Register a Business Name in Alabama

Register a Business Name in Alabama

Register a Business Name in Alabama : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Although Alabama does not require the registration of fictitious names for all businesses, filing a trade name is necessary for most businesses. Hence, if you are starting your own business in the state, you should be guided in registering business names. The process is not short and simple, but with the right tips, you can complete the registration without much trouble. Here is the complete process for successfully registering your own trade name in Alabama:

• Decide on the business name and ensure its uniqueness. Once you have decided on a business name, search its availability. Then, apply to reserve that specific business name. You can search name availability in Alabama by visiting the website of the Alabama Secretary of State at sos.state.al.us. In the search box marked Mark Description, type your chosen business name. The website will tell you whether the name you have entered is available for your use. It will also be helpful to check local directories to investigate whether another company is using your chosen name. Note that it is prohibited to have two similar registered business names.
• Reserve the business name you find available. Once settled, navigate to the page indicating name reservation and apply for its reservation. Although this is not a requirement, it is still necessary to reserve the business name to ensure that no one will register the name ahead of you. This is especially true if you are not sure about filing the registration right away.
• Download and complete forms for the registration. Download the complete list of registration forms from the same website. Print the documents out and fill out the needed information.
• Prepare for the payment of the necessary filing fees. There are two different filing fees that you need to pay to register a name in the state. These include the judge fee and the actual filing fee. Non-payment of the fees will result in the non-processing of the business name registration. Go to the same website to check all the fees you need to pay in relation to this transaction.
• Get the registration documents notarized. Get all of your signed documents and have them notarized. There are many local notary public services that you can surely find in your area.
• Mail the forms for the completion of the registration process. The notarized forms and the complete fees must be mailed to the proper department. Address the package to: Alabama Secretary of State, Attn: Corporations Division, 11 South Union St., Room 207, Montgomery, AL 36104. When mailing the documents, make sure everything is complete, including the filing fees. Note that non-inclusion or payment of a partial amount will not result in the processing of your business name registration.

Registering a trade name in Alabama is just a simple process. As long as you follow the right track, you will not find any trouble in achieving your goal. So get your business started by registering a name. Note that you can hardly start a business without any name. Good luck!