Delaware Business Name Reservation

If you are thinking to register a business in Delaware, you may consider reserving the business name first.

As the formation of business can take some time. There is a lot to think about like the type of business to form, discussing between the partner(s) about the equity and getting filing documents ready. From my experience, the whole process can extend quite a bit.

So, by paying a  fee of $70, you can protect the business name you have chosen from being registered by someone else till you are ready for filing. The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which can be further renewed and transferred.

Delaware Business Name Requirement

Delaware Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Association”, “Company”, “Corporation”, “Club”, “Foundation”, “Fund”, “Incorporated”, “Institute”, “Society”, “Union”, “Syndicate” or “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must end with either “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “Association”, “Company”, “Club”, “Foundation”, “Fund”, “Institute”, “Society”, “Union”, “Syndicate”, “Limited” or “Trust”.

Prohibited words:

• Language stating or implying the entity is formed for an impermissible purpose.
• Certain words such as college, bank, insurance etc are restricted to use without approval from the concerned board.

Check for Business Name Availability

Now that you are aware of the rules and regulations to be followed while naming the business, you can now proceed to the actual name selection.

Delaware SOS provides an online tool to check the availability of any business name. You can use this tool to find and research name for your business. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to conduct the business name search here.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be filed by mail or online. We recommend filing it online as the process is instant.

By Online:

1. Open Delaware name reservation page – Link.
2. Select the entity type and enter the business name you would like to reserve.
3. Click on ‘Search‘ button.
4. On the next page, you can view if the name is available for registration or not.
5. Proceed with the payment of $75.

By Mail:

Download Form	LLC Corporation Partnership
Fees	$75
Address	Delaware Division of Corporations 401 Federal Street – Suite 4 Dover, DE 19901
Processing Time	Around 3 days after the receipt

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order/check drawn in favor of “Delaware Secretary of State“.
4. Send the filled form to
   Delaware Division of Corporations
   401 Federal Street – Suite 4
   Dover, DE 19901

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (302)-739-3073 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• http://delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/index.shtml

Last Updated: 25/09/2018

The post Delaware Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/de/delaware-business-name-reservation/

Arkansas Business Name Reservation

Suppose ‘Andy‘ wants to start a business in Arkansas. Out of excitement, he starts searching for the perfect business name for his business. And after lots of ideation, he finally selects the name for his business.

He visits the Secretary of State website and starts the business formation process. But his excitement is short lived. Do you know WHY!!!

Because for forming a business, there are quite a number of documents required to be filled like filing articles of organization, operating agreement etc. And poor ‘Andy‘ does not have the documents ready.

So now what?

Will ‘Andy‘ lose his chosen business name? No! For such scenarios business name reservation comes in handy.  All ‘Andy’ needs to do is file a simple name reservation form and pay a small amount of $25 to reserve the business name.

This protects the business name from being registered by someone for a period of 120 days and by that time ‘Andy‘ can prepare for business formation. Also, the business name reservation can be further renewed and transferred to someone else.

Arkansas Business Name Requirement

Arkansas Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while finalizing the business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must end with either “Corporation”, “Company”, “Incorporated” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must end with either “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “L.C.”, “LLC”, “LC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company” or “Co.”

Prohibited words:

• Language stating or implying the entity is formed for an impermissible purpose.
• Certain words such as college, bank, insurance etc are restricted to use without approval from the concerned board.

Check for Business Name Availability

Now that you are aware of the rules and regulations to be followed while naming the business, you can now proceed to the actual name selection.

Arkansas SOS provides an online tool to check the availability of any business name. You can use this tool to find and research name for your business. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to conduct the business name search here.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done by Mail or Online. We recommend filing it online as the process is instant. 

