Arizona LLC Name Reservation

Your company name is important. It’s your first impression, and it’s how people will remember you. You don’t want to be the business with a forgettable name. So, when you’ve got that perfect name in mind, that clever alliteration or meaningful acronym, you might think about reserving it before someone else does.

Naming your company is one of the first official steps when starting an LLC in Arizona. In certain situations, it may be necessary to reserve a business name while you’re preparing to bring your business idea to life. In this article, we’ll explain when reserving a business name is necessary and guide you through all the steps involved.

Are You Required to Reserve a Business Name?

While you have the option to reserve your business name in Arizona, the state doesn’t require it before forming your LLC. You can simply register your name at the time that you submit your Articles of Organization.

Should You Reserve Your LLC Name?

Maybe it took you sleepless nights of brainstorming, or maybe you thought of it while sitting at a traffic light. No matter how you came up with your memorable LLC name, you’ll want to make sure that it’s available and ready to use when you file your Arizona LLC registration.

You have the option to reserve your LLC name, but it’ll cost you $10 by mail and $45 online. Overall, it’s cheaper to skip this fee and simply start your business, which will lock in your name automatically.

However, there are cases where you may not be ready to officially start your business. Filing an application to reserve your business name gives you “dibs” and ensures that competitors aren’t able to snag it while you’re preparing for launch.

If your business name is unique, including unusual spellings or characters and/or family names, it may not be necessary to reserve an Arizona business name ahead of time. Plus, paying the extra state fee to reserve your business name could be a waste of resources if you’re planning to launch your business soon after.

How Do I Reserve a Business Name in Arizona?

Got a name in mind? Perfect. Follow these steps to reserve it.

Before submitting your application to reserve your business name, you first need to check name availability by performing an Arizona LLC name search. The Arizona Corporation Commission makes it pretty easy. Simply enter your LLC name into the Business Entity Database and click “Name Availability Check.” Don’t forget that you also need to comply with other business entity name restrictions from the state of Arizona (find them all here). All good? Then check to see if your LLC name is available. If it is, let out a sigh of relief — you’re ready to reserve it or form your LLC.

We recommend filing online for multiple reasons, but mostly because it’s incredibly quick. On the A.C.C. eCorp page, click register to create your account. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to complete your application. It will be processed and take effect immediately. The fee for online filing is $45 and can be paid by credit card.

By comparison, the $10 filing fee for a paper application initially looks pretty good. But consider this: the expedited processing fee for mailed applications is an additional $35, so if you want it done quickly, the cost is the same. Additionally, keep in mind that the state of Arizona requires you to submit a Cover Sheet with any paper document.

But if you want to file via mail, it’s a totally valid option. You’ll want to complete an Application to Reserve LLC Name and mail it, along with your cover sheet and $10 or $45 payment to:

Arizona Corporation Commission

Corporations Division

1300 W. Washington St.

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

If you’re local to Phoenix, you can also deliver your materials to the same address.

Here are the payment options accepted for each type of filing:

Online: Credit card

Mail: Check or money order

In-Person: Check, cash, money order, or credit card

And that’s it! Your name has been reserved. It’s important to remember that reserving a name does not launch or register your LLC in Arizona; you’ll need to file an Articles of Organization for that. Check out our guide on it.

How Long Does an Arizona Business Name Reservation Last?

Anyone planning to do business within the state of Arizona can reserve an entity name. Filing your name reservation prevents another entity from using that name to conduct business in the state during the time of your hold. An entity name reservation in the state of Arizona will hold your business name for 120 days. But be careful! Once a reservation expires, it can’t be renewed by the same person again. When you apply, make sure you’re prepared to launch your LLC within the 120-day window or you could lose your name to someone else.

You may, however, transfer your name reservation to someone else by filing a Notice of Transfer of LLC Name Reservation with the Arizona Corporation Commission. You must file this form within the reservation’s 120-day window. It doesn’t extend or renew the reservation; it simply files it under a different name.

Wrapping up and Choosing the Best Route

Your LLC name is an important part of the business. If you’re not ready to launch your business, but you’ve got a perfect name and you think someone else might claim it, consider reserving it.

However, if your business is ready for takeoff, use our comprehensive guide to forming an LLC in Arizona to get started instead. This way, rather than paying an additional $10-45 for the name reservation application, you’ll only pay the one-time $50 Arizona LLC formation fee to claim your name and form the LLC at the same time. $45 isn’t a fortune by any means, but this will at least save you the hassle of reserving a name and registering an LLC separately.