The following table is intended to serve as a guide for the various name approval requirements of each Domestic Uniform State. Applicants are strongly advised to check with each state separately to ensure compliance with all applicable name approval requirements.
Last Updated: 07/22/2024
Updates to the information will be noted with a " * " next to the state name and edits will be italicized and bolded.
State | Name Approval Process |
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AL |
Submit request for name approval to Carla Donney (Carla.Donney@insurance.alabama.gov). After name is approved a letter of name availability is issued. This letter along with a check for $25.00 should be submitted to: Alabama Secretary of State, Corporate Division, P.O. Box 5616, Montgomery, AL 36103. |
*AK | The Alaska Division of Insurance does not reserve or approve names for use by insurance companies. Section 21.09.050 of the Alaska Insurance Code prohibits the use of a name that might mislead, deceive or be deceptively similar to the name of another insurer. The fee for a domestic name change would be $100 for an amended COA. |
AR | The Arkansas Insurance Department does not reserve or approve names for use by insurance companies. Ark. Code Ann. §23-63-203 prohibits the use of a name, which might mislead, deceive or be deceptively similar to the name of another insurer. Contact Legal Division, with any questions at (501) 371-2820 or insurance.legal@arkansas.gov. |
AZ |
The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions does not reserve or approve names for use by insurance companies. A.R.S. § 20-218 prohibits an insurer’s use of a name so similar to that of another insurer as to cause uncertainty or confusion, nor use a name which may tend to deceive or mislead the public as the type of organization of the insurer. Applicant should send an email to tony.mccormack@difi.az.gov to request a name availability check. If the name is available for use in AZ, the Applicant may reserve its name with the Arizona Corporation Commission if it chooses to https://www.azcc.gov/. Newly forming domestic insurers must deliver their Articles of Incorporation to the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions to be reviewed and stamped prior to filing with the Arizona Corporation Commission. Email financialfilings@difi.az.gov for assistance. |
*CA | The Insurance Commissioner and the Secretary of State must preapprove name. Submit written request with fee of $150 payable to the California Department of Insurance at 1901 Harrison Street, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612 Attention: CAB-Intake. California Insurance Code section 881, include with your name reservation application letter, a copy of your letter to the Secretary of State at 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Attention: Corporate Filing and Services Division. (https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0100-applicati…) |
CO | The Colorado Division of Insurance has no formal name approval process. The Colorado Secretary of State does regulate this. Information is available on its website under "Business Division." That information includes an article titled "Business Names" that addresses the issue of "name availability." The Business Division web page also permits a search of the business entity records database maintained by the Colorado Secretary of State. Please note: foreign insurance companies organized under the laws of another state are required to register as a foreign corporation through the Colorado Secretary of State. The website for the Business Division is http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/main.htm. |
CT |
The Articles of Incorporation and any amendments are approved by the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner prior to being filed with the Office of the Secretary of State. (Domestic Only). The Connecticut Insurance Department does not reserve or approve names for foreign insurers. The name on the articles of incorporation filed with the application is used in Connecticut for foreign insurers. Reservation of names is supervised by the Office of the Secretary of State, 30 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT 06106, (860) 509-6003. |
DE | The Delaware Department of Insurance does not reserve nor approve names for use by insurance companies. However, Delaware Insurance Code, Section 509 prohibits the formation or authorization of an insurer which has or uses a name which is the same as or deceptively similar to that of another insurance company already authorized. |
DC | The District of Columbia Department of Insurance and Securities does not reserve or approve names. D.C. Code Section 31-4401(1) prohibits the use of a name that is identical or so similar to the name of an existing insurer authorized to do business in the District as to mislead the public or cause confusion. If a mutual company, the name must contain the word "mutual." |
*FL | Insurance companies must apply to the Office of Insurance Regulation and receive a Permit to be formed. Upon issuance of a Permit, the insurer must register as a domestic corporation through the Office of the Secretary of the State. A Certificate of Status obtained from the Secretary of State’s Office is required to be submitted with the Certificate of Authority application to the Office of Insurance Regulation after the company has a Permit and is formed. The phone number for the Office of the Secretary of State is (850) 245-6051. The web site address is http://www.sunbiz.org. |