Online

1. Open online name reservation page – Link.
2. Select filing act as 1003 of 1993.
3. Enter the business name you would like to reserve.
4. Fill in the contact information and accept the agreement.
5. Complete the payment of $22.50.
6. The business name you have chosen is successfully reserved.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$22.50
Address	Secretary of State’s Business and Commercial Services Division, 1401 W. Capitol, Suite 250, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Processing Time	Around 5 days after the receipt

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Arkansas Secretary of State“.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Secretary of State’s Business and Commercial Services Division,
   1401 W. Capitol, Suite 250, Little
   Rock, Arkansas 72201

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at 501-682-3409 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-4/subtitle-3/chapter-32/subchapter-1/4-32-103/

Last Updated: 25/09/2018

The post Arkansas Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ar/arkansas-business-name-reservation/

Connecticut Business Name Reservation

In this article, we have described step by step instructions involved to file for business name reservation in Connecticut. Typically name reservation is done to protect the business name from being registered by someone, till the time business is officially formed.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days and which can be further renewed. The reservation can also be transferred to any third party during the holding period.

To file for business name reservation the first step is to determine whether the business name chosen is unique or not. Also, there are certain naming requirements that must be kept in mind while choosing the name.

Connecticut Business Name Requirement

Connecticut Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with the state. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must end with the words “Corporation”, “Company”, “Incorporated”, “Limited”, “Societa per Azioni” or any similar abbreviation.
• For LLC:
  Must end with the words“Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company”, “Co.” or any similar abbreviation.

Prohibited words:
Certain words such as bank, insurance,  trust etc cannot be included in the name without prior approval from the concerned authorities.

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

The business name you choose must be unique and not similar to any existing business name. You can conduct a simple business entity search on the SOS website to verify it. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Connecticut.

How to Reserve Business Name in Connecticut

Business name reservation can be filed over mail. The process can take upto 2 weeks.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$60
Address	Commercial Recording Division, Connecticut Secretary Of The State, 30 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT 06106
Processing Time	Around 2 weeks after the receipt

1. Download the name reservation form (Link above).
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Secretary of State“.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Commercial Recording Division,
   Connecticut Secretary Of The State,
   30 Trinity Street,
   Hartford, CT 06106

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (860) 509-6200 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://ift.tt/2PZaDl2

Last fact-checked on 24/09/2018

The post Connecticut Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ct/connecticut-business-name-reservation/

Colorado Business Name Reservation

Are looking for instructions on how to reserve a business name in Colorado? If yes, then you have come to the right place. On this page, we have provided step by step instructions on how to file for business name reservation and have also mentioned business naming requirement.

Typically name reservation is done to protect the business name from being registered by someone else, till the time business is officially formed.  The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days and it is transferable.

To file for business name reservation the first step is to determine whether the business name chosen is unique or not. Also, there are certain naming requirements that must be kept in mind while choosing the name.

Colorado Business Naming Requirement

Colorado Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with the SOS. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “Ltd. Liability Company”, “Limited Liability Co.”, “Ltd.”, “Liability Co.”, “Limited”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “Ltd.” or an abbreviation of the mentioned words.

Prohibited words:

• Words such as bank, insurance or trust need special permission from the concerned authorities.

Check Business Name Availability

The name you choose for your business must be unique and not similar to any existing business name. You can conduct a simple business entity search on the SOS website to verify it. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Colorado.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be filed online. And you can instantly reserve the business name.

Online:

• Navigate to Alaska business name reservation page – Link.
• On the next page, enter the business name you are looking to reserve.
• Fill up the business address and owner(s) detail.
• Click on ‘Proceed‘ button and make the payment of $25.

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at 1-303-894-2200 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-7/corporations-and-associations/article-90/part-6/section-7-90-601/

Last Updated: 07/08/2018

The post Colorado Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/co/colorado-business-name-reservation/

Alaska Business Name Reservation

In this article, we have described step by step instructions involved to file for business name reservation in Alaska. Typically name reservation is done to protect the business name from being registered by someone, till the time business is officially formed.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days and it is transferable.

To file for business name reservation the first step is to determine whether the business name chosen is unique or not. Also, there are certain naming requirements that must be kept in mind while choosing the name.

Alaska Business Name Requirement

Alaska Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with the state. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain the word “Incorporated”, “Limited”, “Company”, “Corporation” or any similar abbreviation.
• For LLC:
  Must contain the words “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “L.C.”, “LC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company”, “Co.”, “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “L.L.C.” or similar abbreviation.

Prohibited words:

• “City,” “borough” or “village” or terms implying entity is a municipality
• LLC name cannot include suffix reserved for corporations
• Corporation name cannot include suffix reserved for LLCs.

