Q: Can my company be a registered IL LLC without including “LLC” in its name?
Thanks to one of our customers in Illinois for this great question! The task of naming an LLC is trickier than many business owners might initially assume, since state statutes can list very specific naming requirements. When it comes to Illinois, it’s important to know that your LLC name:
Must use some variation of “LLC”
According to §805 ILCS 180/1-10, all limited liability companies in Illinois “shall contain” one of the following terms:
- LLC
- L.L.C
- Limited Liability Company
Illinois also recognizes a business entity known as a Low-Profit Limited Liability Company (or L3C). As the name suggests, an L3C is structured like an traditional Illinois LLC, but its mission must prioritize a social interest over its profit margin (see: §805 ILCS 180/1-26). If you intend to form a low-profit LLC, your business name has to include:
- L3C
Must be unique
Your LLC name cannot be too similar to any other registered business name in the state. Be sure to check the Department of Business Services Database to make sure your desired name is available. If your LLC name is similar to an existing LLC name, ultimately the Secretary of State will make the call about whether or not your name is “distinguishable” enough to use.
Cannot use terms related to other business entities
To avoid confusion, the Illinois Secretary of State requires businesses to remain distinguishable from one another in terms of name and business type. Thus, LLCs cannot use certain terms in their business name, including:
- Corporation
- Corp.
- Incorporated
- Inc.
- Ldt.
- Co.
- Limited Partnership
- L.P.
Cannot contain (most) symbols
Like many states, Illinois only permits LLCs to use the following characters in their names:
- Letters of the English alphabet
- Arabic numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9)
- Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, etc.)
When it comes to symbols, the state merely specifies that LLC names may contain “only those symbols capable of being reproduced by the Department of Business Services.” If you intend to use a symbol in your name (such as: ‘@’ , ‘&’ , or ‘$’), you’ll have to try your luck with the Department of Business Services. It would be a good idea to contact the department before submitting your LLC Articles of Organization.
By phone:
Springfield office: 217-524-8008
Chicago office: 312-793-3380
Online: Business Services Contact Form
Cannot be mistaken for a business trust
Your LLC must NOT use the words “trust,” “trustee,” or “fiduciary”—unless the purpose of your business is to accept and/or organize trusts, in which case you MUST include the word “trust” in your LLC name. (If you intend to form an LLC trust, your business activities must also be permitted by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation, according to the Corporate Fiduciary Act.)