Reserving a name for a new company
What’s required when you apply to reserve a company name
Reserving a company name is the first step to incorporating a new company on the Companies Register.
Before you apply to reserve a name, you'll need to make sure it's available, and that it meets our criteria for a suitable name. There is a fee of $10 (plus GST) for reserving a company name.
On this page:
- Checking that a company name is available to use
- Applying to reserve a company name
- If your company name is rejected
- If your name reservation is about to expire
- If someone else is going to incorporate the company
- Changing the name of a company
- Reserving names of overseas companies
1. Checking that a company name is available to use
The Companies Act 1993, and various other laws, contain rules and guidance on the naming of companies. For example, under the Companies Act, the name you choose cannot be 'identical or almost identical' to that of another company or a reserved name. There are also certain names the use of which is restricted or protected by legislation.
How you can check your proposed company name
A company name is separate from a registered trade mark – reserving or registering company names doesn’t give you trade mark rights. You might unintentionally infringe a trade mark if your company name is confusingly similar to someone else’s trade mark and you are trading in the same or similar goods and services.
ONECheck from Business.govt.nz allows you to check if a company name is potentially available. It provides:
- the ability to check registered company names, web domains and social media usernames in one simple search.
- a measure of the originality of a trade mark, on a sliding scale.
- an explanation of the difference between a company name and a trade mark.
2. Applying to reserve a company name
If you're incorporating a new company, you must use your name reservation within 20 working days.
Reserving a company name online costs $10 (plus GST).
What you'll need to reserve a name
To reserve a company name, you must have:
- a RealMe® login
- an online services account with the Companies Register.
How to apply to reserve a name
To reserve a company name, follow these steps.
- Log in to your online services account.
- On your dashboard, select the entity type from the drop-down menu.
For example, a New Zealand Limited Company or Overseas ASIC company. - Enter the company name you’d like to reserve.
The name of a limited liability company must end in 'Limited' or 'Tapui Limited'. - Confirm the availability of the name using the 'Auto check'.
This step should not replace your own checks, as described above. - Select who you are incorporating a company for — yourself or your employer.
- Upload any supporting documents, for example, if you have written approval to use a restricted word.
- Select 'Submit' and complete the payment process.
What happens next
When you submit your request to reserve a company name, we’ll check that it isn’t offensive, restricted, identical or almost identical to any other name on the Companies Register.
We process most requests that are submitted during our normal business hours within 2 hours. Our normal business hours are 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Some name reservation requests require further checking, so we may not be able process them on the day they are submitted.
When we've approved your name reservation request, we'll send you email confirmation giving you 20 working days to incorporate your company before your name reservation expires. If your choice of name is rejected, we’ll tell you why it was refused.
3. More information about reserving a company name
Related guides
- The rules relating to company names From Starting a company
- Names protected by legislation From Starting a company
Other guides in
Starting a company
- Incorporating a company
- Company addresses
- Tax registration
- Registering the appointment of a director
- Registering a shareholder
- Filing director and shareholder consent forms
- Ultimate holding companies
- Issuing shares in a company
- Incorporating with a company constitution
- How overseas companies set up as a NZ business