How to Reserve a Nonprofit Name
A nonprofit can reserve an available name with its state's filing office before it files articles of incorporation, holding the name for a set period while it finishes other startup steps. Texas reserves a name for 120 days for a $40 fee using Form 501, while Georgia reserves a name for 30 days for $25 online or $35 by mail, per each state's filing office.
By LLC Register · Last reviewed October 2, 2026
Comprehensive Guide
Why Reserve a Name Before You File
Most new nonprofits don't file their articles of incorporation the same day they settle on a name. There's often a gap for recruiting the required number of initial directors, drafting bylaws, and lining up a registered agent. A name reservation locks in an available name during that gap, so another organization can't file using the same or a confusingly similar name while you finish your preparations.
How Name Reservation Works, Generally
In states that offer it, name reservation is a short, standalone filing, separate from your articles of incorporation, that simply checks your proposed name against the state's current records and holds it for a defined period if it's available. It typically requires only the proposed name, the applicant's information, and the entity type, rather than any of the fuller detail your eventual articles of incorporation will include.
Texas Name Reservation
Texas lets you reserve an available name using Form 501, Application for Reservation or Renewal of Reservation of an Entity Name, for a $40 filing fee. The name is reserved for 120 days, and the form explicitly allows renewal, so if you need more time, you can file a renewal application before the period lapses rather than losing the name, per the Texas Secretary of State. The application asks you to specify the entity type, including a domestic nonprofit corporation, and notes the name must contain an appropriate organizational designation for that entity type.
Georgia Name Reservation
Georgia reserves an available name for 30 days, with a filing fee of $25 for an online reservation or $35 by mail, per georgia.gov. Georgia's reservation period is considerably shorter than Texas's, so if you're not ready to file your full articles of incorporation within about a month, plan to reapply (and pay the fee again) rather than assuming the reservation will still be active.
What a Reservation Does Not Do
A name reservation only confirms availability against the state's records at that specific moment and holds the name for you during the reservation period; it doesn't guarantee final approval of your articles of incorporation later, doesn't check the name against the USPTO's trademark database, and doesn't register you to do business or solicit donations under that name. If another applicant's name is accepted ahead of yours due to a processing error, or if your eventual articles contain some other defect, your reserved name alone won't carry the filing through.
After the Reservation Period Ends
Once you file your articles of incorporation using the reserved name, the reservation itself becomes unnecessary; the name is now attached to your actual corporate filing instead. If the reservation period lapses before you file, the name simply becomes available to any other applicant again, and you would need to search availability and reserve (or file directly) once more.
Practical Considerations
Don't Reserve a Name Months Before You're Ready to File
Because reservation periods are short, Georgia's 30 days in particular, reserving a name long before your organization is otherwise ready to file articles of incorporation often means paying the fee more than once. Reserve once you're reasonably close to filing, not as soon as you've settled on a name idea.
A State Reservation Doesn't Replace a Trademark Search
A name reservation only checks your state's own entity database. Before you build a website, donor materials, or a public identity around the name, separately search the USPTO's trademark database to check for conflicts a state filing office won't catch.
Confirm Your Specific State's Renewal Option
Some states, including Texas, let you renew a reservation before it lapses; others simply let the reservation expire with no renewal option, requiring a fresh application. Check your own state's specific process rather than assuming every state handles an about-to-expire reservation the same way.
This Is Not Legal Advice
Whether a specific name will ultimately be approved for your full articles of incorporation, and how a particular state's reservation and renewal process works, can have state-specific wrinkles. Talk to your state's filing office or a formation professional if your timeline is tight.
Sources
The official sources used for this article.
Texas Secretary of State: Form 501 (Application for Reservation or Renewal of Reservation of an Entity Name) | sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/501_boc.pdf |
|---|---|
Georgia.gov: Reserve a business name | georgia.gov/reserve-business-name |
USPTO: Trademark search | uspto.gov/trademarks/search |
Created by: LLC RegisterLast reviewed October 2, 2026
Updated: October 2, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to reserve a nonprofit name in Texas or Georgia?
Texas charges $40 for a 120-day name reservation using Form 501. Georgia charges $25 for an online reservation or $35 by mail for a 30-day reservation, per each state's filing office.
Can a name reservation be renewed if the organization isn't ready to file yet?
In Texas, yes; Form 501 is specifically built to allow a renewal application before the 120-day period lapses. Whether renewal is available, and on what terms, depends on the specific state, so check your own state's process rather than assuming it works the same way everywhere.
Does reserving a nonprofit name guarantee the state will approve your articles of incorporation using that name later?
Not entirely. A reservation confirms the name is available at that moment and holds it for the reservation period, but final approval still depends on your articles of incorporation meeting all of the state's other filing requirements when you actually submit them.
What happens if a reserved nonprofit name isn't used before the reservation expires?
The name becomes available to any other applicant again. If you still want it, you generally need to reconfirm availability and file a new reservation (and pay the fee again), unless your state allows renewing the existing reservation instead.
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