What Is a LLC Name Reservation? Definition and Use

Definition

LLC Name Reservation - A name reservation is a state filing that holds an available LLC name for a set period before formation, preventing anyone else from claiming it.

A name reservation locks a chosen name with the Secretary of State, typically for 60 to 120 days for a small fee, before you file the Articles. For example, a founder who has settled on a brand but is still arranging a nominee organizer or lining up funding can reserve the name in Wyoming so a competitor cannot register it in the interim, then convert it into a full formation once ready.

The common misconception is that reserving a name is a required or protective step. It is neither. A reservation does not form the LLC, grant trademark rights, or add any protection beyond holding the string of characters at that one Secretary of State. Many founders waste the fee reserving a name they file within days anyway, when a simple availability check would have sufficed.

For Anonymousllc.co customers in Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, and Nevada, most filings skip reservation entirely. Once a name is confirmed available against the state's naming rules, the Articles are filed directly, which is faster and avoids a separate fee. Anonymousllc.co checks name availability before submission to prevent rejection, and reserves a name only when a founder specifically needs to hold it while completing anonymity arrangements.