PACRA Name Search: Name Clearance and Reservation in Zambia

In Zambia, companies and business names are registered by PACRA, the Patents and Companies Registration Agency. Before you register, PACRA has to clear your proposed name. This guide explains the difference between name clearance and name reservation, how long a reservation lasts, and how to pre-check a name before you apply.

Name clearance vs name reservation

• Name clearance is PACRA's check that the name can be registered: it is not identical or too similar to an existing name and it meets the naming rules.
• Name reservation holds a cleared name for you if you are not registering immediately. PACRA says a reserved name lasts 90 days from approval; if it is not registered or reserved again in that time, it expires.

How to do a PACRA name search

1. Prepare a few candidate names in order of preference.
2. Create an account on PACRA's online services (pacra.org.zm) or use ZamPortal, the government services portal.
3. Submit your proposed name for name clearance and choose the entity type, for example a local company or a business name.
4. Pay the fee shown for the service. PACRA revises fees, so use the current amount on the portal.
5. If the name is cleared and you are not registering yet, apply to reserve it. Otherwise proceed directly to registration.

Pre-check the name for free

Fylings holds Zambia's PACRA register. Search your proposed name to see registered companies that use the same or similar words, with their registration number and status. An exact or near match means PACRA is likely to refuse it. No match is encouraging, but PACRA's clearance is the only final answer.

Checking an existing Zambian company

Name clearance is about new names. To check a company that already exists, search its name or registration number. See our PACRA search guide and how to check if a company is registered in Zambia.