Alabama LLC Name Reservation — Step 1 of 8
Alabama does something almost no other state does: it requires you to reserve your name before you can even file your Certificate of Formation. Skip this step and your formation filing gets rejected outright. Here's exactly how the naming rules work — and a checker to flag problems before you pay the fee.
Reserve the LLC name before filing the Certificate of Formation. Include Limited Liability Company, LLC or L.L.C. and meet the SOS distinguishability standard. The paper reservation processing fee is $25. Online service and card-processing charges can differ; confirm the total shown by the SOS service before authorizing payment. Name reservation remains required before domestic LLC formation and is held for one year.
- Required designator
- LLC / L.L.C.
- Reservation
- Mandatory
- Reservation fee
- $25 paper; confirm current online total
- Holds name for
- 1 year
- Must be
- Distinguishable
- Search at
- sos.alabama.gov
- Next step
- Step 2 →
Alabama LLC Naming Rules
Alabama's naming rules come from the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Code, § 10A-1-5.03 through 5.06. Your name needs to clear three tests:
- Include a designator — "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." at the end of the name.
- Be distinguishable from every other business entity on file with the Secretary of State's Business Entities Division.
- Not use restricted or deceptive language — no implying a bank, government agency, or licensed profession you're not authorized for.
A different entity ending alone does not make the core name distinguishable. Search similar names and let SOS review the proposed name under its current rules; a formatting checker cannot guarantee availability or trademark clearance.
Alabama Name Compliance Checker
Type your proposed name below to check it against Alabama's formatting rules before you pay the reservation fee:
This checker validates formatting only. It doesn't confirm availability — always run the official search before paying the reservation fee.
How to Reserve Your Name
Unlike most states, this step in Alabama is not optional. Here's the process:
- Search first — use the Alabama Secretary of State's Business Entity Records to check availability before you pay anything.
- File the Name Reservation Request through SOS. The paper processing fee is $25; confirm the current online service total and processing information before paying. Retain the approved certificate.
- Your name is held for 1 year — plenty of time to complete your Certificate of Formation.
- Filing online often combines both steps — many filers reserve and form in the same online session, though the reservation and its fee are still separate line items.
Restricted names may require evidence of professional licensing or agency approval. Check the current SOS request instructions and the relevant regulator for the proposed words; do not assume one checklist covers every professional designation.
- ✓Optional filing assistance; confirm service scope, provider charges and submission responsibilities.
- ✓Confirm name-screening or reservation assistance, service scope and applicable state fees.
- ✓Confirm registered-agent eligibility, coverage, included periods and renewal charges.
- ✓Review address-use rules and privacy policies; a service does not remove all information from public filings.
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Reservation fee and official acceptance
The paper reservation processing fee is $25. Online service and card-processing charges can differ; confirm the total shown by the SOS service before authorizing payment. Name reservation remains required before domestic LLC formation and is held for one year.
Alabama LLC Name Reservation — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The naming rules here — required designators, the mandatory reservation, the distinguishability standard, and restricted words — reflect the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Code § 10A-1-5.03 through 5.06 and current Secretary of State guidance. This is educational information, not legal advice.
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