North Dakota lesson 1 of 6
Name your North Dakota LLC
The North Dakota Secretary of State will reject Articles of Organization filed through FirstStop if the proposed name is not distinguishable from a name already on record, so search the business database before you prepare your filing.
Required wording
Under North Dakota Century Code Chapter 10-32.1, a North Dakota LLC name must contain the words limited liability company or one of the abbreviations L.L.C. or LLC. Limited may be shortened to Ltd. and Company to Co.
- Acceptable: Red River Fabrication LLC, Red River Fabrication L.L.C.
- Not acceptable: wording implying a bank, insurer or government agency without the required approval
- Certain regulated words may need approval from the relevant North Dakota licensing board before use
Checking availability and reserving a name
Search the Secretary of State's business entity records through FirstStop before filing. North Dakota requires a proposed name to be distinguishable on the record from names already registered, so small punctuation or spacing differences alone are usually not enough to separate two names.
If you are not ready to file yet, FirstStop allows a name reservation, holding a name while you finish preparing your Articles of Organization.
Operating under a name different from your Articles of Organization is a trade name in North Dakota, registered separately through FirstStop.
🇺🇸 Check United States company name availability
Search the official United States state registry before you file. Opens the government portal in a new tab.
Tip: also confirm the .com domain and matching social handles are free before you commit.
Key takeaways
- End the name with LLC, L.L.C. or limited liability company.
- Search the Secretary of State's business database through FirstStop before filing.
- A name reservation is available through FirstStop if you are not ready to file yet.
Official sources
Or let us file your North Dakota LLC for you
Everything above is yours to use for free. If you would rather hand it over, we prepare and file the Articles of Organization, act as your registered agent, and track your ongoing deadlines.
Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team