Next dueCompany / ROC
14 OCTADT-1 · Auditor appointment (after AGM)in 12 days 30 OCTAOC-4 · Financial statements · FY 2025-26in 28 days 31 OCTITR filing · Audit cases · AY 2026-27in 29 days 31 OCTMSME-1 · Dues to MSMEs · Apr–Sep 2026in 29 days 29 NOVMGT-7 / 7A · Annual return · FY 2025-26in 58 days 30 JUNDPT-3 · Return of deposits · FY 2026-27in 271 days 7 OCTTDS / TCS deposit · Deducted in Sep 2026in 5 days 11 OCTGSTR-1 · Outward supplies · Sep 2026in 9 days
All due dates
Guide · Business & MSME

Company Name Check — Search & Reserve on MCA

How to check company or LLP name availability free on the MCA portal, reserve it through RUN or SPICe+ Part-A, the Rule 8 naming guidelines, fees, validity and how to avoid rejection.

Written by
TaxClue Company Desk
Updated
18 August 2026
Reading time
4 min
Questions
15 answered
  • Updated for 2026
  • Company Law Reviewed
  • Free search + paid reserve
Quick Answer

You can check company name availability free using the MCA portal's "Check Company/LLP Name" search, then reserve the name either through SPICe+ Part-A (when you are incorporating a fresh company) or the standalone RUN (Reserve Unique Name) web service. RUN costs Rs 1,000 per application and lets you propose one name (with one free resubmission). An approved name is reserved for 20 days for a new company; MCA typically responds within 1–3 working days.

Always run the free search first

Before paying for RUN or SPICe+, use the free MCA name-search and the IP India trademark database. A name identical or deceptively similar to an existing company, LLP or registered trademark is rejected — and the RUN/SPICe+ fee is non-refundable. A 2-minute free check saves the fee and a resubmission.

Step by step
  1. 1Free name searchMCA "Check Company/LLP Name" + trademark search
  2. 2Pick a routeSPICe+ Part-A (new co) or standalone RUN
  3. 3Enter the nameGive clear significance / meaning
  4. 4Pay the feeRs 1,000 per RUN application
  5. 5Get approvalReserved 20 days to incorporate
Which route

RUN vs SPICe+ Part-A vs LLP Name

MCA offers different name-reservation routes depending on the entity and whether you are incorporating immediately. Fees and validity below; confirm current fees on the MCA portal.

RouteUsed forNamesFeeValidity
SPICe+ Part-ANew company (reserve + incorporate)Up to 2Rs 1,00020 days
RUN (standalone)Name-only or company name change1 per formRs 1,00020 / 60 days*
RUN-LLP / FiLLiPLLP name reservationUp to 2Rs 20090 days
Existing company name changeVia RUN, then MGT-14 / INC-241Rs 1,00060 days

* 20 days for a fresh company; 60 days when an existing company changes its name. LLP names reserved via FiLLiP/RUN-LLP are valid 90 days. Verify all fees at mca.gov.in.

Rule 8 guidelines

MCA Company Name Rules

A proposed name must satisfy the Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 (Rule 8, 8A, 8B). In short, it must be distinctive, not undesirable, and not conflict with an existing name or trademark.

  • Not identical or deceptively similar to an existing company, LLP or registered trademark
  • Not undesirable or in the opinion of the Central Government offensive to any section
  • No words implying government patronage — "National", "Union", "Central", "Republic", "President" etc. — without approval
  • Restricted words ("Bank", "Insurance", "Stock Exchange", "Nidhi") need the relevant regulator's approval
  • Must end with the correct suffix: "Private Limited", "Limited", "OPC Private Limited" or "LLP"
  • Should reflect the principal business activity and carry a clear meaning / significance
Trademark check is not optional

MCA will reject a name that matches a registered or applied-for trademark in the relevant class, even if no company holds it. Search the IP India trademark database before you file — and if the brand matters to you, plan a trademark registration alongside incorporation.

Want us to pick and reserve a compliant, approval-ready name?

Talk to a Company Expert →
Avoid these

Common Name Rejection Reasons

Rejection reasonExample / explanationFixable?
Identical to an existing name"Infosys Technologies Pvt Ltd" when "Infosys Ltd" existsRename
Phonetically similar"Wiproe" sounds like "Wipro"Rename
Matches a registered trademarkUsing "Google" or "Apple" as the key wordRename
Government / restricted words"National", "Federal", "Bank" without approvalApproval
Too generic or vague"Services Private Limited" with no distinctive wordAdd word
Weak significanceNo meaning / justification given for a coined wordResubmit

A weak-significance rejection can usually be cured with one free resubmission; conflicts need a genuinely different name.