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

The name you choose for your business must be unique and not similar to any existing business name. You can conduct a simple business entity search on the SOS website to verify it. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Alaska.

How to Reserve Business Name in Alaska

Business name reservation can be done either by mail or online. Online mode is recommended as the process in instant.

Online:

• Navigate to Alaska business name reservation page – Link.
• On the next page, enter the business name you are looking to reserve.
• Fill up the business address and owner(s) detail.
• Click on ‘Proceed‘ button and make the payment of $25.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$25
Address	State of Alaska, Corporations Section, PO Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806
Processing Time	Around 2 weeks after the receipt

1. Download the name reservation form.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include your credit card details in the form.
4. Send the filled form to:
   State of Alaska, Corporations Section,
   PO Box 110806, Juneau,
   AK 99811-0806

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (907) 269-8100 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/corporations/reservingregisteringbusinessname.aspx/

Last fact-checked on 21/09/2018

The post Alaska Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ak/alaska-business-name-reservation/

Arizona Business Name Reservation

Let’s imagine a scenario:

Suppose ‘Andy‘ wants to start a business in Arizona. Out of excitement, he starts searching for the perfect business name for his business. And after lots of ideation, he finalizes the name for his business.

He visits the Secretary of State website and starts the business formation process. But his excitement is short lived. Do you know WHY!!!

Because for forming a business, there are quite a number of documents required to be filled like filing articles of organization, operating agreement etc. And poor ‘Andy‘ did have the documents ready.

So now what?

Will ‘Andy‘ lose his chosen business name? No! For such scenarios business name reservation comes in handy.  All ‘Andy‘ needs to do is file a simple name reservation form and pay a small amount of $10 to reserve the business name.

This protects the business name from being registered by someone for a period of 120 days till the time ‘Andy‘ prepares for business formation. Also, the business name reservation can be further renewed and transferred to someone else.

Arizona Business Name Requirement

Arizona Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while finalizing the business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.” or “LLC”.

Prohibited words:

• Language stating or implying the entity is formed for an impermissible purpose.
• Certain words such as college, bank, insurance etc are restricted to use without approval from the concerned board.

You can read more about the naming convention here:

• http://azcc.gov/Divisions/Corporations/name-reservations-online-info.asp
• http://www.azcc.gov/divisions/corporations/filings/namingpolicy.asp

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

To make sure your chosen business name is unique and distinguishable, you must search through Arizona SOS business records. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Arizona.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done by Mail and takes above 3 days to process after the receipt of the form.

By Mail

Download Form	LLC: Link Corporation: Link
Fees	$10 (Optional $35 expedite fee)
Address	Arizona Corporation Commission Corporate Filings Section 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Processing Time	Around 3 days after the receipt

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Download and fill he cover sheet – link.
4. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Arizona Corporation Commission“.
5. Send the filled form to:
   Arizona Corporation Commission
   Corporate Filings Section
   1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (602) 542-3026 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://www.azcc.gov/Divisions/Corporations/forms/starpas/instructionsSTPS/L001i-Instructions-Application-to-Reserve-LLC-Name-STPS.pdf

Last Updated: 20/09/2018

The post Arizona Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/az/arizona-business-name-reservation/

Kansas Business Name Reservation

Business name reservation can help you protect the business name to be registered by someone else till the time you officially for the business. Reserving business name is especially helpful in cases when you are sure to register the business in Kansas in next few months but are not ready yet.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which can be further renewed. The name reservation can also be transferred to any third party during the holding period.

Kansas Business Name Requirement

Kansas Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must end with either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, “Limited”, “Association”, “Church”, “College”, “Club”, “Foundation”, “Fund”, “Institute”, “Society”, “Union”, “University”, “Syndicate” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must end with either “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “L.C.”, “LLC, “LC”, “Company”, “Association”, “Club”, “Foundation”, “Fund”, “Institute”, “Society”, “Union”, “Syndicate”, “Limited” or “Trust”.
  LLC name can also contain the name of the member or manager.

Prohibited words:

• Language falsely indicating or implying the business is organized for an impermissible purpose
• An LLC cannot end with “Corporation”, “Corp”, “Co” etc.
• LLC name cannot include  “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, or “Limited”.

