LLC Name Reservation Requirements in Louisiana

At a glance

Requirements one by one

Eligible applicants

Section 12:1307(A) names four routes. A person planning to organize a domestic LLC may apply before it exists; an existing domestic LLC may apply for a proposed name change. A foreign LLC may apply before seeking Louisiana authority or after authorization if it proposes a name change. The section does not list a separate registered-series applicant.

Name check

Under § 12:1307(B)(2), the Secretary of State reserves the name only if it is available for LLC use. Section 12:1306(A)(3) tests distinguishability against existing Louisiana and authorized foreign entities, reserved names, and registered trade names. Subparagraph (a) allows a conflicting registrant's written consent paired with the required name-change filing. Ordinary LLC names use one of the designators in § 12:1306(A)(1)(a).

Application, fee, and term

Section 12:1307(B)(1) calls for a signed application filed with the Secretary; it does not prescribe its information fields. Subsection (E) allows the Secretary to prescribe and furnish reservation and transfer forms. Section 49:222(B)(1)(a) charges $25 to reserve. On an availability finding, § 12:1307(B)(2) grants the applicant exclusive use for a nonrenewable 120-day period without a separate start-date formula. The provision offers no reapplication window.

Transfer and termination

Under § 12:1307(C), a transfer notice filed with the Secretary must name and address the transferee and be signed by the reservation applicant. Subsection (D) lets the owner end the hold with a signed termination notice. Section 49:222(B)(1)(a) charges $25 for each transaction. Enacted 2026 Act 921, § 1, changes other paragraphs of the fee statute while leaving paragraph (a) untouched; § 2 sets its effective date at October 1, 2026.

What trips people up

The reservation holds a place in the state's entity-name records for a limited time; it does not settle a right to trade under that name. Section 12:1306(B) expressly preserves unfair-competition and trade-name law. Applicants also need to distinguish a reservation from a registered corporate name: § 49:222(B)(1)(a) prices both, but § 12:1307(B)(2) expressly makes an LLC reservation nonrenewable.

Common questions

Does a prohibited name make an already formed LLC disappear?

No. Section 12:1306(C) says an assumed name's violation does not invalidate the LLC's existence, but a court may enjoin doing business under the name.

Does “engineer” in a proposed name require another step?

For a Louisiana LLC seeking its certificate of organization under a name containing “engineer,” “engineering,” “surveyor,” “surveying,” or a derivative, § 12:1306(E) requires evidence of written notice to the professional board at least ten days before the certificate issues. The same subsection provides a written-waiver route.

Statutes and sources

The current official Louisiana Legislature text supplies § 12:1307 (reservation and transfer), § 12:1306 (names and separate rights), and § 49:222 (fees). The enacted 2026 Act 921 was also checked for the October 1 fee change. All sources were accessed September 23, 2026.