6 months ago · Updated 3 days ago
Does LLC have periods?
Most people write it without them. Delaware and Florida both accept "Limited Liability Company," "L.L.C." or "LLC" as the required designator (Delaware Code Title 6, section 18-102; Florida Statutes 605.0112). So "L.L.C." is not wrong, it is just less common on new filings. Some states allow more forms. Texas, for example, also accepts "LC" and "Limited Company" (Texas Business Organizations Code, section 5.056). Our LLC vs Inc vs Ltd guide covers how those endings differ.
The rule that matters is simpler: use the spelling that appears on your Articles of Organization. If you filed as "Acme Holdings L.L.C.", that is your legal name, and your bank, contracts and tax forms should show it the same way. If you are choosing a name now, the Florida, Texas and Kentucky guides show how each state's name search works.
Is there a comma before LLC?
It is optional. "Acme Holdings LLC" and "Acme Holdings, LLC" are the same company. States generally treat punctuation as irrelevant when they decide whether two names are different. Florida says a punctuation mark or symbol alone does not make a name distinguishable, and Kentucky's name guidelines ignore punctuation and letter case when comparing otherwise identical names. In practice that means you cannot get around a name conflict by adding a comma.
Pick the version on your filing and keep it. Mixing the two across invoices and contracts is a small thing, but it looks careless and can cause matching questions at banks. The same logic applies to Inc. and Corp.: a comma is optional unless it is part of the filed name.
Should LLC be capitalized?
Yes. It is an abbreviation, so it is written in capitals: LLC, not "llc" or "Llc". Neither the Delaware nor the Florida statute mentions letter case, and Kentucky ignores case when it compares names. So this is a writing convention rather than a filing rule, but it is how business records and most documents show it. A logo can use any lettering. Your legal documents should not. If you are unsure where the designator has to appear, see whether you have to put LLC in your business name and how to handle it on a logo or business card.
How to write the name
In a sentence, write the company name and LLC as one unit and let normal grammar handle the rest: "We hired Riverstone Digital LLC, which handles our payroll." The comma after LLC there belongs to the sentence, not the company name. If the name ends a sentence, the sentence period is enough.
Why the exact filed name matters
The IRS tells applicants to enter the entity's legal name on its EIN application exactly as it appears on the formation document (Form SS-4 instructions, line 1). Our EIN guide walks through the application. Your bank will ask for the same name. If you are unsure how your name was registered, look it up in your state's business search. Our LLC name availability checker points you to the right state search.
Punctuation has no effect on the filing fee, which depends on the state (see how much an LLC costs). If you also use a trade name, that is a separate question, covered in DBA vs LLC.
Statute sources: Delaware Code Title 6, section 18-102; Florida Statutes 605.0112; Texas Business Organizations Code, chapter 5. General information, not legal advice. Check your own state's rules before you file.