This LLC name reservation fee by state tool compares the cost to reserve an LLC name in every US state, shows how long each reservation lasts, and adds the state formation (Articles of Organization) fee so you can see the full cost of locking in your business name in 2026. Reserving a name holds it with the Secretary of State for a set window — usually 30 to 120 days — while you prepare to form your LLC. Fees range from free in a few states to $50 or more in others, and the reservation period varies just as widely. Pick your state below to see the reservation fee, the reservation length, and the combined cost with formation.
Choose a state to see its reservation fee, reservation period, and total with formation.
The cost to reserve an LLC name ranges from free in a handful of states to around $50 in the priciest, with most states clustering near $10–$30. The reservation simply holds your chosen name with the Secretary of State so a competitor cannot register it while you prepare your Articles of Organization. The table below lists representative 2026 reservation fees and reservation periods across the 50 states; the calculator above lets you add the separate formation (Articles) fee to see the full cost of locking in and then forming under your name.
| Cost item | Typical range (2026) | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation fee | $0–$50 | Holds the name for a set period |
| Reservation period | 30–120+ days | Window before you must form |
| Formation (Articles) fee | $35–$500 | Actually creates the LLC |
| Registered agent (optional) | $0–$300/yr | Required address for service |
Reserving a name and forming an LLC are separate transactions with separate fees. Reservation is an optional placeholder — it stops others from taking the name but does not create a business. Formation, by filing Articles of Organization, is what actually brings the LLC into existence and claims the name permanently. In almost every state you can skip reservation and go straight to formation, claiming the name at that moment. Reservation only makes sense when you need time before forming. The calculator separates the two so you can see reservation alone or the combined cost.
At the low end, states like Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Virginia reserve a name for about $10. Mid-range states sit around $25–$30. At the higher end, Oregon (around $100), Delaware and Pennsylvania ($70–$75), and Connecticut, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Rhode Island ($50–$60) cost more. A few states, such as Florida, do not offer a standalone reservation and instead expect you to form directly. Select your state in the calculator to see its specific figure rather than relying on these ranges.
Reservation periods vary widely: 30 days in some states, 60 or 90 in others, and 120 days or more in many. A longer window gives you more breathing room to arrange financing, partners, or licensing before you form. Some states let you renew the reservation for another fee; others do not, meaning the name reverts to available if you miss the window. The calculator shows the reservation period for your selected state so you know exactly how long your hold lasts before you must file Articles.
Pick California in the calculator. The name reservation fee is about $10 and holds the name for 60 days. Tick the box to include formation, and the calculator adds California's roughly $70 Articles of Organization fee, for a combined $80 to reserve and form. Switch to Oregon and the reservation alone jumps to about $100; switch to Florida and you will see there is no standalone reservation, file directly. Comparing states side by side this way is the entire point of a per-state tool.
Before reserving, confirm the name is actually free. Search your state's business-entity database on the Secretary of State website for the exact name and close variations, most states require your LLC name to be "distinguishable" from existing entities. Also confirm it includes a required designator such as "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company," and that it avoids restricted words (like "bank" or "insurance") that need special approval. Only after it clears the state database should you reserve or form under it.
This is the most common misunderstanding. Reserving or forming an LLC name only protects you from another entity registering the identical name in that one state's business registry. It grants no nationwide brand rights and is not a trademark. A competitor in another state, or even a similar (not identical) name in yours, may be perfectly legal. For real brand protection across your goods or services nationwide, you need a federal trademark, run the name through our business name trademark conflict risk checker before you commit.
Beyond reservation and the Articles fee, most states require a registered agent — a person or service with a physical in-state address to receive legal documents. You can act as your own agent for free, or pay a service $50–$300 a year. Some states also levy initial report fees, publication requirements, or franchise taxes. The calculator focuses on reservation and formation, the two fees everyone pays, but budget for a registered agent and any state-specific extras on top.
If you will operate in more than one state, you may need to register your LLC as a "foreign" entity in each additional state, and reserve or clear the name there too. Each state charges its own fees, so a multi-state business multiplies these costs. Use the calculator to total reservation and formation in your home state, then repeat the lookup for each state where you will register, so the full multi-state cost is visible up front.
