How do I find out if a business name is already taken in the state of California?

Question

Where can I go to find this information? I want to start a store front, that will hopefully grow larger. Thanks for any help --Mannus

Answer 1

Unless you use your name, you need to apply for a DBA "doing business as."

An example in the difference of the two: Ruth Goode's Dry Cleaning, Speedy Dry Cleaning

Since I'm assuming you want a DBA you'll need to go to city hall anyways, you can ask about it when you're there and look into getting sole use of the name if it's not already taken.