Get approved faster

Tips to Improve Name Approval

  • Run the free MCA name search first
  • Search the IP India trademark database
  • Choose a coined / distinctive word
  • Give clear significance & meaning
  • Make both proposed names genuinely different
  • Match the name to your business activity
  • Avoid acronyms and abbreviations
  • Add the correct legal suffix

✓A name usually sails through if

  • It is a coined or distinctive word
  • No similar company / trademark exists
  • You explain a clear meaning
  • It matches your object clause

!Expect trouble if

  • It is close to a known brand
  • It uses restricted / government words
  • It is purely generic ("Global Services")
  • You give no significance for the word

Ready to incorporate? We reserve the name and file SPICe+ end to end.

Start Company Registration →
Sources
  1. Name search & reservation: mca.gov.in
  2. Naming rules: Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 — Rule 8, 8A, 8B, 9, 9A
  3. Trademark check: ipindiaonline.gov.in
  4. Fees & validity as on 2026 — verify current amounts on the MCA portal

Disclaimer: This guide is general information based on the law and notifications in force when it was last updated. It is not professional advice for your case — rates, thresholds and due dates change, so check the current position or speak to our CA team before you act on it.

People also ask

Company Name Check — Frequently Asked Questions

Short, direct answers to the 15 questions readers ask most on this topic.

Use the free "Check Company/LLP Name" search on the MCA portal (mca.gov.in) to see whether an identical or similar name already exists, and also search the IP India trademark database. The free search only tells you what exists — to actually reserve the name you must file SPICe+ Part-A (for a fresh company) or the standalone RUN web service and pay the fee.

Yes. The MCA portal provides a free "Company/LLP Name Search" that lists existing companies and LLPs with similar names, and you can also use the free IP India trademark search. These free tools help you shortlist names, but reservation of the name still requires filing the paid RUN form or SPICe+ Part-A.

RUN (Reserve Unique Name) is the MCA's online web service for reserving a company name without immediately incorporating, or for changing an existing company's name. You propose one name per application, give its significance and pay the fee. If you are incorporating a new company right away, it is usually simpler to reserve the name inside SPICe+ Part-A instead.

Use SPICe+ Part-A if you are going to incorporate the company now, because it reserves the name and flows straight into the incorporation form. Use the standalone RUN service if you only want to lock a name for later, or if you are changing the name of an existing company. Most fresh incorporations go through SPICe+ Part-A.

The RUN application fee is Rs 1,000 per submission for a company name; the same Rs 1,000 applies when reserving inside SPICe+ Part-A. LLP name reservation (RUN-LLP / FiLLiP) is Rs 200. The fee is non-refundable if the name is rejected, though RUN allows one free resubmission. Confirm the current fee on the MCA portal before filing.

MCA usually processes a name application within about 1–3 working days, though it can take a little longer during peak periods or if the name needs manual review. You will receive either an approval (with the reserved name) or a rejection with reasons, after which you can resubmit.

The standalone RUN service allows one proposed name per application, with one free resubmission if it is rejected. SPICe+ Part-A and LLP name reservation generally allow up to two names. Making the two choices genuinely different improves the chance that at least one is approved.

An approved name for a new company (via SPICe+ Part-A) is reserved for 20 days, within which you must file the incorporation. For an existing company changing its name, the reservation is valid for 60 days. LLP names reserved via FiLLiP / RUN-LLP are valid for 90 days. If you do not use it in time, the reservation lapses.

The name reservation automatically lapses and the name becomes available for others. You then have to file a fresh application and pay the fee again if you still want that name. To avoid this, only reserve the name once your documents (DSC, DIN, address proofs) are ready to complete incorporation.

The most common reasons are that the name is identical or deceptively similar to an existing company/LLP, it matches a registered trademark, it uses restricted or government-implying words without approval ("National", "Bank", "Insurance"), it is too generic, or it lacks a clear significance. Conflicts require a genuinely different name; a weak-significance rejection can often be fixed by resubmitting with justification.

Yes. The RUN service allows one free resubmission of the application if your first name is rejected. If both attempts fail, you file a fresh RUN application (and pay again). If the rejection was for weak significance rather than a conflict, providing a clear meaning on resubmission usually helps.

Yes, but you must provide the meaning and significance of the word in the application, and it must be written in English using the Roman script on the MCA portal. A foreign or coined word with a clear, stated meaning is often easier to approve than a generic English phrase because it is more distinctive.

It helps but is not strictly mandatory. MCA prefers a name that reflects the principal business activity in the object clause, and a name that has no connection at all to the objects can attract queries. A distinctive coined word plus a descriptive element (for example a made-up brand + "Technologies") works well.

Strongly recommended. MCA rejects names that conflict with a registered or applied-for trademark, so search the IP India database first. If the brand is important, consider filing a trademark alongside incorporation — company-name approval by MCA does not by itself give you trademark protection over the brand.

A private company name must end with "Private Limited", a public company with "Limited", a One Person Company with "(OPC) Private Limited", and an LLP with "LLP" or "Limited Liability Partnership". Section 8 (non-profit) companies use approved words like Foundation, Association or Federation and are exempt from the "Limited" suffix.