*GA | O.C.G.A. §33-3-12. No insurer shall have or use a name so similar to that of any insurer already so authorized in Georgia as to cause uncertainty or confusion or use a name that would deceptively mislead as to the type of organization of the insurer. In the case of a conflict of names between two insurers, the Commissioner may require as a condition to the issuance of a certificate of authority that an insurer use in Georgia a supplement or modification to its name as may reasonably be necessary to avoid a conflict. Name approval requests should be submitted to LaRhonda Wyatt at lwyatt@oci.ga.gov. |
HI |
Contact state for requirements. |
ID | The Idaho Department of Insurance has discontinued taking name reservations. No insurer shall have or use a name which is the same or deceptively similar to that of another insurer already licensed. Refer to Idaho Code §41-311 for company name. |
IL | Domestic insurance company applicant must obtain name approval from the Department in writing. The domestic company's name cannot be the same as, or deceptively similar to, the name of any domestic company, or of any foreign or alien company, authorized to transact business in the state. See 215 ILCS 5/7 and 215 ILCS 5/37 of the Illinois Insurance Code. |
IN |
The Indiana Department of Insurance does not reserve or approve names for use by insurance companies, but company name must be in accordance with the following Indiana Insurance Codes: |
IA | No names are reserved or specifically approved. Applicant’s name must meet similarity standard in that it is not considered misleading, deceptive or deceptively similar to a licensed insurer. |
KS | No insurance company shall adopt the name of any existing insurance company or any name so similar as to mislead the public. Domestic insurers are required to submit the name of the company to the Kansas Insurance Commissioner for approval prior to commencement of business in Kansas pursuant to K.S.A. 40-203. Upon submission of any company license application to Kansas, the Admission Coordinator evaluates the department’s database of names. The company is contacted only if a similar or misleading name exists in the system. |
KY | Contact state for requirements. |
LA | A company may write in advance and request the availability of a name. There is nothing in statute allowing us to reserve a name. The Department will look at the proposed name and compare it to names of other licensed insurers in the state. Using a best-judgment call, we will determine if the name is "deceptively similar" to any other insurer operating within the state. |
ME |
Contact state for requirements. |
MD |
Maryland does not require the reserving of an insurer’s corporate name. However, Section 4-102(b) of the Insurance Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland states "An insurer may not be authorized to engage in the insurance business in the State if the insurer has or uses a name that is so similar to the name of an insurer already so authorized as to tend to cause uncertainty or confusion or that tends to deceive or mislead about the type of organization of the insurer." Maryland requires the Articles of Incorporation of each domestic insurer and any amendments to its charter be submitted to the Commissioner for examination and approval. Once approved by the Commissioner, the Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. This is set forth in Section 3-104 of the Insurance Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The address for the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation is: |
MA | Contact state for requirements. |
MI | No name approval process; See §500.454. |
MN | No names are reserved or specifically approved. Applicant's name must meet similarity standard in that it is not considered misleading, deceptive or deceptively similar to a licensed insurer. |
MS | The company name must not so closely resemble the name of an existing corporation doing business under the laws of this state as to be likely to mislead the public. |
MO | Admission Specialist evaluates the department’s database. The company is contacted only if a similar or misleading name exists in the system. Name may be reserved with the SOS when filed with no objection notice from DCI. Contact Debbie Doggett at Debbie.Doggett@insurance.mo.gov to obtain. |
MT |
The Montana Division of Insurance does not reserve or approve names for use by insurance companies. 33-2-107. Name -- dissimilar. |
NE | Nebraska does not have a formal name approval process; however, Neb Rev Stat 44-351 prohibits the use of any name already in use by any other company or so closely resembling such name as to mislead the public as to its identity. |
NV | Contact state for requirements. |
NH | Submit letter to the NH Insurance Department stating the name of the company to approve along with $25 fee. Make check payable to the New Hampshire Insurance Department. The name approval may be submitted at the same time as the UCAA application. (RSA 401:15 and RSA 401:16) |
NJ | Please be advised that there is no provision under New Jersey statutes for the reservation or approval of a corporate name for use by an "insurer" as defined in N.J.S.A. 17:32-17. However, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 17:32-2d, no "Certificate of Authority" shall be issued to an insurer (insurance company) by the commissioner if, in the judgment of the commissioner, the name of such company shall so closely resemble the name of any existing company authorized to transact business in this State as to be likely to mislead the public. |
NM | Pursuant to NMSA Section 59A-5-14, the name must not be the same or deceptively similar to that of another insurer already authorized, or has or uses a name tending to mislead as to its type of organization. Admission specialist evaluates the division's database. The company is contacted only if a similar or misleading name exists in the system. The OSI will not approved any assumed names/DBA names. |
