The official search
The registry is run by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), Office of the Clerk. Virginia is one of a handful of states where business filings do not go through a Secretary of State: the SCC keeps the records for LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and business trusts, and its Clerk's Information System (CIS) is both the public search tool and the filing portal.
- Search page: https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/EntitySearch/Index
- Cost: Free
- Login: None required to search (an account is needed to file online)
CIS gives you two tools. The Entity Search looks up existing businesses by name or by SCC ID, and CIS also offers a Name Availability check for a quicker preliminary read on a proposed name. Use both: the entity search shows you the actual records you are up against, and either way the result is preliminary — the Commission makes the final decision when your filing or reservation is reviewed.
A results list shows the entity name, SCC ID, type, status, and formation or registration date. A detail record adds the registered agent and registered office address, the principal office address, and the filing history. Member and manager names are not published as an ownership roster.
Step by step
- Open the CIS Entity Search and search by entity name. Leave "LLC" off — the Commission ignores designators when comparing names, so search your core name and let the conflicts surface.
- Use the broadest matching option (Contains) for your main pass, then run your name again with Starts With. Contains finds your distinctive words anywhere in an existing name — how you catch the conflicts that matter.
- Search your most distinctive word on its own. If you want "Shenandoah Stoneworks," search "Shenandoah" alone and read every result.
- Check every entity type, not just LLCs. Virginia tests your name against corporations, limited partnerships, and business trusts as well — an unknown corporation can block your LLC.
- Run the CIS Name Availability check on your exact proposed name as a second pass. It is a preliminary screen, not a ruling.
- If no close match appears, the name is probably available — but only the Commission's review of your filing is definitive.
Virginia's name rules
The rules are in Va. Code §13.1-1012 of the Virginia Limited Liability Company Act.
Designator. The name must contain "limited company" or "limited liability company," or one of the abbreviations "L.C.," "LC," "L.L.C.," or "LLC."
Distinguishable. The name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Commission from, among others:
- Every domestic LLC and every foreign LLC registered in Virginia, and every LLC name reserved under §13.1-1013
- Every corporation, and every reserved or registered corporate name
- Every domestic and foreign business trust, and reserved business trust names
- Every domestic and foreign limited partnership, and reserved limited partnership names
- The designated names foreign entities adopt when their real names are unavailable in Virginia
Designators do not count. Under §13.1-1012(F), the Commission does not consider entity designators — the words and abbreviations the law requires or allows at the end of a business name — when deciding whether two names are distinguishable. That is why the suffix swap never works: changing "Inc." to "LLC" creates nothing new. Compare core names, not full names.
Prohibited terms. An LLC name may not contain anything that states or implies the company is a corporation, a limited partnership, a registered limited liability partnership, or a protected series — so "Inc.," "Corp.," and "LP"-style wording are out. Words prohibited by other Virginia law are also barred.
One narrow exception. Virginia's consent route is stricter than most states': under §13.1-1012(D), the other entity must consent in writing and agree to change its own name to a distinguishable one. A friendly "we don't mind" is not enough.
Reserving a name. Virginia lets you reserve a name under §13.1-1013 using Form SCC631: $10 for 120 days. It can be renewed for further 120-day periods, but only if you file the renewal in the 45 days before the current reservation expires — miss that window and the name is released. One quirk: the name you reserve does not need to include "LLC" or any other designator, even though the name you eventually form with does. A reservation is optional; it does not establish an LLC.
What the search can't tell you
- A final verdict. CIS results and the Name Availability check are preliminary screens; approval happens when the Commission reviews your filing.
- Fictitious names in the market. The §13.1-1012 distinguishability list does not include assumed or fictitious names — the statute leaves those to a different title of the Code — so clearing the SCC records is not a guarantee nobody is trading under a similar name.
- Trademarks, domains, and owners. The search says nothing about federal trademark rights or .com availability, and the public record shows the registered agent and principal office, not the LLC's members.
If the name looks available
File Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) with the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission — online through CIS, the Commission's preferred route, or on paper by mail.
- Cost: $100.
Ongoing: the annual registration fee (not an annual report).
Virginia LLCs file no annual report. Instead, you pay a flat yearly fee:
- Fee: $50 per year (Va. Code §13.1-1062).
- Due date: on or before the last day of your anniversary month — the month your LLC was organized. Form in April, and the fee is due by April 30 every year.
- You cannot pay it early. The SCC assesses the fee and sends notification about two months before it is due, and the fee cannot be paid before it has been assessed. Wait for the assessment, then pay — there is no processing fee for paying online.
- Late penalty: $25, added if the fee is not received by the due date — counted as-is, regardless of weekends or holidays.
- Cancellation: if the fee is still unpaid by the last day of the third month after the due date, the LLC is cancelled. Reinstatement is possible afterwards, but it means a reinstatement fee plus every back fee and penalty — check CIS or the Clerk's Office for the current amount.
FAQ
Is the Virginia LLC name search free? Yes. The CIS Entity Search and the Name Availability check are free, and searching requires no login or account.
Why is there no Virginia Secretary of State business search? Because Virginia does not run business filings through a Secretary of State. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is the filing office, and CIS is its official database.
Can I just change "Inc." to "LLC" to make a name available? No. Under Va. Code §13.1-1012(F), the Commission ignores entity designators when comparing names, so the same core name with a different suffix is still a conflict.
How much does it cost to form a Virginia LLC? The Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) filing fee is $100, paid to the State Corporation Commission.
Does a Virginia LLC file an annual report? No. Virginia LLCs pay a $50 annual registration fee instead — due by the last day of the anniversary month, with a $25 late penalty and cancellation three months later.
Can I reserve a Virginia LLC name before I file? Yes. Form SCC631 reserves a name for 120 days for $10, renewable in the 45 days before it expires.
Sources
- Virginia State Corporation Commission — Clerk's Information System (CIS) Entity Search: https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/EntitySearch/Index
- Virginia State Corporation Commission — Businesses home and forms: https://www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/
- Virginia State Corporation Commission — Annual Registration Fees: http://www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/annual-registration-fees/
- Va. Code §13.1-1012 (LLC name rules): https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter12/section13.1-1012/
- Va. Code §13.1-1013 (name reservation): https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/13.1-1013/
- Va. Code §§13.1-1062, 13.1-1064 (annual registration fee and penalty): https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title13.1/chapter12/article11/