WA State Licensing: Add or change trade names

Add or change trade names

To register a trade name or make changes to an existing trade name, you must:

  • Submit a new Business License Application.
  • and
  • Pay the appropriate fees. In addition to the $15 Business License Application processing fee (non-refundable), there is a $5 fee for each name registered.

How to find out if a trade name is available

Search in the following locations to make sure the name you have chosen isn’t already taken:

  1. Search business licenses. If your search result is “No matches were found for your search,” try spelling the name differently or leave out abbreviations or punctuation such as Inc, LLC, etc.
    • You can also search this database by mail. The cost is $4 to search up to 3 names. To request a search by mail, send a letter with your return address, a list of the names you want to research, and a check or money order to pay the fee to:
      State of Washington
      Business Licensing Service
      PO Box 9034
      Olympia, WA 98507-9034
  2. Department of Revenue — All trade names may not be included.
  3. Secretary of State Corporations Registration Data Search — Corporation and limited liability company names.
  4. U.S. Patent and Trademark Commission — Search for federally registered names.

How to file a Business License Application

Online - The fastest way to file!

Online applications are typically processed within two business days. It may take up to 21 days if you file by mail. For certain activities, you should file a paper application.

  1. Complete a Business License Application online. (Must have IE 6.0 and above, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari. Google Chrome is not supported at this time.)
  2. Pay with E-check or a MasterCard, Visa, or American Express credit or debit card (gift cards cannot be used).

Paper

    Complete the Business License Application and mail it to:
    State of Washington
    Business Licensing Service
    PO Box 9034
    Olympia, WA 98507-9034
    OR
    Visit our business licensing office.

 

For more information about filing your application, see File a Business License Application.