To register a business name in Alabama, reserve the name with the Secretary of State for $25 by mail or $28 online, then file your entity’s formation documents. The reservation holds your chosen name for one year and gives you time to prepare the paperwork that actually creates the business. The name must follow Alabama’s rules on entity designators, distinguishability, and restricted words, or the state will reject the filing.
Make Sure the Name Will Be Accepted
Alabama applies three tests to every proposed business name. Clear all three before you pay for a reservation.
Use the Correct Entity Designator
Your name has to include a word or abbreviation that identifies the legal structure:
- Corporations must include “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Corp.,” or “Inc.” Benefit corporations must include “Benefit Corporation,” “B.C.,” or “BC” and cannot use “Incorporated.”1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 10A-1-5.04 – Name of Corporation or Foreign Corporation
- Limited liability companies must include “Limited Liability Company,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC.”2Alabama Secretary of State. LLCs
- Limited partnerships must include “Limited Partnership,” “Limited,” “L.P.,” “LP,” or “Ltd.” A standard limited partnership cannot use “Limited Liability Limited Partnership,” “LLLP,” or “L.L.L.P.”3Alabama Secretary of State. Domestic Name Reservation
A missing or wrong designator is one of the most common reasons a filing comes back rejected.
The Name Must Be Distinguishable
Every entity name on file with the Secretary of State has to be distinguishable from every other name already registered, reserved, or in use. A name that is identical or deceptively similar to one on record will be rejected, and the rule applies to both Alabama entities and foreign entities registering in the state.4Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 10A-1-5.03 – Names Prohibited The test is whether an ordinary person could confuse your business with an existing one based on the name alone.
Watch for Restricted Words
Alabama bars any name that suggests the business is engaged in activities it is not authorized to perform.5Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 10A-1-5.02 – Unauthorized Purpose in Name Prohibited Several words trigger an extra approval step before the Secretary of State will accept your filing:
- “Bank,” “banker,” or “banking” are reserved for banking corporations. Anyone else wanting to use them needs a Letter of No Objection from the Alabama State Banking Department, which costs $100.6Alabama State Banking Department. Obtain a Letter of No Objection
- “Trust” is reserved for trust companies or combined bank-and-trust companies. Others need that same Letter of No Objection.
- “Engineer” or “insurance” requires a letter of approval from the relevant governing agency.7Alabama Secretary of State. Business Downloads
- “Architect” requires an Alabama architect license number.
If any of these words are in your proposed name, build the extra approval time into your schedule before you file.
Search the Name Database First
Before you pay anything, search the Secretary of State’s online business entity database at sos.alabama.gov. The search is free and shows existing entity names in real time. If you file the reservation online, the name search is built into the process, so a separate search is technically optional.3Alabama Secretary of State. Domestic Name Reservation For a mail filing, searching first keeps you from waiting weeks only to have the reservation rejected.
Clearing the state database is not the same as clearing trademark risk. A name can be a lawful Alabama entity name and still infringe a federal trademark. If you plan to do business across state lines, check the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database at uspto.gov as well. A federal trademark holder can force you to rebrand regardless of your Alabama registration.
File the Name Reservation
The reservation application asks for the exact proposed name with its designator, the type of entity you plan to form, and the applicant’s full legal name and mailing address.8Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 10A-1-5.11 – Application for Reservation of Name You also indicate whether the reservation is for a new entity or a name change. The applicant, an agent, or an attorney must sign.
Type carefully. Whatever appears on the form becomes the official record, and correcting a typo later costs money.
Online Filing
File through the Secretary of State’s business services portal at sos.alabama.gov. The fee is $28, which includes a portal surcharge on top of the $25 statutory fee. You print the certificate yourself at the end of the process; the state does not mail it.9Alabama Secretary of State. Business Entities Division Fees
Mail Filing
Send the completed form with a $25 check, money order, or credit card payment to Secretary of State, Business Services, PO Box 5616, Montgomery, AL 36103. The state mails the certificate to the address on the form, or you can request hold-for-pickup by writing that on the mailing address line. Email submissions are not accepted.3Alabama Secretary of State. Domestic Name Reservation
Online is faster by days or weeks, and the built-in search prevents paying for a name that turns out to be unavailable. Pick mail only if you have a reason to.
How Long the Reservation Lasts
A reservation holds the name for one year from the date the Secretary of State accepts the application. Miss that window and the name becomes available for anyone else.10Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 10A-1-5.14 – Duration of Reservation of Name You can also cancel a reservation early by filing a written notice of withdrawal.
If you need more time, the Secretary of State offers renewal for an additional $25.11Alabama Secretary of State. Fee Schedule You can also transfer a reservation to another person. Both forms live on the Secretary of State’s business downloads page.
File the Formation Documents
Reserving the name does not create the business. To bring the entity into legal existence, file the formation document that matches your structure:
- Domestic LLC: Certificate of Formation, $200 filing fee.2Alabama Secretary of State. LLCs
- Foreign LLC: Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration, $150 filing fee.
- Corporation: Articles of Incorporation, with fees that vary based on the authorized shares structure.
Submit the formation document while the reservation is still active so the name you locked in carries through to the entity itself.
Protecting the Name as a Brand
Entity registration gives you the right to use the name as a legal business identity in Alabama. It does not give you exclusive brand rights. If you want to protect a specific name, logo, or slogan tied to goods or services, that is a separate state trademark filing with the Secretary of State. The application requires the mark, the date of first use in Alabama, and a description of the goods or services, with a $30 filing fee.12Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 8-12-8 – Application for Registration; Contents; Signature and Verification; Filing Fee
A state trademark protects you only inside Alabama. If you sell across state lines, a federal trademark through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provides nationwide protection and carries more legal weight. The federal process takes longer, so start thinking about it early if interstate commerce is part of your plan.