CAC Name Search is one of the pre-registration processes one must pass through before registering a business or company with the Corporate Affairs Commission. It is the very first step in CAC’s four steps of registering a business or company.
The commission designed the name reservation step to publicly match your suggested name with all the registered names in CAC. The aim is to avoid the repetition of business or company between two businesses. In the CAC portal, the name search section can easily be identified as ‘Public Search’ while the name reservation portal is identified as ‘Reserve a Name’. The process is totally user-friendly and easy to understand.
What is CAC Name Search?
The CAC Nigeria internet portal now includes a public search form that allows anybody to search CAC records for registered incorporated trustees, company or business names, and those awaiting business registration.
If you would like to register your company or business name with CAC Nigeria, you may also utilize the CAC public name search page to see if someone else has already registered your suggested business name. The process provides a column to input your proposed business or company name. Then the portal will run a fast check on all the registered company names to see if there will be any names that your proposed company name will duplicate.
If there is any, the search will bring out the details of the company or business name. But if there is non on the database, it will bring out a blank space, which means you can proceed to reserve the business or company name.
CAC Name Search Portal
The portal for CAC name search is https://pre.cac.gov.ng/login
The name search portal of the commission is very simple and straightforward to find and use. This is one of the fastest steps in the steps involved in registering a business or company with CAC.
How to Search for the Availability of Business Name on CAC
The following are the practical steps to search for the availability of a business or company name on the CAC portal:
- Access the CAC registration portal or click here to access the portal
- Go through the sign up process if you are a new user, then log in if you are a registered user using the following methods; username, email, phone number, accreditation number
- Then go through the security check by clicking on the ‘I’m not a robot’ box
- Click on the submit section
- On the next page, click input the proposed business or company name in the provided column
- Click on the ‘I’m not a robot’ button to solve the captcha
- Then tap the search section
At this point, if there is a result showing the RC number and other details on the proposed name, it means you can no longer go ahead with the business or company name. But if it presents a blank space, then proceed to the next phase of your registration process.
What is the CAC Name Reservation?
A CAC name reservation is a commitment to save a space for a business name first before the registration period begins. It consists of provisionally registering a business name with the commission in order to reserve such a name for a business owner.
A reserved name cannot be the same as another company’s name or a duplicate of another company’s name. This is why the verification stage is critical in the process of registering a business or company name. The procedure entails looking up the availability of the desired name. Attention is also paid to names that are substantially similar and may conflict with existing trademarks.
What is the Importance of CAC Name Reservation?
Every day, new firms or companies emerge, and new names emerge, resulting in CAC name reservations. The following are the importance of CAC name reservations:
- It aids in preventing another person from registering your intended business or company name.
- It secures your selected business name on the CAC portal to ensure its legitimacy.
- Because it is part of the registration procedure, it ensures that you can reserve the name even if you do not intend to complete the registration right away.
- It prevents competitors or impersonators from duplicating already registered business or company names.
What is the CAC Name Reservation Portal?
The portal for reserving business names in CAC is https://pre.cac.gov.ng/login
To make use of this portal, you will have to sign up and have an account with the CAC portal. This can be done using the link provided above. After the sign up process, you can then proceed with the CAC name reservation process.
Steps to CAC Name Reservation
Everything is now simple thanks to the introduction of the internet. Individuals or proprietors can register business names, including name reserves, without leaving their homes by registering online. This can be accomplished without the assistance of a lawyer, chartered accountant, or secretary. The two key phases that might lead you through CAC name reservation are as follows:
Phase 1: Sign Up with CAC Portal
The following outlined three steps can be followed to register or create an account for a business or company name on the CAC website:
- Access the portal through https://pre.cac.gov.ng/register/new to sign up
- Input the required details on the page. Ensure the name you input is the same as the name on your National ID card.
- Tap the registration section to go through the verification process, which will be sent to your email as a link. Log into your email to verify the account through the verification link.
Phase 2: Name Reservation
Since you are through with the first phase, which is signing up with the CAC portal. You are now ready to forge ahead with the name reservation. Below are the quick steps to a CAC name reservation:
- Access your account on the website
- Tap the ‘Reserve a Name’ section on the dashboard
- Complete the form on the provided page
- Tap the online transaction and below the e-services, tap ‘Name Reservation’ and the proposed name with the availability code
Please keep in mind that in order to avoid rejection, you must first check the availability of the selected business or company name before filling out the CAC name reservation form.
The Corporate Affairs Commission requests an availability code to confirm that you have officially reserved your business name, and access is allowed only after your code has been authorized by CAC. Visit the CAC website at www.cac.gov.ng to search for business name availability.
Make sure your proposed business name is right, as any errors will necessitate a repair application. Also, perform an appropriate study on your state’s criteria for business entity names to avoid future opposition due to failure to follow some of the regulations or specifications.
What is the Cost of CAC Name Reservation?
In Nigeria, the official fee for a CAC business name reservation is N500. This does not include any transaction fees or bank charges, which might range between N100 and N200 depending on the bank.
What is the Validity Period for Name Reservation?Â
Name reservations are valid for 60 days; once the government confirms and authorizes the name, the promoters must file the incorporation form within that time frame. The business name can sometimes be reserved for 6 months in particular instances. The application for name reservation takes 2-3 working days, although there may be a delay due to the heavy workload.