly called a trade name. Anyone doing business under a name other than their legal name registers it with the Secretary of State for $70. The registration lasts five years. Assumed names can’t include entity designators like LLC or Inc., and individuals using their full legal name don’t need one.
How much does it cost to start an LLC in Vermont?
The Vermont Secretary of State charges $155 to file Articles of Organization, with no extra fee for filing online. Each year after that, the LLC files a $45 annual report within three months after its fiscal year ends. A $25 name reservation and a $70 assumed business name are optional.
How do I change my LLC’s name in Vermont?
File Articles of Amendment with the Vermont Secretary of State through the Online Business Service Center. The fee for an LLC amendment is $35. Search the new name first, keeping Vermont’s strict distinguishability rules in mind, and make sure it still ends with an LLC designator such as Limited Liability Company or LLC.
Does a Vermont business search check trademarks?
No. The Business Search covers entities and assumed business names. Vermont keeps a separate trademark search for state marks, and federal trademarks are only in the USPTO database. Search both, and confirm your domain and social media handles are available before you commit to a name.
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