NAME RESERVATION REQUEST FORM FOR FOREIGN ENTITIES
ForeignNameReservation–10/2013Page3of4
Informational Only/Do Not Send With Request
Online Service Available:
The name reservation request may be fully processed in real-time online. Go to www.sos.alabama.gov and click on the
Business Services tab. Scroll down to the Online Services link beneath the Business Entities subheading. Non-
subscribers pay a $28 fee with a credit card and receive the reservation by printing it immediately at the end of the
process. If you would like to go directly to online filing, click on the link below or cut and paste it into your browser:
https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos_nameReservation/welcome.action
.
Mailing of Certifications of Name Reservation:
All documents not processed online are mailed standard USPS unless preaddressed envelopes with special postage or
overnight courier envelopes are included with the request. Any overnight courier envelopes must have a completed
airbill
showing no reference to the Office of the Secretary of State, with the billing information completed and clearly marked
“bill recipient” – if they are not completed in this manner they will be discarded.
Status of Request:
If a status of the request is needed, please go to www.sos.alabama.gov and click on the Government Records tab. Under
that tab, there is a link for Business Entity Records, select it. The screen that appears will offer a variety of ways to
search. Search by the entity name - that screen will list the “filings completed through” date to show the date through
which processing has been completed. Enter the name just as filed following the instructions on the screen with regard to
punctuation, etc. to determine if the request has been processed. If you do not have evidence of receipt and the request
was not completed by the appropriate “through date,” we have to assume that the request never got into the office – the
only way to obtain a receipt is through registered mail/courier service. If there is an issue about the status of a request,
email the details and a copy of the receipt of delivery to business.services@sos.alabama.gov
and a supervisor will
research the problem and respond in the order in which the email was received. Please do not call the office or come in
with a question about status as research time is required and every call slows processing procedures - we understand that
you are anxious to receive your certification of reservation as quickly as possible and we are trying to see that processing
is interrupted as little as possible. The fastest most efficient method is via online filing in which you control the
processing timeframe.
Checking the Availability of a Name:
Go to www.sos.alabama.gov and click on Government Records, then Business Entity Records in the drop-down listing,
then search the database under Entity Name by typing in the name that you would like to use for your entity excluding
entity identifiers such as Inc., LLC, etc. and any punctuation. Do not complete any of the other boxes on the search page
and the system will show all entities using the name or, in many cases, similar names. Entity names must be
distinguishable excluding entity designations on the index from existing names [10A-1-5.03]. Performing the search may
shorten the time it takes to get a Name Reservation completed if you file on paper by reducing rejections. If you use the
Online Filing method, the search is a part of the process and it is not necessary to perform it separately.
Name requirements of Title 10A:
Corporations: The name of a corporation must contain the word “corporation” or “incorporated”; or an abbreviation of
one of those words. Exceptions are: nonprofit corporations, banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations, or
insurance companies. [10A-1-5.04]
Professional Corporations: The name of a professional corporation must contain the words “professional corporation” or
the abbreviation “P.C.” or “P C”. [10A-1-5.08]
