You already understand the importance of your business name. It’s the cornerstone of your brand and shapes your customer’s first impressions. But did you also know that each state has its own specific rules for what’s allowed and not allowed when it comes to business names?
You can’t use the word “bank” in your business name in most states. New Hampshire prohibits the use of “farmers’ market” and Kentucky says no to “Cooperative.” Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of what words aren’t allowed in business names:
Alabama
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banc, Engineer, Engineering, Olympic
Alaska
Prohibited Words: Imply a governmental unit, e.g. a city, village or borough. Anything that misleads about the business’ purpose is not allowed. Vulgar names are not allowed.
Arizona
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Banc, Banco, Deposit, Trust or Trust Company
Arkansas
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Credit Union
California
Prohibited Words: Bank, Trust, Trustee, Olympic
Colorado
Prohibited Words: Bank, Trust, Trustee, Olympic
Connecticut
Prohibited Words: Bank, Insurance Company, Trust Company
District of Columbia
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banc, Insurance
Delaware
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banc
Florida
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banc, Insurance
Georgia
Prohibited Words: Insurance, Assurance, or Surety. Bank, Credit Union or Trust require approval from the Department of Banking & Finance. College or University are also prohibited.
Hawai’i
Prohibited Words: Financial Institution, Bank, Banker, Banking, Banc, Savings Bank, Savings and Loan, Savings Association, Financial Services Loan Company, Credit Union, Trust Company, Intrapacific Bank, International Banking Corporation, or Trust, Olympic, Olympiad, Citius Altius Fortius, Insurance
Idaho
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banc, Banking, Engineering, Engineer
Illinois
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Insurance
Indiana
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Credit Union
Iowa
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Credit Union
Kansas
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banks, Banking, Banc
Kentucky
Prohibited Words: Cooperative
Louisiana
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Building and/or Loan, Homestead, Insurance, Casualty, Redevelopment Corporation, Electric Cooperative and Credit Union
Maine
Prohibited Words: Savings, Savings Bank, Bank, Banker, Banking, Trust, Trust Company, Trust and Banking Company, Credit Union, the plural of any of these words or any derivatives of these terms.
Maryland
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Credit Union
Massachusetts
Prohibited Words: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Government, PX, GI, Fire, Police, State or Federal
Michigan
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banc, and Insurance
Minnesota
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Credit Union
Mississippi
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking, Savings, Safe Deposit, Trust, Trustee, Insurance and Credit Union
Missouri
Prohibited Words: Cooperative, Bank, Insurance Company and Redevelopment
Montana
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking
Nebraska
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking
Nevada
Prohibited Words: Insurance, Bank or Trust, Engineer, Engineered, Engineering, Professional Engineer, Registered Engineer or Licensed Engineer
New Hampshire
Prohibited Words: Farmers’ Market
New Jersey
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking
New Mexico
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking
New York
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banker, Banking
North Carolina
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Trust, Farmering, Farm, Farmer, Insurance
North Dakota
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Trust, Farmering, Farm, Farmer, Insurance
Ohio
Prohibited Words: Bank, Trust
Oklahoma
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Trust, Farmering, Farm, Farmer, Insurance
Oregon
Prohibited Words: Bank, Trust
Pennsylvania
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Trust, Engineering, School, Insurance
Rhode Island
Prohibited Words: Bank, Trust
South Carolina
Prohibited Words: Bank
South Dakota
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker
Tennessee
Prohibited Words: Mortgage, Bank, Banks, Credit Union or Trust
Texas
Prohibited Words: Check with the state as there are numerous rules and restrictions
Utah
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Trust, Trustee, Credit Union, Savings, Loan, Education, Institution, Institute, University, College, Building
Vermont
Prohibited Words: Bank, Insurance: must register with appropriate department
Virginia
Prohibited Words: Trust
Washington
Prohibited Words: Bank, Banking, Banker, Trust, Cooperative, or any combination of the words Industrial and Loan, or any combination of any two or more of the words: Building, Savings, Loan, Home, Association and Society
West Virginia
Prohibited Words: Engineering, Doctor
Wisconsin
Prohibited Words: Insurance, Trust, Bank
Wyoming
Prohibited Words: Education, School, College, Banking
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Some of these are just weird. And how about Texas? So many different rules you can’t list them.
Hi Robert –
Yes they have a lot! Thanks for reading and commenting!
-Nellie
Robert
But are any of these words allowed in the name of your company’s SOFTWARE? 🙂
Scott Smith
Very interesting info and lists. But due to the internet, etc, I imagine states are having an increasingly difficult time enforcing their business name rules.
Perhaps more importantly, is how few words are not “prohibited” in business names because someone already registered it as a federal trademark. Most entrepreneurs are shocked to find out that they risk being sued for trademark infringement if they use the generic word “entrepreneur” in their business name. This is because Entrepreneur Media, Inc., publisher of Entrepreneur magazine, claims to own the word entrepreneur for all goods and services. Don’t believe it? Just search: entrepreneur magazine trademark bully.
Hi Scott –
Thanks for reading and for the additional input!
-Nellie
Aira Bongco
It’s interesting. I did not know that there are some banned words per location. Interesting how they came up with the fact that these are not allowed – I don’t know what their basis is.
Hi Nellie,
I can understand words like Bank, Banking and Credit Union but what is the problem with Engineer, Farmers Market, Building, Association and Society??
Hi Naomi,
Different states have restrictions on specific words. This can usually be worked around by obtaining consent from a particular agency. If you have questions about what words can or cannot be used in a particular state, please feel free to call our office for a free business consultation at 888.449.2638.