How to search and claim an LLC name in Massachusetts
- Search Massachusetts's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
- Make sure the name ends with one of Massachusetts's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “Limited Company”.
- Hold the name with a $30 reservation if you need time before filing.
- File the Certificate of Organization with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth (Corporations Division) for $500.
- Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: $500 each year.
What a Massachusetts LLC name must include
Massachusetts accepts these endings for a limited liability company:
- Limited Liability Company
- Limited Company
- L.L.C.
- L.C.
- LLC
- LC
Massachusetts accepts “limited liability company”, “limited company”, “L.L.C.”, “L.C.”, “LLC” and “LC” as LLC endings. A restricted-word list couldn't be confirmed on an official page, because the state's sites blocked direct reading during our research.
How Massachusetts decides two names are the same
Your LLC's name can't match, or come deceptively close to, the name of another corporation, limited partnership or LLC, whether that entity was organized here, reserved a name here, or registered here as a foreign entity. That entity can lift the bar by filing its written consent with the state secretary (M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3; 950 CMR 112.12).
Where the rules are written. M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3; 950 CMR 112.12.
Searching for an LLC name in Massachusetts
The Corporations Division's online search is free and covers corporations and LLCs. Because the test is “same or deceptively similar”, look past exact matches to any name a customer could confuse with yours.
Open the official Massachusetts entity search
Leave the ending off when you search, so every version of the name shows up, then compare each result word by word. If one matches apart from spacing, punctuation or a plural, change a real word in your name.
Holding the name: Massachusetts LLC name reservation
$30 holds a Massachusetts LLC name for 60 days; file online or on paper with the Corporations Division. Confirm the length when you file, since we could only read it in search results.
File a Massachusetts name reservation
Forming the LLC in Massachusetts
The Certificate of Organization costs $500 and is filed with the Corporations Division. Budget for the same amount every year afterward, since the annual report also costs $500.
File the Certificate of Organization online
The annual report is another $500, due each year on or before the anniversary of the original certificate's filing. There's no separate franchise tax at the Corporations Division and no newspaper notice. Good standing is shown by a $25 Certificate of Good Standing, or a $12 Certificate of Existence.
When the LLC trades under another name
An LLC that trades under another name files a business certificate with the clerk of the city or town where it's located, not with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The Secretary of the Commonwealth keeps no DBA register of its own; the business certificate is a local record of who trades under the name.
Sources
- Corporations filing fees, sec.state.ma.us, checked 2026-10-07
- Corporations limited liability company, sec.state.ma.us, checked 2026-10-07
- Section3, malegislature.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- 950 cmr 112 limited liability companies, sec.state.ma.us, checked 2026-10-07
- Starting a limited liability company llc in massachusetts, mass.gov, checked 2026-10-07
These are the official pages behind every fact above. If one of them now says something different, it's right and this page is out of date.
A few were read from search results, not the page itself, because the site refused direct requests; treat the facts they back as provisional until the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth (Corporations Division) confirms them.
Common questions
Can two LLCs in Massachusetts have the same name?
No. Massachusetts accepts a new LLC name only if it can be told apart from every name on its record.
How long can I hold an LLC name in Massachusetts?
For a limited time (the official length couldn't be confirmed), for $30.
Does a new Massachusetts LLC have to publish a notice?
No. Massachusetts has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.
How much is the Massachusetts LLC filing fee?
$500, paid when you file the Certificate of Organization.