Name Reservation

Reserve Your Business Name in One or More States

  • Order online and get started in minutes
  • We reserve your business name, ensuring it’s available for use
  • Starting at $100 plus filing fees
- Rated 4.4/5 by 104 clients on Google

Order Online
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Claim Your Name

Our name reservation service allows you to register your name before you form your business. Reserving your name before preparing your formation or qualification documents ensures it will be available for use when you’re ready to file. Convenient web-based ordering makes the process quick and painless.

Don’t waste time checking name availability and filing reservation forms. We’ll handle the process end-to-end so you can get back to business.

Ultimate Convenience

  • File Right the First Time

    Do you intend to form a business or series of businesses? By registering your intended names first, you ensure your formation documents won’t need to be edited and resubmitted due to a naming conflict.
  • Multiple States, One Convenient Service

    Planning to foreign qualify your business in multiple states? Reserving your name will ensure it’s available when you file your application for certificate of authority. We can complete the necessary name reservation forms across all 50 states, so you can quickly claim your name wherever you choose to operate.
  • Fast Processing

    Receive expedited processing times wherever available. We have offices nationwide for in-person filing and rapid turnaround times, so you’ll have proof of name reservation quickly and reliably.
  • Instant Online Ordering

    We make it easy to reserve your name wherever you register to do business. Simply provide your information in our convenient online form, and we’ll complete the name research and forms.
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The Best Protection

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  • Proceed With Confidence

    Harness the expertise of our filing experts through Compliance Gaps. After your entity is established, Compliance Gaps suggests regulatory filings commonly required of organizations like yours in the states where you operate.
  • Comprehensive Support

    We can help you with any additional tax registrations or business licenses needed. Our compliance services are a perfect fit for organizations that plan to hire employees, sell physical goods, or open offices in other states.

How Our Name Reservation Service Works

Complete the online form to order our name reservation service. Once we have submitted your forms, we will track their progress and send confirmation when they are approved.

Reserving Your Name

Step One

Enter your desired legal name.

Get Started
Step Two

We check name availability and, if available, prepare and submit the required forms to reserve your name.

Step Three

Receive confirmation of your name reservation.

Harbor Compliance not only met, but exceeded my expectations. Very courteous and knowledgeable staff. Turn-around time was nothing short of a miracle. Thanks you so much Harbor Compliance, you came through when I needed it most!

Patrick Blazer Inspection, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

By reserving a name with the secretary of state before forming your business in your home state or registering your business in a foreign state, you temporarily prevent others from using it for their entities.

Name reservation is not a requirement to form a business or foreign qualify in most states. However, some states do require name reservation as a prerequisite to forming your business.

If you draft formation documents or attempt to foreign qualify without reserving your name and run into a naming conflict, you need to redraft all of your filings with a name that’s available. Name reservation helps you avoid duplicating work. It’s especially helpful if you have your heart set on a name but expect to wait weeks or months before submitting your state filings.

Name reservation typically provides protection for a period of 120 days, but this figure varies by state. Many states allow reservations to be renewed after the initial protection period ends. Additionally, some states allow foreign entities to protect a name over a longer term (typically one year) by filing a name registration.

Free Reference
How to Protect Your Entity Name Wherever You Plan to Operate

Reference this online guide for information on how to reserve your entity name across all 50 states.