If you simply want to operate one LLC under an additional brand name, you usually do not need a whole new entity, you can file a DBA (doing-business-as) name instead, which is typically cheaper. Compare the cost of reserving and forming another LLC here against filing a DBA using our DBA filing cost by state tool, and read the trade-offs in our DBA vs LLC business name guide.
A reserved business name with no matching website is half a brand. The moment your name clears the state database, check and register the matching .com, because a name you have legally reserved but cannot use online forces an awkward compromise. Domains cost about $10–$22 a year, far less than re-doing your branding, so securing the entity name, the trademark clearance, and the domain together is the cheapest route to a coherent brand. Start with our domain name search.
State filing fees change, and the amounts here are representative 2026 figures for planning, not a live feed. Before you pay, confirm the current reservation and formation fees on your own Secretary of State website, since that office is the only authoritative source. Use this calculator to compare states and budget; use the state website for the exact number you will be charged.
Founders trip over a handful of recurring errors. The first is skipping the availability search and paying to reserve or form under a name that is not actually distinguishable from an existing entity, which the state rejects, costing the fee and a re-file. The second is omitting the required designator (such as "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company") or using a restricted word like "bank," "trust," or "insurance" that needs special approval. The third is treating the entity name as a trademark and building a brand on it nationally without checking federal marks, only to face a conflict later. The fourth is letting a reservation lapse before forming, so the name reverts to available and a competitor grabs it. The fifth is ignoring the matching domain until after formation, then discovering the .com is taken. Avoid all five by searching the state database first, including the designator, screening for trademark conflicts, calendaring the reservation window, and securing the domain in parallel, the calculator handles the cost side so you can focus on getting the name right.
Work through this list with the calculator open: (1) brainstorm names and confirm each is distinguishable in your state's business-entity database; (2) verify the name includes a required entity designator and avoids restricted words; (3) screen the front-runner for federal trademark conflicts before you spend anything; (4) check the matching .com (and key variants) and register it once the name clears; (5) decide whether you actually need a separate reservation or can form directly, reservation only helps if you need time; (6) look up your state's reservation fee and period in the calculator and note the deadline to form; (7) budget the formation (Articles) fee and a registered agent if you will not act as your own; and (8) confirm the current figures on your Secretary of State website before paying, since amounts here are representative 2026 estimates. Following this order prevents the expensive re-do that comes from reserving a name you cannot actually use.
Lock the rest of your brand stack while you are here: explore DBA filing cost by state, nonprofit name & cost calculator, and DBA vs LLC business name, or start from the names.center homepage for every naming and domain tool.
Reserving an LLC name typically costs between $10 and $50 depending on the state, and a few states charge nothing or fold it into formation. For example, many states sit around $25 for a name reservation, while some are as low as $10 and others reach $50. This tool lists representative 2026 fees for all 50 states and shows the combined cost if you also pay the formation fee; always confirm the current amount on your Secretary of State website before paying.
Reservation periods vary by state, most commonly 30, 60, 90, or 120 days, and some states allow a renewal. The reservation simply holds the name so no one else can register it while you prepare your Articles of Organization. If you let the reservation lapse without forming, the name becomes available to others again. The calculator shows the reservation period for the state you select.
No. In nearly every state, name reservation is optional, you can file your Articles of Organization directly and claim the name at the moment of formation. Reservation makes sense if you need time to organize financing, partners, or paperwork and want to guarantee the name stays available. If you are ready to form now, you can usually skip the separate reservation fee.
No. Reserving an LLC name only stops another business from registering the identical entity name with that one state's Secretary of State, it gives you no nationwide brand rights. A federal trademark, by contrast, protects your brand for specific goods or services across the entire country. Many founders reserve or form the LLC and separately pursue a federal trademark; the two are complementary, not interchangeable.
Yes. A reserved business name is far less useful if the matching .com is taken, so check and register the domain at the same time you reserve the name. Domains cost only about $10-$22 per year, far less than re-branding later, so locking the name, the entity, and the domain together is the cheapest path to a consistent brand.