Name availability · AL
Alabama business name search
To check whether a business name is available in Alabama, search the Secretary of State's Business Entity Records by entity name and read the status column on every close match. Alabama is unusual because you must get a Certificate of Name Reservation before you file formation papers, so the search is really your first step toward that reservation.
How to check if a name is available in Alabama
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Open Business Entity Records
Go to the Alabama Secretary of State's Business Entity Records page and choose the search by entity name. You can narrow by entity type, place of formation, principal city and status, but start broad with just the name.
- 02
Search the distinctive words only
Leave off LLC, Inc. or Corporation and type the core of your name. The state compares names without the entity ending, so "Gulf Coast Paving LLC" and "Gulf Coast Paving Inc." would collide.
- 03
Read every status, not just "Exists"
Alabama's results list statuses such as Exists, Cancelled, Dissolved, Merged, Revoked, Withdrawn, Name Reservation and Registered Name. A Name Reservation or Registered Name hit means someone is already holding that name even though no company has formed yet.
- 04
Reserve the name before you form
If nothing conflicts, file the Name Reservation Request for domestic entities (online or by mail). Alabama requires that certificate before it accepts your LLC or corporation filing.
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Check federal marks and online handles
A clean state result doesn't clear trademarks. Run the name through the USPTO trademark search at https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/, then see whether the .com and the main social handles are free.
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Stuck? Brainstorm alternates
If your first choice is taken, our free business name generator at /business-name-generator/ can give you a fresh batch of options to run back through the Alabama search.
Alabama business naming rules
- The name must be distinguishable from names already on the state index, and the entity ending is ignored when making that comparison.
- An LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company", "L.L.C." or "LLC"; corporations need "corporation", "incorporated" or an abbreviation.
- Names using "bank" or "trust" need a letter from the Alabama Banking Commissioner's office, and insurance-related names need a letter from the Insurance Commissioner's office.
- Names that include engineer or architect, or another professional designation, need proof of the relevant Alabama license or an approval letter from the licensing board.
- A limited partnership name cannot contain words like bank, trust, insurance, corporation or incorporated.
Reserving a name
Alabama requires a Certificate of Name Reservation before you file formation or foreign registration documents. Request it online at sos.alabama.gov or mail the Name Reservation Request form; check the current fee on the agency's site.
DBAs and trade names
Alabama has no county DBA system. Trade names are registered with the Alabama Secretary of State through its trademark and trade name registration, which you can search in the office's Trademark Records database.
Still looking for the right name?
Brainstorm dozens of options with the free generator, then run your shortlist through the Alabama search above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a business name is taken in Alabama?
Search the Alabama Secretary of State's Business Entity Records by name, without the LLC or Inc. ending. Look at every similar result and its status, including Name Reservation and Registered Name entries, which block the name even without a formed company.
Do I have to reserve a name before forming an LLC in Alabama?
Yes. Alabama asks for a Certificate of Name Reservation before it will accept Articles of Formation or a foreign registration application, so plan for that step in your timeline.
Can I use "bank" or "insurance" in my Alabama business name?
Only with approval. The reservation form asks for a letter from the state Banking Commissioner for banking names and from the Insurance Commissioner for insurance names.
Where do I register a DBA in Alabama?
Alabama handles trade names at the state level through the Secretary of State's trademark and trade name registration, not through county clerks. Check the current fee on the agency's site.
General information, not legal advice. Name approval is decided by the Alabama Secretary of State; a name showing as available in a search is not a guarantee it will be accepted.