Arkansas Business Name Checker
Check if your business name is available in Arkansas. Validate Arkansas naming rules instantly and search the Secretary of State's Business Entity Search free — then file online, where Arkansas name filings run $2.50 cheaper than paper.
Validate the name format, then search the official Arkansas Secretary of State — Business & Commercial Services records.
1.Search the state registry (Arkansas Secretary of State — Business & Commercial Services) for existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names
2.Check federal trademarks at USPTO.gov — state approval does not protect you from trademark claims
3.Verify the .com domain is available for your name
4.Grab matching social media handles (Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook)
5.Lock the name in by filing your formation documents — or reserve it first (details below)
Fee
$22.50 online or $25 on paper
Holds the name for
typically 120 days (confirm with the Arkansas Secretary of State)
How to file
Form RN-06 (Application for Reservation of Entity Name) online or by mail
A reservation can be transferred to another person by filing Form TRN-06. Like most Arkansas filings, the online version is $2.50 cheaper than paper.
How Business Name Availability Works in Arkansas
Arkansas business names live in the Secretary of State's free Business Entity Search, which covers LLCs, corporations, reserved names, and fictitious names. Arkansas has a pricing personality all its own: nearly every filing is $2.50 cheaper online than on paper. The name reservation is $22.50 online versus $25 by mail, the fictitious-name filing follows the same split, and the LLC Certificate of Organization itself is just $45 online — one of the lowest formation fees in the country.
Under Arkansas Code § 4-38-112, an LLC name must contain "limited liability company," "limited company," or one of the abbreviations LLC, L.L.C., LC, or L.C. Corporations follow § 4-27-401 and need "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" or an abbreviation. Names must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State — a different key word clears a conflict; punctuation and suffix swaps do not.
The catch in Arkansas is not the up-front cost but the recurring one: every Arkansas LLC owes an annual $150 franchise tax to the Secretary of State, regardless of income. Factor it into your comparison if you are choosing between states — the $45 formation fee is a bargain, but the franchise tax makes Arkansas pricier over five years than its sticker price suggests.
Arkansas Business Name Requirements
✓ Name Requirements
- • LLCs must include "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC", "L.C.", "Limited Liability Company" or "Limited Company"
- • Corporations must include "Inc.", "Corp.", "Co." or "Ltd."
- • Must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from existing and reserved Arkansas names
- • Cannot suggest a government affiliation
- • Cannot be misleading about business purpose
- • Governed by Arkansas Code § 4-38-112 (LLCs) and § 4-27-401 (corporations)
✗ Restricted Words
- • "Bank" — requires approval from the Arkansas State Bank Department
- • "Trust" — implies trust-company powers — Arkansas State Bank Department approval needed
- • "Insurance" — requires clearance from the Arkansas Insurance Department
- • "Credit Union" — restricted to chartered credit unions regulated by the Arkansas State Bank Department
- • "Engineer" — professional engineering titles are regulated by the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors
- • "Olympic" — federally protected under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
How to Check Name Availability in Arkansas
Use the tool above to open the Arkansas Secretary of State — Business & Commercial Services search and look up existing LLCs, corporations, and reserved names. Arkansas rewards online filers — name filings are $2.50 cheaper online than on paper — and every Arkansas LLC owes a flat $150 franchise tax to the Secretary of State each year.
Search the USPTO database at uspto.gov — clearing the Arkansas registry does not protect you from a federal trademark claim.
Check that the matching .com domain is available before you commit — renaming an LLC later means an amendment filing and new bank paperwork.
Confirm your name is free on Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn so your branding stays consistent everywhere.
Arkansas lets you reserve a name for typically 120 days (confirm with the Arkansas Secretary of State) for $22.50 online or $25 on paper — Form RN-06 (Application for Reservation of Entity Name) online or by mail.
What Registering a Name Costs in Arkansas
| Filing | State Fee | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation filing | $45 | One-time |
| Annual report / recurring fee | $150 | Yearly |
| Name reservation | $22.50 online or $25 on paper | Holds the name typically 120 days (confirm with the Arkansas Secretary of State) |
| Fictitious Name | Registered entities file the Application for Fictitious Name (Form DN-18) with the Secretary of State — $22.50 online or $25 on paper. Sole proprietors generally file at the county clerk's office instead (confirm locally). | |
State filing fees as of 2026. See the Arkansas LLC tax and fee calculator for the full annual cost picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a business name is taken in Arkansas for free?
Use the Arkansas Secretary of State's free Business Entity Search, which covers LLCs, corporations, reserved names, and fictitious names on record. Search the distinctive part of your name rather than the exact full string, because Arkansas applies a distinguishable-upon-the-records test — anything confusingly close to an existing or reserved name can be rejected. The database is the same record set the examiner uses, so a careful search there is the best free predictor of approval.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name in Arkansas?
