Registering a business name has two main fees, plus a newer charge added in 2026. Here is the full picture before you budget.
The name reservation fee
Reserving your name comes first, at ₦1,000. CAC will not accept a registration application until this step clears.
Once approved, the reservation holds for up to 60 days. Search the public register yourself before you pay this fee, so you are not reserving a name that was always going to fail.
The registration fee
Registration itself costs ₦20,000, paid once your reserved name and application are ready to submit.
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Name reservation | ₦1,000 |
| Business name registration | ₦20,000 |
This fee is the same regardless of the business's activity or how many proprietors are listed on the application. A one-person shop and a five-person partnership pay exactly the same registration fee.
Pay both fees through the portal itself, in the order CAC's application flow presents them. There is no separate cash or bank-branch payment route for either step.
The AI service charge on both
From 1 April 2026, CAC added an AI service charge on top of both fees: ₦200 on the reservation, and ₦500 on the registration.
CAC's notice is clear that this charge sits on top of the statutory fees. It does not replace or reduce either one, so build both figures into your budget rather than the older, lower total some guides still quote.
The extra fee if your name is restricted
A name on CAC's restricted-word list needs extra approval. Check the published list before you settle on a name. Reserving a restricted name costs ₦5,000 instead of the standard ₦1,000.
This article cannot confirm whether that fee is refunded if CAC does not approve the name. Only choose a restricted word if your business genuinely needs it.
What registration does not include
These fees cover the CAC filing only. They do not include a lawyer's or an accountant's charge for help preparing the application, if you use one.
They also do not cover what comes after registration: an annual return of ₦5,000 a year, for as long as the business name stays on the register. See business name annual return: the 30 June deadline for that ongoing cost.
Add that yearly figure to your first-year budget, not just the one-off reservation and registration fees, so the real cost of keeping the business name compliant does not come as a surprise later.
If you later stop trading, closing the business name costs ₦10,000. See closing a business name: CAC's fee for that process.
Browse the CAC registration hub for the rest of what registering and running a business name involves, or our cost guide to registering a company if a limited company is also on your list.