NY |
Name must be approved and reserved by the Office of General Counsel, Section 1102(g) of the N.Y. Ins. Law, prior to the submission of incorporation papers (Note: domestic insurers must be incorporated through the Department of Financial Services prior to submission of Primary Application). Letters requesting approval and reservation should be submitted to the Office of General Counsel, State of New York Department of Financial Services, One Commerce Plaza, Albany, NY 12257 along with payment of a $25.00 fee, check made payable to the Superintendent of Financial Services. See Department of Financial Services Insurance Division Regulation No. 104, 11 NYCRR 87. All foreign insurers must have their name approved by Office of General Counsel. Letters requesting approval and reservation should be submitted to the Office of General Counsel, State of New York Department of Financial Services, One Commerce Plaza, Albany, NY 12257 along with payment of the $25 fee, check made payable to the Superintendent of Financial Services. Note: all Life insurance must have the word "Life" included in their name. |
NC | Contact state for requirements. |
ND | North Dakota does not reserve names. The name of the company, which may be any name not previously in use by an existing corporation authorized to do business in this state, but the words "insurance company", or, if the business specified in the articles is that of life insurance and the business is to be conducted upon the mutual plan, the words "mutual life insurance company" must constitute a part of such name. N.D.C.C. § 26.1-05-06(5). |
OH | Contact state for requirements. |
OK | Contact state for requirements. |
OR | Contact state for requirements. |
PA | Prior approval is required for certain names in accordance with 15 Pa.C.S.A. §202(c)(1)(iii). Please contact Chief, Company Licensing Division at (717) 787-2735 or ra-in-companylicense@pa.gov with any additional questions. |
PR | Submit request for name approval to Puerto Rico Insurance Department. After name is approved a letter of name availability is issued. The Articles of Incorporation, Filing Endorsement, Newspaper Publication and any amendments are approved by the Puerto Rico Insurance Commissioner prior to being filed with the Office of the Secretary of State. |
RI |
Primary App: R.I. will not approve an application from a company whose name is the same as or similar to a company already licensed in RI, nor will we approve an application from a company whose name, in our estimation, would tend to create confusion in the minds of policyholders. A company must obtain name clearance and approval through the RI Department of Business Regulation and the RI Secretary of State. The applicant company should obtain name clearance initially from the RI Secretary of State at (401) 222-3040. |
SC | An applicant seeking a primary license must first request name approval from the Department. |
SD | The applicant’s use of a name which is similar to another insurer previously authorized to do business in this state will not be considered. See (SDCL 58-6-16 and 58-6-18). |
TN | Names are not reserved or approved. Applicant's name must meet similarity standard in that it is not considered misleading, deceptive, or deceptively similar to a licensed insurer. |
TX | Texas requires a name reservation process prior to name approval. The name must not be similar to other licensed companies as to avoid customer confusion. Please contact Company Licensing & Registration at clrrequests@tdi.texas.gov for submission. |
UT |
The Utah Insurance Department does not reserve or register names for use by insurance companies. It does approve the use of a name. Utah Code Ann. § 31A-1-109 prohibits the use of a name that is the same or deceptively similar to the name of any corporate licensee of the department. Reservation or registration of a corporate name can be made by a proper filing with the: Utah Department of Corporations, Corporations Division,160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. |
VT | No name approval process. |
VA | The Bureau of Insurance is not responsible for name approval or reservation. An applicant may request forms and instructions for name reservation from the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, P. O. Box 1197, Richmond, VA 23218, (804) 371-9733. (www.scc.virginia.gov/clk/formfee.aspx) |
WA | Per RCW 48.05.190, every insurer must conduct business in its own legal name, and no insurer may assume or use a name deceptively similar to that of any other authorized insurer. Requests for name reservations may be submitted under RCW 23B.04.037 and 23.95.310 with the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, PO Box 40255, Olympia, WA 98504-0255. |
WV | The WV Offices of the Insurance Commissioner does not reserve or approve names, but WV Code §33-3-12 disallows a name which is "so similar to that of any insurer already so licensed as to cause uncertainty or confusion or which tends to deceive or mislead as to the type of organization of the insurer." In case of a conflict of names between insurers, the commissioner may permit or require supplementation or modification of names to avoid conflict. |
WI | Name must be distinguishable from the name of any domestic or nondomestic company authorized to transact business in the state. Companies can reserve a corporate name by completing WI Form OCI 23-010 and paying the fee of $25. |
WY | The Wyoming DOI does not have a formal name approval procedure, and company names cannot be reserved. W.S. 26-3-106 sets forth the requirements regarding insurer’s names: A company’s name cannot be the same or deceptively similar to a company that is already authorized in Wyoming, and the name cannot be misleading as to the company’s type of organization. |