How to search and claim an LLC name in Mississippi
- Search Mississippi's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
- Make sure the name ends with one of Mississippi's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “L.L.C.”
- Hold the name with a $25 reservation for 180 days if you need time before filing.
- File the Certificate of Formation with the Mississippi Secretary of State for $50.
- Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: free annual report each year (by April 15).
What a Mississippi LLC name must include
Mississippi accepts these endings for a limited liability company:
- Limited Liability Company
- L.L.C.
- LLC
Mississippi bars a long list of words from LLC names: bank, banker, bankers, banking, trust company, insurance, trust, corporation, incorporated, partnership and limited partnership, plus combinations, abbreviations and words of similar import. A member's or manager's name is allowed (Miss. Code Ann. § 79-29-104). Because the statute also bars “words of similar import”, a term that signals banking, insurance or a corporation in other words is caught too.
How Mississippi decides two names are the same
The Secretary of State compares an LLC's name with every undissolved corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited partnership, LLP and LLC on its records, domestic or foreign, and with unexpired reserved and registered names; it must be distinguishable from all of them. If it isn't, consent or a court judgment can still authorize it (§ 79-29-104). These rules are from the 2010 LLC Act the Secretary of State hosts; later amendments weren't checked.
Where the rules are written. Miss. Code Ann. § 79-29-104 (LLC name); § 79-29-105 (reservation).
Searching for an LLC name in Mississippi
Mississippi's business search is free online, and the Secretary of State's business filing system handles reservations and formation filings online too. The comparison covers corporations, nonprofits, partnerships and LLCs, so read every entity type in the results, not only other LLCs.
Open the official Mississippi 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: Mississippi LLC name reservation
Reserve an LLC name online for $25; the hold lasts 180 days. Reserving is optional in Mississippi; it simply holds the name while you prepare the Certificate of Formation.
File a Mississippi name reservation
Forming the LLC in Mississippi
File the Certificate of Formation (form F0100) online for $50; Mississippi takes its business documents online.
File the Certificate of Formation online
Every year between January 1 and April 15 the LLC files an annual report, at no charge for a Mississippi LLC ($250 for a foreign one). There's no franchise tax at the Secretary of State and no newspaper notice. For proof of good standing, log in to the filing system and order a certificate under Order Documents. Because the report is free, the risk is only the deadline: April 15 every year, for every Mississippi LLC.
When the LLC trades under another name
A second name is registered as a fictitious business name with the Secretary of State: $25 to register, and $25 for each amendment, assignment or withdrawal.
Sources
- Fee schedule (PDF), sos.ms.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Services & fees document (PDF), sos.ms.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- 1revised llcact (PDF), sos.ms.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Business faqs, sos.ms.gov, checked 2026-10-07
- Order documents, sos.ms.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.
Common questions
Can two LLCs in Mississippi have the same name?
No. Mississippi 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 Mississippi?
180 days, for $25.
Does a new Mississippi LLC have to publish a notice?
No. Mississippi has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.
How much is the Mississippi LLC filing fee?
$50, paid when you file the Certificate of Formation.