Check Business Name Availability

To make sure your chosen business name is unique and distinguishable, you must search through Kansas SOS business records. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Kansas.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done either online or by mail. We recommend filling the name reservation online as the process is instant.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$35
Address	Memorial Hall, 1st Floor 120 S.W. 10th Avenue Topeka, KS 66612-1594
Processing Time	Within 1 week

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Secretary of State“.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
   120 S.W. 10th Avenue
   Topeka, KS 66612-1594

Online

Link	Online
Fees	$30
Processing Time	Instant

Steps:

1. Create an account with KanAccess or if you already have an account simply Login.
2. Next, navigate to the name reservation page – link.
3. Fill up the business name you are looking to reserve and other required information.
4. Complete the payment.
5. If the payment is successful, you will receive a confirmation about the reservation.

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (785) 296-4564 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• www.kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/statute/

Last Updated: 20/09/2018

The post Kansas Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ks/kansas-business-name-reservation/

Kentucky Business Name Reservation

In this article, we will be discussing step by step instructions on how to reserve any business name in Kentucky.

Before officially forming your business (LLC, Corporation etc) in Kentucky, you may consider reserving the name for your company first. Reserving business name is especially helpful in cases when you are sure to form the business in next few months but are not ready yet. Name reservation can protect your business name, till the time you are ready for filing.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which cannot be further renewed. However, the business name reservation can be transferred during the holding period.

Kentucky Business Name Requirements

Kentucky Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “L.C.”, “LC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company”, or “Co.”

Prohibited words:

• Certain words such as bank, insurance,  trust etc cannot be included in the name without prior approval from the concerned authorities.
• LLC name cannot include “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, or “Limited”.
• Corporation name cannot include “LLC”, “Limited liability”, etc.

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

To make sure your chosen business name is unique and distinguishable, you must search through Kentucky SOS business records. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Kentucky.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done by mail. The process can take upto 1 week.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$10
Address	Division of Business Filings Business Filings PO Box 718 Frankfort, KY 4060
Processing Time	Upto 1 week

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Kentucky State Treasurer“.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Division of Business Filings
   Business Filings
   PO Box 718
   Frankfort, KY 4060

[/su_table]

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (502) 564-3490 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2011/275-00/

Last Updated: 25/08/2018

The post Kentucky Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ky/kentucky-business-name-reservation/

Illinois Business Name Reservation

In this article, we will be discussing step by step instructions on how to reserve any business in name Illinois.

Before officially forming your business (LLC, Corporation etc) in Illinois, you may consider reserving the name for your company first. Reserving business name is especially helpful in cases when you are sure to form the business in next few months but are not ready yet. Name reservation can protect your PERFECT business name, till the time you are ready for filing.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 90 days which can be further renewed. The business name reservation can also be transferred.

Illinois Business Name Requirement

Illinois Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must end with either “Corporation”, “Company”, “Incorporated” or “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must end with either “Limited liability company”, “L.L.C.” or “LLC”

Prohibited words:

• LLC name cannot contain “Corporation,” “Incorporation,” “Association,” “Limited,” “Limited Partnership” or any abbreviation thereof
• Certain words such as bank, insurance,  trust etc cannot be included in the name without prior approval from the concerned authorities.

Business Name Availability Search

To make sure your chosen business name is unique and distinguishable, you must search through Illinois  SOS business records. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Illinois.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done by mail. The process can take upto 5 days

By Mail

Download Form	LLC Partnership Corporation
Fees	LLC: $25 and $50 expedite fee Partnership: $50 and $50 expedite fee Corporation: $25 and $50 expedite fee
Address	LLC & Partnership Secretary of State Department of Business Services Limited Liability Division 501 S. Second St., Rm. 357 Springfield, IL 62756  Corporation Department of Business Services 501 S. Second St., Rm. 350 Springfield, IL 62756
Processing Time	Within 5 days after the receipt

1. Download the name reservation form (links are shared above).
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Secretary of State“.
4. Send the filled form to the address mentioned above.

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at 1800-252-8980 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://law.justia.com/codes/illinois/2016/chapter-805/act-805-ilcs-5/

Last Updated: 19/09/2018

The post Illinois Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/il/illinois-business-name-reservation/

Iowa Business Name Reservation

The first step in forming your business in Iowa is to check whether the business name you desire is available for registration or not. You can find information about the business name search here.

