> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.commenda.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Company name checker

> Check company name availability across US state jurisdictions before incorporation.

The company name checker API lets you verify whether a proposed company name is available in one or more US state jurisdictions. Use it before starting an incorporation to reduce the risk of name conflicts.

## Authentication

Pass your API key in the `x-api-key` header on every request.

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://api.prod.commenda.io/company-name-checker' \
  --header 'x-api-key: <your_api_key>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "name": "Acme Corp",
    "jurisdictions": [
      { "level": "STATE_OR_PROVINCE", "country": "US", "code": "DE" }
    ]
  }'
```

<Info>
  Contact the Commenda team to obtain an API key.
</Info>

## Check name availability

<ParamField body="name" type="string" required>
  The company name to check.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="jurisdictions" type="array" required>
  One or more jurisdictions to check against. Each object contains:

  <Expandable title="Jurisdiction object">
    <ParamField body="level" type="string" required>
      Jurisdiction level. Currently only `STATE_OR_PROVINCE` is supported.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField body="country" type="string" required>
      ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code. Currently only `US` is supported.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField body="code" type="string" required>
      Two-letter state or province code (ISO 3166-2), for example `DE` for Delaware or `CA` for California.
    </ParamField>
  </Expandable>
</ParamField>

### Request example

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://api.prod.commenda.io/company-name-checker' \
  --header 'x-api-key: <your_api_key>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "name": "Acme Holdings",
    "jurisdictions": [
      { "level": "STATE_OR_PROVINCE", "country": "US", "code": "DE" },
      { "level": "STATE_OR_PROVINCE", "country": "US", "code": "CA" }
    ]
  }'
```

### Response

A successful response returns the queried name and an `availability` array with one entry per jurisdiction.

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "Acme Holdings",
  "availability": [
    {
      "level": "STATE_OR_PROVINCE",
      "country": "US",
      "code": "DE",
      "available": true,
      "success": true,
      "error": ""
    },
    {
      "level": "STATE_OR_PROVINCE",
      "country": "US",
      "code": "CA",
      "available": false,
      "success": true,
      "error": ""
    }
  ]
}
```

<ResponseField name="name" type="string">
  The company name that was checked.
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="availability" type="array">
  Per-jurisdiction results.

  <Expandable title="Availability object">
    <ResponseField name="level" type="string">
      The jurisdiction level checked (for example, `STATE_OR_PROVINCE`).
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="country" type="string">
      The country code of the jurisdiction.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="code" type="string">
      The state or province code.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="available" type="boolean">
      `true` if no exact-match company name was found in this jurisdiction.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="success" type="boolean">
      `true` if the check completed without errors.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="error" type="string">
      Empty on success. Contains an error message if the check failed.
    </ResponseField>
  </Expandable>
</ResponseField>

### Error responses

| Status | Description                                       |
| ------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| `400`  | Unsupported country or invalid jurisdiction code. |
| `401`  | Missing or invalid API key.                       |

When a request-level error occurs, every entry in the `availability` array returns `success: false` with an error message:

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "Acme Holdings",
  "availability": [
    {
      "level": "STATE_OR_PROVINCE",
      "country": "US",
      "code": "DE",
      "available": false,
      "success": false,
      "error": "Unknown error occurred"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Supported jurisdictions

The API currently supports all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

<Accordion title="Full list of supported state codes">
  | Code | State                |
  | ---- | -------------------- |
  | `AL` | Alabama              |
  | `AK` | Alaska               |
  | `AZ` | Arizona              |
  | `AR` | Arkansas             |
  | `CA` | California           |
  | `CO` | Colorado             |
  | `CT` | Connecticut          |
  | `DC` | District of Columbia |
  | `DE` | Delaware             |
  | `FL` | Florida              |
  | `GA` | Georgia              |
  | `HI` | Hawaii               |
  | `ID` | Idaho                |
  | `IL` | Illinois             |
  | `IN` | Indiana              |
  | `IA` | Iowa                 |
  | `KS` | Kansas               |
  | `KY` | Kentucky             |
  | `LA` | Louisiana            |
  | `ME` | Maine                |
  | `MD` | Maryland             |
  | `MA` | Massachusetts        |
  | `MI` | Michigan             |
  | `MN` | Minnesota            |
  | `MS` | Mississippi          |
  | `MO` | Missouri             |
  | `MT` | Montana              |
  | `NE` | Nebraska             |
  | `NV` | Nevada               |
  | `NH` | New Hampshire        |
  | `NJ` | New Jersey           |
  | `NM` | New Mexico           |
  | `NY` | New York             |
  | `NC` | North Carolina       |
  | `ND` | North Dakota         |
  | `OH` | Ohio                 |
  | `OK` | Oklahoma             |
  | `OR` | Oregon               |
  | `PA` | Pennsylvania         |
  | `PR` | Puerto Rico          |
  | `RI` | Rhode Island         |
  | `SC` | South Carolina       |
  | `SD` | South Dakota         |
  | `TN` | Tennessee            |
  | `TX` | Texas                |
  | `UT` | Utah                 |
  | `VT` | Vermont              |
  | `VA` | Virginia             |
  | `WA` | Washington           |
  | `WV` | West Virginia        |
  | `WI` | Wisconsin            |
  | `WY` | Wyoming              |
</Accordion>