Start a Business in Kansas
Kansas LLC Name Reservation
This guide will show you how to search for and lock down the perfect business name for your Kansas LLC. Read on to learn more or form an LLC with ZenBusiness today for $0 + state fee: $166
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 Kansas. In certain situations, it may be beneficial 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 can be helpful and guide you through all the steps involved.
Are You Required to Reserve a Business Name?
Not at all. The Kansas Secretary of State offers business name reservations for entrepreneurs that might not be ready to form their LLCs yet, but there is no obligation involved. Filing your Articles of Organization will automatically register your name, so if you’re ready to launch your business, you can get started there.
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 Kansas LLC registration.
You have the option to reserve your LLC name, but it’ll cost you a $30 (online) or $35 (mailed) fee. 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 a Kansas 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 Kansas?
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 a Kansas LLC name search. The Name Availability feature of the Kansas Business Center website makes it easy. All you have to do is search for your desired name and see if it returns any results. Don’t forget that you also need to comply with other business entity name restrictions from the state of Kansas (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.
If you have a creative name in mind and you want to lock it down right away, filing online is the quickest method. Pay a visit to the Kansas Business Center website and click “Name Reservation” on the left side of the page. You will need to create an account, but if you follow the on-screen instructions, the whole process will be finished in no time. The fee to reserve a name online is $30 and can be paid with a credit/debit card.
If you like to leave a paper trail, feel free to download and complete a Form NR 52-01 instead. When you’ve finished the form, mail or hand-deliver it, along with a $35 payment, to:
Kansas Office of the Secretary of State
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 S.W. 10th Ave.
Topeka, Kansas 66612-1594
Faxed forms are also allowed but come with an additional $20 fee. The Secretary of State’s fax number is (785) 296-4570.
Payment submitted with any paper documents should be via check or money order, made payable to the “Kansas Secretary of State.”
Kansas Secretary of State Contact Information
| Mailing Address: 120 SW 10th Avenue Topeka, KS 66612-1594 | Email: kssos@ks.gov |
| Telephone: 785-296-4564 | Website: https://www.sos.ks.gov/ |
How Long Does a Kansas Business Name Reservation Last?
Anyone planning to do business within the state of Kansas can reserve an entity name. The good news? You can reserve a business name for 120 days. The bad news? You can’t renew your reservation when it expires.
Filing your name reservation prevents another entity from using that name to conduct business in the state during the time of your hold. Filing a Form NR 52-01: Temporary Reservation of Business Entity Name will give you sole ownership of your name for 120 days, after which it will be open for public use. Plan carefully! If you’re not ready to start your business within 120 days, consider holding off on your name reservation. Otherwise, you might be at risk of losing your name to someone else.
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 Kansas to get started instead. This way, rather than paying an additional $30 for the name reservation application, you’ll only pay the one-time $165 Kansas LLC formation fee to claim your name and form the LLC at the same time. $30 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.
Save Time by Using a Professional LLC Service
As a business owner, you have a lot to think about. Pile on the responsibility of handling state correspondence, LLC tax information, and more while keeping your LLC compliant, and you’ve got yourself a pretty full plate.
Sometimes the best move is to let someone else take care of the paperwork for you. This way, you can sleep easy knowing you’ll never miss a deadline or compliance requirement with the state. While LegalZoom is by far the most well-known LLC formation service and has decent overall value, ZenBusiness is an entrepreneur favorite. Other than that, IncFile and Northwest are two other popular options with appeals of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Kansas doesn’t have too many restrictions regarding the terms you can use in your business name, but it does have a few. For instance, you can’t use terms that refer to other business entity types, and you need to avoid terms that imply an association with banking, insurance, or government entities as well.
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No. In fact, Alabama is the only state that requires entrepreneurs to reserve a business name before forming an LLC. In Kansas and the other 48 states, this is an optional and largely unnecessary step.
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The state of Kansas is home to nearly 275,000 small businesses. Entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and business types find that Kansas is a great place to own and operate a small business.
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The Kansas chapter of the Small Business Development Center is a great place to start, as they offer a wide variety of tools and resources for Kansas LLCs. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Kansas District Office is another valuable resource, and the state’s small business resource page also has plenty of good info.
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The overall costs of operating a Kansas LLC can vary considerably based on the specifics of your business. However, we created a helpful guide to help you identify and plan for every expense your LLC will face in this state.
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The answer to this question lies in your personal preferences, but we can give some general pointers. An attorney will cost the most by a mile, but also provides expertise you won’t find with the other options. The DIY route is free of charge but can require quite a bit of legwork and provides no peace of mind that the process is being completed correctly.
Using an LLC service means your business will be formed by professionals who know what they’re doing, while also costing significantly less than a lawyer. This “best of both worlds” attribute is what makes LLC services our preferred option.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Kansas Business Resources
How to Reserve an LLC Name in all 50 States
We break down the LLC Name Reservation process for all 50 states. View all of our guides below.
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