New York LLC Name Reservation — How to Reserve

If you have found an available name but are not ready to file your Articles of Organization immediately, New York allows you to reserve the name for 60 days. This prevents anyone else from registering that name while you prepare. The fee is $20.

How It Works

Name reservation is governed by NY LLC Law Section 203-b. Filing a reservation gives you exclusive rights to the name for 60 days from the date of filing.

Key facts:

Fee: $20
Duration: 60 days
Renewable: Yes — file a new reservation before the current one expires ($20 each time)
Transferable: Yes — by filing a transfer notice with the DOS
Filed with: NY Department of State, Division of Corporations

How to File

Online via NY Business Express:

Go to https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/
Navigate to Name Reservation
Enter the exact name (including LLC designator)
Pay $20 fee
Receive confirmation

By mail:

Submit a written request to the Division of Corporations, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231
Include: desired name, applicant name/address, $20 payment
Processing: 1-2 weeks

When to Reserve

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Reserve when:

You need time to finalize your operating agreement among members
You are waiting on publication cost quotes from newspapers before committing
You are coordinating with an attorney on complex governance structures
You want to secure the name while choosing the optimal county for your LLC (publication cost varies significantly)

FAQ

Can I extend my reservation beyond 60 days?

You cannot extend an existing reservation, but you can file a new one before it expires. There is no limit on consecutive reservations ($20 each time).

Is the $20 fee applied toward my $200 filing fee?

No. The reservation fee is separate. You pay $20 for reservation and $200 for filing Articles of Organization.

What happens when the reservation expires?

The name becomes available for anyone to register. File your Articles before expiration or renew the reservation.