When checking a new company name, search for the full name, its distinctive word or stem, and possible spelling variants. Open the details of relevant results and record the exact registered name, identification number (IČO) and entity status. A single search with no results does not confirm that the name is suitable for registration.
The Commercial Register helps you find the registered names of businesses. It does not cover all brands in use, trademarks or domains at the same time. This guide covers the register part of the check, so you know what to search for and how to interpret a result.
Where to search: the public register and ARES
Start with the Ministry of Justice's official public register. It includes the Commercial Register and other public registers, and lets you look up registered entities and related documents.
Another source is the Ministry of Finance's ARES system, which provides information on economic entities from multiple sources. ARES is not another name for the Commercial Register. The ministry also explicitly states that its information is provided for informational purposes.
You can use both sources for an initial search, but examine the relevant register entry for any company you find. In your notes, record where you found the information instead of simply writing “checked in the register”.
Interfaces can change. Focus on what you are searching for: a name or part of it, or the IČO of a known entity. The instructions below do not assume that buttons appear in a particular place.
1. Prepare several search queries
Imagine the name Tichý kompas s.r.o. for a consulting service. “Tichý kompas” means “Quiet Compass”; s.r.o. denotes a Czech limited liability company. This is a fictional example. We have not checked its availability and are not reporting actual search results.
For a working search, we would prepare:
- Tichý kompas: the name without the legal form.
- Tichý kompas s.r.o.: the full intended registered name.
- Kompas: the distinctive word for a broader search.
- Tichy kompas: a version without diacritics, if the source does not treat it as equivalent.
- Variations in how the words are combined: for example, different spacing or joining the words, where that makes sense for the name.
You do not need to search mechanically for every conceivable typo. Choose variations that relate to the actual spelling, pronunciation and distinctive part of the name.
If a query produces a large number of results, gradually narrow it down. If it produces none, try a shorter word or stem. The aim is to examine relevant names, not to obtain an empty list as quickly as possible.
2. Pay attention to the search mode you use
Searching from the beginning of a name and searching for a word within a name can produce different results. If the interface offers these modes, try the relevant options and record them. The Ministry of Justice's official help page describes searching and working with results and extracts.
For “Tichý kompas”, searching for Kompas only at the beginning of a name could cover a different range than searching for that word within a longer name. Without knowing the mode used, the note “Kompas not found” is not precise enough.
Do not immediately restrict the search to your own town or registered office location. That could hide a business with a relevant name based elsewhere. Use filters to navigate the results, but keep a record of the initial broader search.
3. Open the details of a relevant entity
The results list is a starting point. For an identical or similar name, save the link and review:
- The exact registered name. Do not compare only the shortened label in the results.
- The IČO. This identification number helps distinguish entities and find the same record in another source.
- The legal form and status. Record how the entity is listed and whether the information is current or historical.
- The registered office and other available information. These help identify the entity; they are not, by themselves, a verdict on whether the names could be confused.
- The current extract and, where relevant, the historical extract. The history may explain former names or changes to the information.
The ministry's help page distinguishes an extract of current information from a full extract containing the history. If you find an old name, note whether it is still current. Do not mistake a former name for the current registered business name. Equally, do not assume that changing it automatically removes all other legal considerations relating to that name.
Use the collection of documents if you need to substantiate or understand a particular detail. An initial name check does not require reading every company document.
4. Describe the similarity precisely
For each result, write down what is similar: the entire name, its distinctive stem, the pronunciation or the word order. A useful note might read:
The candidate contains the same distinctive stem as the company we found. It differs through an added generic word. We need to assess whether that difference sufficiently distinguishes the name as a whole.
This is a question to investigate, not a conclusion that there is a conflict. Do not treat adding a legal form, a generic word or a different address as resolving the uncertainty.
Under Section 424 of the Czech Civil Code, a registered business name must not be capable of being confused with another registered business name or be misleading. A search tool gives you information to work with; it does not approve your proposed name for registration in advance.
If the similarity is relevant and you cannot assess it, give the exact names and links to a notary or lawyer. A vague statement that “there is something similar in the database” is not enough for a useful assessment.
For the next decision, see the guide to similar company names: what to do when you find a match.
5. Separate a name search from checking a particular company
When choosing a new name, you are asking which identical or similar names already exist. When checking a supplier, you are asking exactly who is behind the offer. These are two different tasks.
For a known supplier, use its IČO and compare the identifying information with the documents you have. For a new name, you need a broader search based on words. Finding one record by IČO does not constitute a search for name availability.
Likewise, do not assume that a brand does not exist because you did not find a company. A product or shop may use a different name from the one under which its operator appears in the register.
What does a search with no results mean?
The precise conclusion is: we did not find a matching record in this source, using this query and these filters. You can broaden the scope with further variations, but even then you do not automatically obtain complete legal clearance for the name.
Keep a simple record:
Candidate: the exact proposed name Date and source: when and where we searched Queries and modes: the full name, stems, variations and filters Findings: registered names, IČO numbers and links Uncertainties: similarities or information requiring verification Next step: further searching or professional assessment
If the source is unavailable or you cannot complete the search, mark that part as unchecked. A technical outage is not a search with no results.
What to check after the register
Next come trademarks, actual use of the name in the market, and domains. Their relationship is explained in the guide to company names, brands, domains and trademarks. A register search does not replace these other checks.
If you are choosing a new name for an existing Czech s.r.o., also read about changing a company name and renaming a company. Checking the candidate is preparation; the change itself requires further legal and operational steps.
For an initial overview, you can check your proposed name on OverNazev.cz. Pay attention to the source and check status shown in the result, and open the details of relevant findings.