Once you are sure the name is available you can proceed with the formation of your business. In cases where you are sure about the name but are not yet ready for filing, in such scenarios name reservation can be used. Name reservation protects your business name from being registered by someone else.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which can be further renewed. It can also be transferred to any third party during the holding period.

Iowa Business Name Requirements

Iowa Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “L.C.”, “LC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company” or “Co.”

Prohibited words:

• Language falsely indicating or implying the business is organized for an impermissible purpose
• An LLC cannot end with “Corporation”, “Corp”, “Co” etc.
• A corporation cannot end with “LLC”, “Limited Liability Company” etc.

Business Name Availability

To make sure your chosen business name is unique and distinguishable, you must search through Iowa SOS business records. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Iowa here.

Business Name Reservation

Business name reservation can be filed over mail. The process can take upto 1 week.

By Mail

Download Form	https://sos.iowa.gov/business/pdf/635_0051.pdf/
Fees	$10
Address	Secretary Of State Business Services Division Lucas Building, 1st Floor Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Processing Time	Within 1 week

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Secretary of State”.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Secretary Of State
   Business Services Division
   Lucas Building, 1st Floor
   Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Contact:

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at 515-281-5204 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://sos.iowa.gov/

Last Updated: 19/09/2018

The post Iowa Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ia/iowa-business-name-reservation/

Idaho Business Name Reservation

Before officially forming your business (LLC, Corporation etc) in Idaho, you may consider reserving the name for your company first.

Reserving the business name is helpful in scenarios where you are sure to form the business in next few months but are not ready yet. Name reservation can protect your PERFECT business name, till the time you are ready for filing.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 4 months (120 days) which can not be further renewed. However, the business name reservation can be transferred during the holding period.

Idaho Business Name Requirement

Idaho Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Company”, “Incorporated”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “L.C.”, “LC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company” or “Co.”

Prohibited words:

• Language falsely stating or implying government affiliation.
• Permission must be obtained from relevant authorities before including specialized words such as bank, trust, insurance etc in the name.

Checking Business Name Availability

Now that you are aware of all the rules and regulation of naming your business, let’s proceed to searching for an actual name for your business.  Business name availability search can be carried out on the SOS website. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Idaho (ID).

Business Name Reservation

Business name reservation can be done by mail. The process can take upto 1 week.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$20 (optional expedite fee: +$20)
Address	Office of the Secretary of State 450 N 4th Street, PO Box 83720 Boise ID 83720
Processing Time	Within 1 week

1. Download the name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Secretary of State“.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Office of the Secretary of State
   450 N 4th Street, PO Box 83720
   Boise ID 83720

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (208) 334-2301 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://sos.idaho.gov/

Last Updated: 25/08/2018

The post Idaho Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/id/idaho-business-name-reservation/

Louisiana Business Name Reservation

Filing for name reservation in Louisiana will protect the business name from being registered by someone else.

If you are thinking to form your business at some point later but are sure about the name of the business then you can use the name reservation to protect the name for the time being.

The name can be reserved for the period of 60 days and can be renewed for two extensions of 30 days. The name reservation can be transferred to somebody else during the holding period.

Louisiana Business Name Requirement

Louisiana Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  – Must contain either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
  – “Company” or “Co.” may be used provided they are not immediately preceded by “and” or “&”.
• For LLC
  – Must contain either “Limited liability company”, “L.L.C.” or “LC”.
  – Low-profit limited liability company must contain L3C in the name.

Prohibited words:

• Permission must be taken from concerned authorities to use terms related to licensed professions, businesses or industries.
• Deceptive or false names which assert the business as charitable or non-profit are rejected.

Business Name Search

Based on the information shared above, proceed to search for the business name on the SOS website. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Louisiana.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done over mail, online or in-person. Online mode is recommended as the request is immediately processed.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$25
Address	P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
Processing Time	Within 1 week

1. Download the Louisiana name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill up the form.
3. Include the money order or check drawn in favor of “Secretary of State”.
4. Send the filled form to:
   P.O. Box 94125,
   Baton Rouge,
   LA 70804-9125

Online

Link	Online
Fees	$25 + $5 Convenience Fee
Processing Time	Instant

Steps:

1. Create an account with geauxBIZ or login into your account if you already have one.
2. Click on ‘Getting Started’ button.
3. On the next page, select ‘Reserve a new business name’ option.
4. Select your business type.
5. Next, enter the name to be reserved and contact information.
6. Make the payment.
7. You will receive a confirmation of the name reservation on the final page.

