How to Reserve a Name for Your Future LLC in 2025

Welcome to the Wild World of LLC Name Reservation (Please Hold Your Applause)

So, you woke up, chugged an oat milk latte, and thought: I’m starting an LLC next year because TikTok told me to. Good luck, trailblazer. But there’s a catch just when you finally come up with a business name that slaps harder than reality after caffeine wears off, you realize there’s a whole process to actually reserve it. Yes the LLC won’t save itself.

Grab your emotional support water bottle and emotional support playlist. Let’s wade into the swampy world of LLC name reservations, where paperwork multiplies faster than remote job postings and every Secretary of State website is built by someone who still uses Internet Explorer.

Don’t Just Make Up a Name and Hope for the Best The Internet and IRS are Always Watching

Bold Statement:
Your LLC name is not reserved just because you wrote it on a Starbucks cup or announced it to your Reddit followers. Shocking, I know.

First, check your state’s Secretary of State website to make sure no one has already beaten you to Viral Vibes LLC (spoiler: they have).
Run your possible LLC through literally all the databases business registry, trademark, domains, social media.
If your preferred LLC name is already used by a local candle maker, congratulations, you get to start all over.

Rhetorical question:
Does trying to figure out if Goat Yoga Zaddy LLC is taken count as brand research or a personality test?

Fill Out Forms Without Crying (Or Pretend You’re Filling Out a Hogwarts Application)

Once you finally find a name that’s not trademarked, unavailable, or banned by someone’s HOA, you get to do what every business owner dreams of: paperwork.

Go to your state’s Secretary of State website (bonus points if it doesn’t crash on Chrome).
Fill out a reservation form so official it asks for everything but your favorite Starbucks order.
Pay the illustrious reservation fee usually $10 to $50 (more than my last therapy co pay but less than a Taylor Swift ticket).

Pro Tip:
Some states let you do this online. Others require you to mail or fax things like it’s 2003. Don’t shoot the messenger.

List of things you’ll need:

Your proposed LLC
Your info, but not your social security number save that drama for tax season
Sometimes, a backup name, because bureaucracy loves options

Yeah, they make you wait for confirmation like delivery from Door Dash during a blizzard. Just accept it.

Your Name Is Reserved! (For Like, 60 to 120 Days Don’t Get Cocky)

Reality check:
Reserving your LLC is about buying yourself time, not a guaranteed future.

Most states give you between 60 and 120 days before your exclusive rights disappear in a puff of bureaucracy. If you procrastinate beyond that, your beloved LLC name can and will be snatched by someone with less chill and more spreadsheets.
Some states may let you renew for another round of existential dread (and another fee) but not all. Check before you become emotionally invested.
If you wait too long, you’ll end up with BusinessName2 LLC and a deep sense of regret.

Rhetorical question:
Remember all those expiration dates you ignored before? This one actually matters.

It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Sued (Thanks, Trademark Law!)

Want your LLC to remain yours and not become Exhibit A in someone’s trademark court battle?

Double check the USPTO trademark database so you don’t accidentally start Netflix But More LLC and get served up a lawsuit with your latte.
Make sure you’re not infringing on local/state/national treasures, cult classics or the obscure bakery next door.
Common words are risky weird spellings are risky inside jokes are risky. Basically, everything’s risky, but go ahead, you’re fearless.

Bold Statement:
The only thing scarier than getting your LLC name stolen is getting cease-and-desisted by someone who watches Suits for fun.

You want LLC FOCUS KEYWORD to go viral, right? Then secure that .com and TikTok handle before someone named Kevin gets there first.

Plug your final LLC into GoDaddy, Instagram, Twitter (sorry, “X”) and TikTok.
If your name is already taken by an abandoned account from 2012, enjoy the bitterness.
Don’t underestimate how much matching handles will save you from spelling gymnastics at networking events.

Like, does it even count as a company if the domain isn’t available? Asking for 47 anxious entrepreneurs.

Quickfire: Common Mistakes People Make (So You Can Snicker in Advance)

Reserving a generic name and then whining about rejection (Consulting LLC, anyone?).
Letting the reservation expire because you were too busy discovering yourself.
Forgetting to file the real LLC paperwork after your name reservation.
Choosing a name that autocorrect turns into something wildly inappropriate in emails.

List of disasters to avoid:

“Professional Guru LLC” (sounds legit until questioned)
“Amazon Prime Business LLC” (prepare to meet lawyers)
“Public School Wi Fi LLC” (just…why?)
“Dave LLC” (no offense, Dave but we gota do better)

Final Steps: Actually Registering (Where You Wave Goodbye to Your Last Nerve)

After reserving your LLC, you have to actually register your LLC before the clock runs out. Yes, another form. No, you don’t get extra time for pondering your life choices.

File your Articles of Organization. Pay another fee. Hold back tears. Congrats: you’re now sort of legit.

If you don’t do this on time, you get to start from scratch. Again. Welcome to entrepreneurship in 2025.

Wrap Up: You Did It! Your LLC Name Is Reserved For Now. Be Vigilant.

Well, you made it through name searches, forms, fees and emotional rollercoasters. Now your LLC is reserved, your domain’s as safe as it gets, and you’re only a little bit traumatized by the process. If you actually see it through and form your LLC, drop me a DM. I’ll send you a sarcastic congratulatory meme not legally binding.

And remember: There’s no trophy for surviving LLC bureaucracy, just a slightly less embarrassing business name and the right to tell people, Yeah, I built this. Go forth and legally conquer.