Reserve a Corporation Name in California
Sun Document Filings is able to
perform a California corporation name search by checking corporate name availability
with the California Secretary of State on an expedited
basis. If the client prefers, we are able to reserve the California Corporation
name for sixty calendar days. In most cases, we can check the corporation name availability and/or reserve
the corporation name within 4 business hours or less.
Step 1: Choose a corporate name - Have your client provide you with
their first California corporation name choice, a second name choice, and a third name choice.
FAQ: My client really wants their first
California corporation name choice. Why
do I have to provide a second and third name choice?
You are not required to provide a second or third name
choice, just keep in mind that many times, the first name choice
will already be taken by another company or the first name choice is considered
by the California Secretary of State name reservation unit as "deceptively similar to an existing company" and
the California Secretary of State will not allow your client to file their Articles of Incorporation if they
attempt to use the name. Secondly, we charge a service fee per phone call. If you only
provide us with one corporate name choice and it is not available, you will be charged
another name availability service fee for the second phone call to the Secretary
of State. Therefore, it is important to have a second and third corporate name choice just
in case.
NOTE: The most common names include
initials such as ABC Inc. or MLD Corporation. Changing the ending (Inc., Corp.,
Incorporated, Corporation) or adding punctuation or making the name plural will
not make your name different. The Secretary of State considers ABC Inc., ABC
Corp., A&BC Incorporated, A-B-C Corporation as the exact same name.
Step 2: Complete the Corporate Name Reservation form
- Download and open our order form. You may type on the form using Adobe Acrobat
or you may print it out and type it. If you must handwrite the form, please
write as neat as possible.
Download the
Corporate Name Reservation form
Step 3: Send us the form - Fax the form to
800-498-3611 or e-mail the completed and signed form to
order@sundocumentfilings.com
Step 4: Please allow at least 4 business hours for a
response. If we receive the California corporation name search request after 4:30PM PST Monday thru Friday,
corporate name availability will not be checked until the following day. Under those circumstances, 4
business hours will start as of 9:00AM PST on the following day. If you faxed or
e-mailed the form, we will fax the results back to you so please provide a fax
number.
Step 5: Form a California Corporation. For fees, forms, and instructions, please click here to form a California Corporation with the Secretary of State in Sacramento. We offer routine and 24 hour rush services.
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Our Fees
To check corporate name availability and/or reserve a
corporate name, our fee is $30.00 per entity, per phone call. Our $30.00 fee
includes checking up to 3 name choices per phone call, per entity.
If the 1st name choice is available, the remaining names will not be researched.
Secretary of State Fees: Name availability for each name checked: $4.00.
Reservation Fee: $10.00 per name (plus $4.00 to check name availability). If the
first name is available and reserved the total is $44.00.
Once we check name availability or reserve the corporation name, we can
incorporate your business by filing
your Articles of Incorporation with the California Secretary of State on an
expedited basis. For a "for profit" corporation,
click here for
more information including forms, fees, and procedures. For
a "nonprofit" California corporation,
click here.
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CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE CORPORATE NAME GUIDELINES
The following is
general information about name availability and name style
requirements relating to corporations. In order to facilitate
the filing of corporate documents, please ensure the name is
consistent with the statutes related to the type of corporation
being formed (i.e., close corporations, professional
corporations, banks, etc.).
- Proposed corporate names are checked only against
currently reserved corporate names and active
corporations of record in the California Secretary of
State's office. Since there is no legal requirement that
corporate names be checked against other business entity
names, corporate names are not checked against
general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability
company or limited liability partnership names, nor are
names checked against trademarks, service marks or local
fictitious business names filed at the county level.
- The Secretary of State's office cannot file a document
which contains a name that is "likely to mislead the public
or which is the same as, or resembles so closely as to tend
to deceive," the name of a domestic or foreign (out of state
or country) corporation that has registered with this office
or a name which is under reservation for another
corporation. (California Corporations Code sections
201(b) and
2106(b).)