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (503)-986-2200 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2011/rs/title12/rs12-23/

Last Updated: 25/08/2018

The post Louisiana Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/la/louisiana-business-name-reservation/

Maine Business Name Reservation

In this article, we will be discussing steps involved to reserve a business name in Maine.

Generally, Name Reservation is done to protect the business name from being registered by someone else till the time business is officially registered. Name reservation requests are handled by Maine Secretary of State.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days. The reservation cannot be renewed but it can be transferred during the holding period.

Maine Business Name Requirement

Maine Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must end with “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  – Must end with either “Limited Liability Company”, “Limited Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “L.C.”, “LC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company” or “Co.”
  – Low-profit limited liability company must end with ‘L3C‘.

Prohibited words:

• Language stating/implying corporation is organized for an impermissible purpose
• Language that is obscene, inappropriately promotes abusive or unlawful activity or falsely suggests an association with public institutions

How to Check Business Name Availability

Now that you are aware of various business name restrictions, proceed to search for the business name. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Maine.

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done by mail.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$20 Expedite Service: ($50 for 24 service / $100 for immediate)
Address	Secretary of State Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions 101 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0101
Processing Time	Depends on the fees paid

1. Download the Pennsylvania Name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order/check/credit card payment.
   Check/money order must be drawn in name of “Secretary of State”.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Secretary of State
   Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
   101 State House Station
   Augusta, ME 04333-0101

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (207) 624-7752 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/31/title31sec1509.html/

Last Updated: 18/09/2018

The post Maine Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/me/maine-business-name-reservation/

Indiana Business Name Reservation

In this article, we will be discussing steps involved to reserve a business name in Indiana. InBiz which is the sub-division of Indiana Secretary of State handles business name reservation process.

Generally, name reservation is done to protect the business name from being registered by someone else till the time business is officially formed.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which can be further renewed. The business name reservation can also be transferred.

Indiana Business Name Requirement

Indiana Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Company”, “Incorporated”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  – Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.”,  or “LLC”.
  – LLC name may contain the name of manager or member.

Prohibited words:

• Language which states or implies the business is organized for an impermissible purpose

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

Now that you have understood the business name requirements, you conduct the business name availability search.

You can find information on how to search for a business name in Indiana here.

How to Reserve Business Name

In Indiana, you can reserve the business name online instantly. Follow the guide below:

Link	Online
Fees	$10
Processing Time	Instant

Steps: 

1. Create an account with “Access Indiana” – Link. If you already have an account, then you can directly login.
2. On the next page, click on “Online Services” link.
3. Next, under SOS Business Division click on “Name Reservation“.
4. Enter the name of the business and fill out the applicant information.
5. Make the payment of $10 using credit/debit card.
6. You will receive name reservation confirmation on the next page.

Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at 1-317-234-9768 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/2012/title23/article15/chapter1/

Last Updated: 18/09/2018

The post Indiana Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/in/indiana-business-name-reservation/

California Business Name Reservation

Business name reservation is an optional step which can be done to protect the name you have chosen for your business.

Reserving business name is especially helpful in cases when you are sure to form the business in next few months but are not ready yet. Name reservation can protect your PERFECT business name, till the time you are ready for filing.

In California, the business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which can be further renewed. The reservation can also be transferred to any third party.

California Business Name Requirement

California Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must end with either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must end with either “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.” or “LLC”.

Prohibited words:

• Using special words such as “Bank“, “Trust“, “University” etc. in the name would require special permission from concerned authorities.
• Corporation name cannot contain words such as “Limited Liability“, “LLC” etc.

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

Now that you know the specifics of selecting a business name. You can head onto the SOS website to check the name availability search. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in California (CA).

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done over mail or in-person.

