Form 501 — Instructions for Application for Reservation or Renewal of Reservation of an Entity Name
Form 501 (PDF) Instructions (PDF)
Commentary
Sections 5.101 to 5.106 of the Texas Business Organizations Code (BOC) govern the reservation of a name of a corporation, professional association, cooperative association, limited liability company, limited partnership or other filing entity.
Duration: An entity name may be reserved for a period of 120 days. A name reservation may be renewed by filing a new application during the 30-day period preceding the expiration of the current reservation.
Instructions for Form
Entity Name: Set forth the entity name to be reserved. Although an organizational designation is not required for filing the name reservation, the organizational designation, if applicable, must be included in the certification of formation or registration. Appropriate organizational designations are shown in the table below.
Entity Type
Appropriate Organizational Designations For-profit Corporation
Corporation Incorporated
Company
Limited
Corp.
Inc.
Co.>
Ltd.
Nonprofit Corporation
Use of an organizational designation is not required for a nonprofit corporation.
Professional Corporation
The same as for-profit corporations as well as Professional Corporation or abbreviation P.C.
Professional Association
Professional Association
Association
Associated
Associates
Assoc. or
Assn.P.A.
Cooperative Association
Cooperative
Coop
Co-Op
Limited Liability Company
Limited Liability Company
Limited Company
L.L.C.
L.C.
Ltd. Co.
Professional Limited Liability Company
Professional Limited Liability Company
P.L.L.C.
Limited Partnership
Limited Partnership
Limited
L.P.
Ltd.
Abbreviations may be used with or without punctuation.
Section 5.102 of the BOC and the secretary of state’s name availability rules provide that a proposed name cannot be reserved if it is the same as, deceptively similar to, or similar to that of any existing domestic or foreign filing entity, or any name reservation or registration filed with the secretary of state. These are the administrative rules adopted for determining entity name availability (Texas Administrative Code, title 1, part 4, chapter 79, subchapter C). If you wish the secretary of state to provide a preliminary determination on name availability, you may call (512) 463-5555, dial 7-1-1 for relay services, or e-mail your name inquiry. A final determination cannot be made until the document is received and processed by the secretary of state. Do not make financial expenditures or execute documents based on a preliminary determination. Also note that the preclearance of a name or the issuance of a certificate of reservation or formation under a name does not authorize the use of a name in violation of another person’s rights to the name.
Entity Type: A name may be reserved by a person intending to organize a Texas corporation, professional association, limited liability company or limited partnership, or a person intending to register a foreign filing entity to transact business in Texas. Although this form is designed to be used by different types of entities, you must indicate the specific entity type to which the name reservation is to apply. This selection facilitates the review of the entity name as a name chosen for one specific entity type may imply or indicate an unlawful purpose for another entity type.
Applicant Name and Address: Specify the name of the person for whom the reservation is made. If the name is being reserved by an existing corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company or other organized legal entity, select and complete option A. If an individual is reserving the name, please select and complete option B. Set forth the name of the individual in the format specified. Do not use prefixes (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms.). Use the suffix box only for titles of lineage (e.g., Jr., Sr., III) and not for other suffixes or titles (e.g., M.D., Ph.D.).
Once the application for reservation is filed, the name reservation will be recorded exclusively in the name of the applicant or the applicant’s transferee if a notice of transfer is filed with the appropriate fee.
Execution: The applicant or applicant’s attorney or agent must sign the application for name reservation. Before signing, please read the statements on this form carefully. A person commits an offense under section 4.008 of the BOC if the person signs or directs the filing of a filing instrument the person knows is materially false with the intent that the instrument be delivered to the secretary of state for filing. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor unless the person’s intent is to harm or defraud another, in which case the offense is a state jail felony.
Payment and Delivery Instructions: The filing fee for an application for name reservation is $40. The filing fee for the renewal of an existing name reservation is $40. Fees may be paid by personal checks, money orders, LegalEase debit cards, or American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa credit cards. Checks or money orders must be payable through a U.S. bank or financial institution and made payable to the secretary of state. Fees paid by credit card are subject to a statutorily authorized convenience fee of 2.7 percent of the total fees.
Submit the completed form in duplicate along with the filing fee. The form may be mailed to P.O. Box 13697, Austin, Texas 78711-3697; or delivered to the James Earl Rudder Office Building, 1019 Brazos, Austin, Texas 78701. On filing the document, the secretary of state will return the appropriate evidence of filing to the submitter together with a file-stamped copy of the document, if a duplicate copy was provided as instructed.
Withdrawal: A registrant may withdraw the reservation of a name before the expiration of the reservation period by filing a notice of withdrawal to cancel the name reservation. There is no fee for filing the notice of withdrawal.
Revised 05/11