Please note, names are considered deceptive if the only
difference is a corporate ending.
- A corporation may adopt a name that is similar to, but
not the same as, the name of an existing domestic or foreign
(out-of-state or country) corporation if the existing
corporation consents in writing to the use of the name and
the Secretary of State's office finds that under the
circumstances the public is not likely to be misled. The
consent letter should be submitted on the letterhead of the
consenting corporation, signed by an authorized officer of
that corporation. If a proposed name is reserved utilizing
consent, a currently dated consent must accompany each
renewal request.
- The corporate name may not falsely imply governmental
affiliation.
- All names must use the English alphabet or Arabic
numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) or a combination
thereof. Roman numerals are treated as letters and not
translated into their numeric equivalent. Symbols are not
allowed in an entity name; except, an ampersand & may be
used in an entity name as a conjunction in place of the word
"AND".
- There is no distinction between upper and lower case
letters, typeface or font.
- The words "bank", "trust", "trustee" or related words
may not be a part of the corporate name of a domestic
corporation unless a Certificate of Approval from the
Commissioner of Financial Institutions (Commissioner) is
attached to the Articles of Incorporation. If the proposed
corporation is subject to the Banking Law, the articles must
include the endorsement of approval from the Commissioner.
(California Corporations Code
section 201 and Financial Code
section 400.)
- The words "credit union" or related words may not be a
part of the corporate name of a domestic corporation unless
a Certificate of Approval from the Commissioner of Financial
Institutions (Commissioner) is attached to the Articles of
Incorporation. If the proposed corporation is subject to the
Credit Union Law, the articles must include the endorsement
of approval from the Commissioner. (Financial Code
section 14100.)
- If the business of the corporation is to be an insurer,
a Certificate of the California Insurance Commissioner
approving the corporate name must be attached to the
Articles of Incorporation (California corporation) or to the
Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation form
(out-of-state or country corporation) at the time of filing.
(California Corporations Code sections
201.5 and
2106.5.)
- The word "cooperative", or any abbreviation or
derivation thereof, or a word similar thereto, may not be a
part of a corporate name unless the corporation is
incorporated within the definition of California
Corporations Code
section 12311(b). If the applicant is a foreign
(out-of-state or country) corporation, documentation must be
included indicating the corporation is organized as a
cooperative corporation under the laws of the foreign
jurisdiction.
- The name of a close corporation subject to the
provisions of California Corporations Code
section 158, must contain the word "corporation",
"incorporated" or "limited" or an abbreviation of one of
those words. (California Corporations Code
section 202.)
- The name of a corporation authorized to incorporate as a
professional corporation, pursuant to the Business and
Professions Code, must comply with the namestyle
requirements of the regulatory agency which has jurisdiction
over the particular profession. Please refer to the
appropriate sections of the
Business and Professions Code and the regulatory agency
for the specific type of profession authorized.
- Fictitious business names filed with the county cannot
include word(s) indicating corporate or limited liability
company status unless organized as such pursuant to the laws
of the State of California. (Business and Professions Code
section 17910.5.)
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NOTE: We hope you find our corporation name
availability/corporation name reservation steps useful
and easy to follow. Nothing contained in our steps should be construed as giving
legal or financial advice. Our intended audience is attorneys and accountants.
Therefore, if you are not an attorney or accountant, you should contact an
attorney or accountant for specific legal or tax questions regarding your
corporation. Please be aware that the Franchise Tax Board and Secretary of State
are government agencies and can change their fees/procedures/forms/turnaround
times without notification. Although we do our best to update our steps and stay
current, we shall not be held liable for any omissions or errors contained. We
do not profess to be giving legal or financial advice to the general public as
we are a typing and filing agency.
We can
perform a corporation name search in California. California
corporation name search provided fast. We can reserve a
California corporation name for 60 days. Let Sun Document
Filings perform a corporate name availability check with the
California Secretary of State on a rush. We check business
name availability and we can reserve a California
corporation name.