Download Form	Link
Fees	$10
Address	Secretary of State, Name Availability Unit, 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
Processing Time	Refer this link for current processing time

1. Download the Pennsylvania Name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the check of $10 drawn in favor of “Secretary of State”.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Secretary of State,
   Name Availability Unit,
   1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor,
   Sacramento, CA 95814

In-Person

Name reservation form can be dropped off in person as the SOS Office. Here is the address:
1500 11th St, Sacramento,
CA 95814, USA
Forms must be deposited between 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

An additional deposit of $10 is required for the in-person drop. So the total cost of the name reservation would be $20.

Contact:

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (916) 653-6814 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/corporations-code/corp-sect-17708-05.html/
• https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/corporations-code/corp-sect-15901-08.html/

Last Updated: 18/09/2018

The post California Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/ca/california-business-name-reservation/

Hawaii Business Name Reservation

Before officially forming your business (LLC, Corporation etc) in Hawaii, you may consider reserving the name for your company first. Reserving business name is especially helpful in cases when you are sure to form the business in next few months but are not ready yet. Name reservation can protect your PERFECT business name, till the time you are ready for filing.

The business name can be reserved for the period of 120 days which can be further renewed. The business name reservation can also be transferred.

---

Hawaii Business Name Requirement

Hawaii Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Limited” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain either “Limited Liability Company”, “LLC” or “L.L.C.”.
  Limited may be abbreviated as “Ltd.”
  Company may be abbreviated as “Co.”

Prohibited words:

• Language falsely stating or implying government affiliation or stating or implying that the business is organized for an impermissible purpose

---

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

Hawaii SOS provides an online tool to check the availability of any business name. You can use this tool to find and research name for your business. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Hawaii.

---

How to Reserve Business Name

Business name reservation can be done over mail or Online. The online process is recommended as its instant.

By Mail

Download Form	Link
Fees	$10
Address	P.O. Box 40, Honolulu, Hawaii 96810
Processing Time	Within 5 days after the receipt

1. Download the Pennsylvania Name reservation form – Link.
2. Fill the form with the requested details.
3. Include the money order/check/credit card payment.
   Check/money order must be drawn in name of “Department Of Commerce And Consumer Affairs“.
4. Send the filled form to:
   Pennsylvania Department of State
   Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
   P.O. Box 8722
   Harrisburg, PA 17105

Online

Link	Online
Fees	$10
Processing Time	Instant

---

Hawaii Secretary of State Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at (808) 586-2727 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• http://cca.hawaii.gov/breg/

Last Updated: 25/08/2018

The post Hawaii Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/hi/hawaii-business-name-reservation/

Florida Business Name Reservation

Florida is the only state in USA which does not allow business name reservation. All the registrations are done on first come, firs serve basis.

However on this page you find information about business naming requirement and prohibited words.

---

Florida Business Name Requirement

Florida Secretary of State has mandated certain requirements which you must keep in mind while selecting a business name.

The business name must be unique and distinguishable from any existing business entity name registered with Secretary of State. Also any difference in grammar, similarly sounding business name, or using stop words does not make the business name unique and it will lead to the name being rejected.

For example following names are not distinguishable:

• Justin Plumber LLC vs The Justin Plumber LLC
• Mango Farm LLC vs Mango Farms LLC
• Jake & Mary Corporation vs Jake and Mary Corporation

Required suffix in the business name:

• For Corporations:
  Must contain either “Corporation”, “Company”, “Incorporated” or an abbreviation of one of such words.
• For LLC
  Must contain “Limited Liability Company”, “L.L.C.”, “LLC”, “Limited”, “Ltd.”, “Company” or “Co.” as last word.

Prohibited words:

• Language indicating or implying the business entity is organized an impermissible purpose.
• LLC name cannot include  “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Company”, or “Limited”.

---

Checking the Availability of a Business Name

Florida SOS provides an online tool to check the availability of any business name. You can use this tool to find and research name for your business. We have written an in-depth tutorial on how to search for a business name in Florida.

---

How to Reserve Business Name

Name reservation is not available in Florida.

---

Florida Secretary of State Contact

For any queries, you can contact the SOS at 850-245-6000 during business hours.

---

Reference:

• http://dos.myflorida.com/

Last Updated: 04/09/2018

The post Florida Business Name Reservation appeared first on BusinessEntity.org.

source https://businessentity.org/fl/florida-business-name-reservation/