Register Your Business: Secretary of State

To register your business, if you are a sole proprietor, you may not do this step. However, if you want a business name to be registered and that business name protected, then you need to file with your Secretary of State. To do this, Google your state the phrase “Secretary of State,” and you will be directed to the site.

Not all states have the exact same website or navigation. But in WA state, there is a tab for “Corporations and Charities” on the main page. So, look for something like that on your state’s Secretary of State site.

I can almost guarantee this will not be intuitive, but you are looking to register a business online. On the WA State site, it is buried under search tools, but you can then try a Google search for “online application to start a business in (fill in your state).” That should get you to the page.

The information you receive will likely prompt you to create an account. Be sure to bookmark that login, as many states require annual renewal with the Secretary of State. Once you have a login, you will see a navigation menu that will walk you through registering your business name.

The cool part is that they verify that you have a unique business name. It can be similar to another business, but you do not want to be mistaken for it. SO it may take a few attempts to come up with the best business name for you – just be prepared, you may have to lay around with this just a little bit unless your name is truly unique.

Once registered, you know that your business name cannot be used by anyone else.

In WA State, you will now receive a Unique Business Identifier (UBI) number. Likely in every state, you will receive something like that, so be sure to save that document/number for future reference. 

This activity is straightforward, but your bookkeeper can help, or you can contact one of our account managers here for assistance.