A Massachusetts LLC name must contain limited liability company, limited company, L.L.C., L.C., LLC or LC (c. 156C, § 3), and it may not be the same as, or deceptively similar to, the name of another corporation, limited partnership or LLC organized, registered or reserved in Massachusetts, unless that company files its written consent. A name can be held with a $30 reservation while you finish planning. A trade name filed with a city or town clerk does not reserve anything at the state level.
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations DivisionMassachusetts General Laws chapters 156C, 156D, 180 and 110 and the Corporations Division Filing Fees page reviewed November 11, 2026. Confirm current fees with the Secretary of the Commonwealth before filing.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Massachusetts filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of the Commonwealth or its Corporations Division, and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount billed, shown separately from our service fee.
- Filed with the Massachusetts Corporations Division
- We track your Massachusetts annual report
- Cited to M.G.L. chapters 156C and 156D
- Talk to a filer: (386) 465-3937
The forks in the road.
Required ending
Limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation: L.L.C., L.C., LLC or LC (c. 156C, § 3).
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3Not the same or deceptively similar
The name may not be the same as, or deceptively similar to, a corporation, limited partnership or LLC name organized, registered or reserved in Massachusetts, unless that company consents in writing (c. 156C, § 3).
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3Reservation
$30 holds a name while you prepare the certificate, according to the Division's fee schedule.
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations DivisionMember names allowed
The name may contain the name of a member or manager (c. 156C, § 3), which is common for professional practices and family businesses.
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3Brand names
Trading under a different name needs a business certificate with the city or town clerk where you have an office (c. 110, § 5).
M.G.L. c. 110, § 5What to have ready
- Search the exact name on the Division's records
- Search close variations and plurals
- Pick the ending you want on contracts and signs
- Check trademarks for the brand
- Reserve the name for $30 if formation will wait
- Plan any trade name filing with your city or town
Massachusetts LLC Name Rules: Required Endings, Distinguishable Names and the $30 Reservation
Massachusetts LLC Name Rules: Required Endings, Distinguishable Names and the $30 Reservation
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How the Division compares names
The Corporations Division compares your proposed name against every name on its records, corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships and reservations included. The statute asks whether your name is the same as, or deceptively similar to, an existing one, so Harborview Consulting LLC next to Harborview Consulting Inc. is likely to be refused. Small differences in spacing, punctuation or articles such as the rarely help. A geographic word or a distinctive extra word usually does. If the other company agrees, its written consent filed with the Secretary lets you use the name (c. 156C, § 3).
Search the public records before you print anything. A rejected certificate costs time even when the fee is refunded or reapplied.
Source: malegislature.gov
Reserving a name
The $30 reservation is useful when you have chosen a name but are waiting on a partner, a lease or financing. For corporations, a reservation lasts 60 days and can be renewed once for another 60 days (c. 156D, § 4.02). Reservations matter less if you plan to file within a few days.
Source: malegislature.gov
Names and trade names are separate systems
The state record controls the legal name. Business certificates filed with city and town clerks control trade names locally (c. 110, § 5). A clerk does not check the state record, and the state does not check clerk filings. That is why two businesses can share a trade name in different towns, and why a registered trademark at the Secretary, $50 per class, is the stronger tool for a brand you plan to grow.
Source: www.sec.state.ma.us
Picking the ending
All six endings are legally equal. LLC is the most common and fits on signs and checks. Spell it the same way on your bank account, EIN letter and contracts, because mismatches between the certificate and the bank account are a common source of delay.
Source: malegislature.gov
Massachusetts law and Corporations Division rules behind this.
| Topic | Massachusetts rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Required ending | Limited liability company, limited company, or an abbreviation: L.L.C., L.C., LLC or LC (c. 156C, § 3). | M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3 |
| Not the same or deceptively similar | The name may not be the same as, or deceptively similar to, a corporation, limited partnership or LLC name organized, registered or reserved in Massachusetts, unless that company consents in writing (c. 156C, § 3). | M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3 |
| Reservation | $30 holds a name while you prepare the certificate, according to the Division's fee schedule. | Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division |
| Member names allowed | The name may contain the name of a member or manager (c. 156C, § 3), which is common for professional practices and family businesses. | M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3 |
| Brand names | Trading under a different name needs a business certificate with the city or town clerk where you have an office (c. 110, § 5). | M.G.L. c. 110, § 5 |
Related Massachusetts reading.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Massachusetts filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of the Commonwealth or its Corporations Division, and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount billed, shown separately from our service fee.
What Massachusetts owners ask us
No. An LLC uses an LLC ending; corporate endings are reserved for corporations under chapter 156D.
M.G.L. c. 156D, § 4.01No. It only gives public notice of who owns the business.
M.G.L. c. 110, § 5Usually not. A name that matches an existing company except for the ending is likely to be treated as deceptively similar, unless that company consents in writing.
M.G.L. c. 156C, § 3Yes. Corp USA prepares and submits your Massachusetts filing with the Corporations Division for you. The state fee is passed through at cost and our service fee is shown separately at checkout, so you never have to work through the state's filing system yourself.
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division