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Wisconsin LLC name search

The endings, restricted words, reservation and filing fee for a Wisconsin LLC name, with the official search one click away.

How to search and claim an LLC name in Wisconsin

  1. Search Wisconsin's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
  2. Make sure the name ends with one of Wisconsin's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “Limited Company”.
  3. Hold the name with a $15 reservation if you need time before filing.
  4. File the Articles of Organization with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions for $130 online ($170 by mail).
  5. Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: $25 online each year ($40 on paper), due by the end of the calendar quarter in which the LLC was formed.

What a Wisconsin LLC name must include

Wisconsin accepts these endings for a limited liability company:

  • Limited Liability Company
  • Limited Company
  • LLC
  • LC

A Wisconsin LLC's name must contain “limited liability company”, “limited company”, “LLC” or “LC”, in any capitalization or punctuation (so “L.L.C.” works), with “Ltd.” and “Co.” allowed for “limited” and “company”. The one statutory restriction is about purpose: the name can't state or imply that the LLC is organized for something another Wisconsin law regulates, unless that law permits it and the LLC follows all its limits (Wis. Stat. § 183.0112(6)). DFI's pages list no specific banned words or agencies whose approval is needed.

How Wisconsin decides two names are the same

DFI compares your LLC name with every entity formed through a DFI filing that isn't administratively dissolved, every LLP whose statement of qualification is in effect, the names entities are registered to do business under, and reserved or registered names. It sets aside words that only show the entity type, from Inc. and Ltd. to LP, LLP, LLC and cooperative (§ 183.0112(4)). Whether articles like “the” count isn't stated anywhere official we found. If your name clashes, the holder can consent in writing and promise to rename or cancel its reservation, a certified court judgment can clear it, or so can a merger, reorganization or asset purchase that includes the name (§ 183.0112(3m), (9m)). The chapter 183 text came from an archived copy, since the legislature's site was unreachable.

Where the rules are written. Wis. Stat. § 183.0112 (permitted names); § 183.0113 (reservation); § 183.0114 (registration of name); ch. 183 is Wisconsin's Uniform Limited Liability Company Law (2021 Wis. Act 258).

Searching for an LLC name in Wisconsin

Use DFI's free Corporate Records Search and its name availability search. Leave off “LLC” when you search, then trim words to see near matches. A verbal search by DFI staff at 608-261-7577 is only tentative. A trade name or trademark registered with DFI doesn't reserve an LLC name either, and nothing is settled until DFI accepts your articles.

Open the official Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin LLC name reservation

To hold an LLC name, send Form 1 by mail or bring it in person; it isn't an online filing, though the $15 fee can be paid through the Online Order System with the form emailed. The name is held for 120 days, and the holder or a transferee can renew it from time to time. Expedited handling is $100 more.

File a Wisconsin name reservation

Forming the LLC in Wisconsin

Articles of Organization (Form 502) cost $130 online, where DFI says most filings are accepted on receipt, or $170 on paper. Expediting to the next business day costs $100, and counter service is $250 for four hours or $500 for one. If every organizer and member is 18 or older and enrolled in postsecondary education, Form 502SE forms a Student Entrepreneur LLC with no filing fee.

File the Articles of Organization online

This filing fee isn't on a current official fee page that we could find, so ask the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions to confirm it.

Starting the year after formation, file the annual report before the close of the calendar quarter that holds the LLC's anniversary: March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31. It's $25 online or $40 on paper, the paper price including a $15 surcharge added March 1, 2024. Missing it makes the LLC delinquent and can lead to administrative dissolution. No franchise tax appears in DFI's fees (state tax wasn't researched), and nothing has to be published. A Certificate of Status, Wisconsin's word for good standing, is $10, delivered by email within 10 business days; expediting adds $25.

When the LLC trades under another name

An LLC doesn't have to register a trade name in Wisconsin. If it wants to, DFI's Trademarks section registers the name as a mark for $15, good for 10 years and renewable for $15; filings are online or in person and need a notary. Registering gives no ownership, since rights come from use, and it won't reserve an entity name.

Sources

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 Wisconsin have the same name?

No. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

For a limited time (the official length couldn't be confirmed), for $15.

Does a new Wisconsin LLC have to publish a notice?

No. Wisconsin has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.

How much is the Wisconsin LLC filing fee?

$130 online ($170 by mail), paid when you file the Articles of Organization.