An Arkansas name reservation costs $22.50 if filed online or $25 on paper, using Form RN-06 (Application for Reservation of Entity Name). The reservation is generally described as lasting 120 days, but confirm the current term with the Arkansas Secretary of State before relying on it. If your plans change, the reservation is transferable to another person by filing Form TRN-06 — useful if you are holding a name for a venture that will have different founders.
What suffix does an Arkansas LLC name need?
Under Arkansas Code § 4-38-112, an Arkansas LLC name must contain "limited liability company" or "limited company," or one of the abbreviations "LLC," "L.L.C.," "LC," or "L.C." Corporations follow § 4-27-401 instead and must include "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" or an abbreviation such as Inc., Corp., Co., or Ltd. The designator must match your actual entity type or the filing will be rejected.
Why are Arkansas filings cheaper online?
Arkansas deliberately prices electronic filings $2.50 below their paper equivalents to push filers to the online system. The name reservation is $22.50 online versus $25 by mail, and the fictitious-name filing (Form DN-18) follows the same split. The savings extend to formation too — the LLC Certificate of Organization is $45 filed online, among the cheapest in the country. Unless you have a specific reason to mail documents, the online route is faster and cheaper on every filing.
Does Arkansas charge an annual fee for LLCs?
Yes — every Arkansas LLC owes a flat $150 annual franchise tax to the Secretary of State, due regardless of whether the company had any income. This is Arkansas's main recurring cost, and it is easy to overlook because the up-front numbers are so low: $45 to form an LLC online and $22.50 to reserve a name. Over five years the franchise tax adds $750, so include it when comparing Arkansas against neighboring states.
What is a fictitious name in Arkansas?
A fictitious name is Arkansas's term for a DBA — a trade name different from your entity's legal name. Registered entities file the Application for Fictitious Name (Form DN-18) with the Secretary of State for $22.50 online or $25 on paper. Sole proprietors generally file with their county clerk instead. The filing is a disclosure, not a protection: Arkansas does not check fictitious names for conflicts, so it grants no exclusive rights to the name.
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Checking a Name in Another State?
Searching Arkansas Business Names and Saving $2.50 Online
The Arkansas Secretary of State's Business Entity Search is free and shows entity status, filing history, registered agent, and fictitious names on record. Because Arkansas applies a distinguishable-upon-the-records test, search the distinctive part of your name and review anything close — the examiner compares your name against reserved names too, which a casual search can miss.
When you move from searching to filing, do it online. Arkansas prices its filings so that the electronic version is consistently $2.50 cheaper: the name reservation drops from $25 on paper to $22.50 online, and the fictitious-name filing follows the same pattern. The LLC Certificate of Organization is $45 online.
If you are not ready to form, reserve the name with Form RN-06. Arkansas reservations are generally described as lasting 120 days, but confirm the current term with the Secretary of State. A reservation is transferable — if you sell the name or restructure before forming, Form TRN-06 moves it to the new holder.
Arkansas Naming Rules Under § 4-38-112
Arkansas gives LLCs six designator options under § 4-38-112: "limited liability company," "limited company," or the abbreviations LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C. Corporations use "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited" (or Inc., Corp., Co., Ltd.) under § 4-27-401. As always, the designator must match the entity type — an LLC cannot masquerade as "Inc."
Regulated words need sign-off before the Secretary of State will accept them. "Bank" and "Trust" route through the Arkansas State Bank Department, "Insurance" through the Arkansas Insurance Department, and professional titles like "Engineer" are policed by the state licensure board. Names implying a governmental connection are rejected outright.
The distinguishability test covers everything on the Secretary of State's records: active domestic entities, foreign entities registered in Arkansas, reserved names, and fictitious names. A name that looks free in a web search can still collide with a reservation filed last month, so treat the state database as the source of truth.
Fictitious Names and the $150 Franchise Tax
If your Arkansas LLC or corporation will trade under a different brand, file the Application for Fictitious Name (Form DN-18) with the Secretary of State — $22.50 online or $25 on paper. Sole proprietors and general partnerships generally record their fictitious names with the county clerk where they do business instead; check your county's procedure and fee.
A fictitious name gives you no exclusivity — Arkansas does not check DN-18 filings for conflicts. If the brand matters, form an entity under the name or register a trademark; the fictitious-name filing is a disclosure requirement, not a protection mechanism.
Finally, budget for Arkansas's signature recurring cost: the $150 annual franchise tax every LLC owes the Secretary of State, due each year whether or not the company earned a dollar. Combined with the $45 online formation fee, your first-year state cost is about $195 — still modest, but the franchise tax is the number that compounds.
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