Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma. 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?

No, the state of Oklahoma does not require you to reserve your company name before forming your LLC. It’s an option, not an obligation. If you’re ready to start your business and would rather dive straight into your Articles of Organization, go right ahead.

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 Oklahoma LLC registration.

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

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 Oklahoma 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 Long Does a Oklahoma Business Name Reservation Last?

Anyone planning to do business within the state of Oklahoma can reserve an entity name. Filing your name registration prevents another entity from using that name to conduct business in the state during the time of your hold. An entity name reservation in Oklahoma will make you the sole owner of that name for 60 days, after which it’s released to the public again. You’ll want to form your LLC within these 60 days to ensure you can use that name.

Don’t want that name anymore? You can transfer your reservation to another person by submitting a notice of transfer to the Secretary of State’s Office (according to Oklahoma Revised Statutes 503 §18-2009).

How do I Reserve a Business Name in Oklahoma?

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 using the Secretary of State’s Name Availability Search. Simply enter your desired name to see if it’s already in use. Don’t forget that you also need to comply with other business entity name restrictions from the state of Oklahoma (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.

You have three hoptions for submitting your name reservation request: online, by mail, and in person. Feel free to go with whichever works best for you, but know that filing online is the quickest and easiest method. Here’s how to go about it:

Online: Navigate to the Secretary of State’s Entity Filings page. From the Business Services homepage, click “Business Entity” in the column labeled “File Online.” On the right side of the Entity Filings page, click “Name Reservation” followed by “Start New,” and you’ll be off and running.

By Mail: You’ll first need to download an “Application for Reservation of Name,” from the Downloadable Business Forms page. When you’ve completed the form, mail it to:

Oklahoma Secretary of State

421 N.W. 13th St.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103

In Person: If you live near Oklahoma City and happen to be out and about, you can drop your form off at the mailing address listed above.

It costs $10 to reserve a business name in Oklahoma. For online or hand-delivered filings, pay via card or check, and for mailed ones by check, which you can make payable to “Oklahoma Secretary of State.”

There you go! That’s all you need to do to claim your name. Typical processing time is 5-7 business days for mailed documents and one day for online submissions. Hand delivered forms will be processed while you wait. The next step in your LLC journey is the Articles of Organization. Check out our comprehensive guide for that process here.

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 Oklahoma to get started instead. This way, rather than paying an additional $10 for the name reservation application, you’ll only pay the one-time $100 Oklahoma LLC formation fee to claim your name and form the LLC at the same time. $10 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.