Subd. 1. Who may reserve.

A corporate name permitted by section 317A.115 may be reserved in the records of the secretary of state by:

1. (1) a person doing business in this state under that name;
2. (2) a person intending to incorporate under this chapter;
3. (3) a domestic corporation intending to change its name;
4. (4) a foreign corporation intending to make application for a certificate of authority to transact business in this state;
5. (5) a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state and intending to change its name;
6. (6) a person intending to incorporate a foreign corporation and intending to have the foreign corporation make application for a certificate of authority to transact business in this state; or
7. (7) a foreign corporation doing business under that name or a name deceptively similar to that name in a state other than this state and not described in clauses (4) to (6).

Subd. 2. Method of reservation.

The reservation must be made by filing with the secretary of state a request that the name be reserved. If the name is available for reservation by the applicant, the secretary of state shall reserve the name for the applicant for 12 months. The reservation may be renewed for successive 12-month periods.

Subd. 3. Transfer of reservation.

The right to a corporate name reserved under this section may be transferred to another person by or on behalf of the applicant for whom the name was reserved by filing with the secretary of state a notice of the transfer and specifying the name and address of the transferee.