A reserved company name is not the same as a registered one. It is a hold on the name while you finish the rest of the paperwork, and it costs less than people expect.
What name reservation actually does
When you reserve a name, CAC checks it against the register and sets it aside for you. Nobody else can take it while your reservation runs.
This is the first step in registering a company on CAC's CRP portal, not the whole job. You still complete the full registration afterwards.
The fee, and the extra charge from 2026
CAC charges ₦1,000 to reserve a standard company name.
From 2026, an extra ₦200 service charge applies on top. CAC has said this charge sits alongside the statutory fee rather than replacing it, so expect both lines on the invoice.
How long the reservation lasts
Once approved, a reservation holds for up to 60 days. That is the outer limit. CAC can still withdraw a reservation sooner if a clash with an existing name turns up later.
Treat the reservation as a clock running from approval, not from when you started the application. If registration is going to take a while, for instance because a director abroad is still gathering documents, keep that clock in mind.
Nothing about the fee changes if you finish early. You pay the same amount whether you register the next day or wait until the window is nearly closed.
The higher fee for a restricted word
Some words cost more to reserve. A name that includes a restricted word costs ₦5,000 rather than the standard fee.
Many founders drop the restricted word once they see the extra fee. A close alternative, without the flagged word, costs the standard fee instead.
What happens when the reservation runs out
If up to 60 days passes without a completed registration, the hold lapses. Somebody else can then reserve the same name.
At that point you pay the reservation fee again to hold it a second time, if it is still free. There is no separate lapse penalty beyond paying afresh, but you do lose your place if someone else reserves the name first. Set a reminder a week before the deadline so a busy week does not cost you the name.
To avoid this, only reserve a name once you are close to ready with the rest of your registration: your registered address, your share capital figure, and the details CAC needs from each director and shareholder.
If a name gets refused rather than simply expiring, that is a different problem with different causes. See why CAC rejects a proposed company name for what to check first. Once your name is secured, you can start your CAC company registration on your phone.