New York Insurance Agency Business Name Approval

NEW YORK BUSINESS NAME RESTRICTED WORDS AND INSURANCE DEPARTMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

What words are restricted for business names in New York that needs approval from the Insurance Agency?

“Annuity;” “assurance;” “benefit;” “bond;” “casualty;” “endowment;” “fidelity;” “indemnity;” “insurance;” “surety;” “title;” and “underwriter.”

“Guaranty” (must be approved by both the Banking and Insurance Departments)

How to request approval from the New York Insurance Department for use of restricted word:

You can provide your request by mail, fax, email or in person. We recommend emailing your request.

Email requests to: [email protected].

• In the email request submit up to 3 names for approval, the first one being the one you want.
• Specify type of insurance to be sold and type of business entity.
• Include the contact name, phone number and the mailing address you want the approval/disapproval letter sent to.
• Be sure to provide your contact information.

Note: If you are submitting a request using the word “insurance” in your business name, it must also include the word “agency,” “brokerage,” “adjuster,” or some other word descriptive of the type of license to be issued.

Is there a fee to request approval of your business name from the New York Insurance Department?

There is no fee required by the Insurance Department for approval of business names.

How long will it take them to process the request for approval?

All Processing: 7-10 working days, plus additional time for return mailing.
Expedited service is not available.
You will receive a response letter by mail.

How to contact the New York Insurance Agency:

Office of General Counsel
State of New York Insurance Department
One Commerce Plaza
Albany, NY 12257
Phone: 518-474-6623
Fax: 518-474-5473
Email: [email protected]

We provide New York registered agent services, and put forth a lot of effort to always provide our clients with free information that can help them run their businesses. We provide comprehensive online tools to make managing your business entity easy. You can sign up for immediate service online and the forms and filing instructions are in your online account immediately. We scan everything into your online account for easy management of your company documents.