When forming a new corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC), you need the name to be distinguishable from all other entity and trade names. The name must contain identifiers such as “LLC” or “Corporation” and it has to be registered with the state where you are doing business. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also must be notified of your business name. There are different steps you need to take in order to register a trade name, a “dba” name and a corporate or LLC name. You need to understand how to reserve a name for a new business entity so you can protect your brand. Contact a Scottsdale, AZ business lawyer at Lotzar Law Firm, PC for help with registering your corporate or LLC name and for assistance with fulfilling all other requirements of a startup business. How to Reserve a Name for a New Business Entity You can reserve a corporate or LLC name online by using a form on the website of the Arizona Corporation Commission. The name reservation will last for a period of 120 days, so this is only temporary. The purpose of the temporary name reservation is to allow you to check whether a name is available and then reserve it while you form your corporation or LLC. It takes time to submit paperwork to form an LLC, S-Corp or C-Corp. If you do not reserve the name that you have selected for your business entity, someone else could take that name during the time period between checking to ensure the name is original and actually filing your corporate or LLC paperwork and getting recognized by the Arizona Corporation Commission. The cost to reserve a name for a new business entity is $45.00. The reservation is obtained immediately upon filing the forms and paperwork online. You can also submit a hard copy of the application to reserve your organization’s new name. An Application to Reserve Corporation Name or Application to Reserve Limited Liability Company can be submitted in person or by mail to the office of the Arizona Corporation Commission. There are offices in Phoenix and Tucson. Name reservations that have been submitted online take precedence over documents that are submitted by fax, by mail or in person. You are not required to reserve a name for a new business entity. You can simply submit your incorporation paperwork or paperwork for forming an LLC with your chosen name on the paperwork without reserving it first. However, there is a risk that the name may become unavailable before the paperwork has been processed. The Arizona Corporation Commission does not register “doing business as,” or “DBA” names. You can, however, have your DBA name registered in the office of the county recorder. The Arizona Corporation Commission also does not register trade names. A trade name can be obtained through the office of the Secretary of State. Lotzar Law Firm, PC can help you reserve a name for a new business entity. Call today to speak with a Scottsdale, AZ business lawyer to learn more.