How much does it cost to register a business name in Arizona?

The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $50 for an LLC and $60 for a corporation, then corporations file an annual report ($45); arizona llcs file no annual report.

Are there words I can't use in an Arizona business name?

Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Arizona that includes Bank, Trust, Deposit, Credit Union and Savings Association. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.

How many new businesses start in Arizona each year?

The Census Bureau counted 155,983 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +25.5% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.

Does an Arizona registration protect my name in other states?

No. It protects the name inside Arizona's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Arizona lookup.

What does an Arizona LLC name have to end with?

One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.

Can I reserve a business name in Arizona before I file?

Yes. The Arizona Corporation Commission charges $10 to reserve a name for 120 days — $45 online with expedited review. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

Arizona Secretary of State business search — LLC name check, trademark & domain lookup

Arizona's registry is run by the Corporation Commission rather than a Secretary of State, and its formation fees are among the lowest in the country — a $50 LLC. It also has a quirk newcomers miss: after the ACC approves an LLC, most counties require you to publish a notice of formation in a newspaper. The name you pick here is going to be printed.

Run the Arizona check — One search covers the Arizona registry, federal trademarks and the domain. Free, no signup.

Check this name →

How to check a business name in Arizona

Start with the registry. Search the Arizona registry for the exact name; it's the check that decides whether you can file at all.
Then the two checks the state doesn't do. A federal trademark reaches across state lines, and the .com decides whether customers find you — both run here automatically.
Lock it in. Arizona will hold it for 120 days for $10. The system of record is the Arizona Corporation Commission; confirm there before paying a filing fee.

How busy is Arizona right now?

Businesses in Arizona filed 155,983 new business applications in the twelve months to August 2026 — +25.5% on the year before, the 13th-highest total of any state and 20.6 per 1,000 residents (ranked 12th per person). April was the busiest month with 16,386 applications, and Arizona accounts for 2.5% of all U.S. filings.

Each application is a competitor for the same short, natural-sounding names, so the more active the state, the less a week-old search result is worth.

Where America starts businesses — all 50 states ranked →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (monthly, not seasonally adjusted). 2019 comparison: 76,637 applications in calendar 2019.

Arizona naming rules: what the Arizona Corporation Commission will and won't accept

Arizona applies one test to every proposed name: it must be distinguishable from names on the Commission's records. The examiner ignores punctuation, spacing, capitalization and the suffix when comparing, so two names that look different on paper can still collide. Designators are fixed: LLC, L.L.C. and L.C. for an LLC, Corporation, Corp. and Incorporated for a corporation.

Certain words trigger a review. In Arizona that list includes Bank, Trust, Deposit, Credit Union, Savings Association and Building and Loan — using one implies a regulated activity and the filing will be held until the relevant regulator consents.

On cost: forming an LLC costs $50, a corporation $60 and a name reservation is $10 and holds the name for 120 days. $45 online with expedited review Standard review ~14-16 business days; expedited available.

After you file: Corporations file an annual report ($45); Arizona LLCs file NO annual report. An entity that stops filing loses good standing, and with it the exclusive claim to its name.

Per the Arizona Corporation Commission, (602) 542-3026 — official website (fee schedule). Fees change; confirm before filing.

What people are checking in Arizona

31 Arizona names were checked on this site in the past 90 days, and 72% of them came back clear at the state level. The words that came up most: Jewelry, Jewelers, Harrington, House and Sterling. (Aggregate figures only — we don't publish individual searches.)

How Arizona decides whether a name is taken

Three things the Arizona Corporation Commission looks at, and one it doesn't:

Status. Only entities in an active status hold their names. Dissolved, revoked and withdrawn registrations release the name — with the caveat that a very recent lapse can still be reinstated, which our result notes when it applies.
Distinguishability. Your name must differ from every active Arizona name by more than punctuation, spacing, capitalisation or the entity designator. Two names that read the same aloud are usually treated as the same name.
Designator. The recorded name of an LLC ends in an LLC designator and a corporation's in Inc., Corp. or an accepted equivalent; leave it off and the filing is returned.
Not trademarks. The registry never checks the USPTO. A name can be free in Arizona and still infringe a federal mark, so run both — the checker on this page does.

Naming rules, fees and reservation windows come from Arizona statute and change; treat the Arizona Corporation Commission's current guidance as final before you file. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.

About the Arizona Corporation Commission

The Arizona Corporation Commission maintains Arizona's registry of corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities — it is the system of record for Arizona business names. Useful official resources:

Official Arizona business entity search — the state's own lookup.
Arizona Corporation Commission — official website — filings, forms, fees, and contact details.

Confirming the result on the Arizona Corporation Commission's site

Treat the checker as the fast filter and the state's own search as the final word. Once a name comes back clear here, open the Arizona entity search and type the name the way it will appear on the formation document — designator and all. Read down the list of matches rather than stopping at "no exact match": look at each record's status (only active ones block you) and at how close the spelling is, because Arizona rejects near-duplicates as well as duplicates. If the name is still clear, reserve it or file the same day; registrations are first-come, first-served and the registry moves daily.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to register a business name in Arizona?: The name itself is free to search. Filing the entity is what costs money: $50 for an LLC and $60 for a corporation, then corporations file an annual report ($45); arizona llcs file no annual report.
Are there words I can't use in an Arizona business name?: Words that imply a regulated business need consent first. In Arizona that includes Bank, Trust, Deposit, Credit Union and Savings Association. Names that suggest a government agency are refused outright.
How many new businesses start in Arizona each year?: The Census Bureau counted 155,983 business applications in the twelve months to August 2026, +25.5% on the year before. Not every application becomes a registered entity, but each one is a name someone intends to use.
Does an Arizona registration protect my name in other states?: No. It protects the name inside Arizona's registry only. Nationwide protection comes from a federal trademark, which is why the checker runs the USPTO search alongside the Arizona lookup.
What does an Arizona LLC name have to end with?: One of the state's accepted designators — LLC, L.L.C., L.C. and Limited Liability Company. The checker searches the name with and without the suffix, because the suffix alone never makes a name distinguishable.
Can I reserve a business name in Arizona before I file?: Yes. The Arizona Corporation Commission charges $10 to reserve a name for 120 days — $45 online with expedited review. A reserved name shows as taken to everyone else's search.

Still choosing a name? Try the Arizona business name generator — every idea checked against the same registry.

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