Top 5 Reasons Your CAC Registration Was Rejected (And How to Fix It)

Understanding CAC "Queries"

Nothing is more frustrating than paying your fees, waiting a week, and then logging into the CAC portal only to see the dreaded red text: **QUERIED**.

When the Corporate Affairs Commission rejects an application, it's called a "Query." Here are the top 5 reasons this happens and exactly how to fix them.

1. Name Similarity or Prohibited Words

**The Problem:** Your proposed business name is too similar to an already registered company, or it contains restricted words (like "National", "Group", "Holdings", or "Bank").

**The Fix:** You must submit a brand new name reservation. Unfortunately, this means paying the name reservation fee again.

*Prevention:* Always use a mix of a unique word and a descriptive word (e.g., instead of "Global Tech", use "Zinotech Global Solutions").

2. Low-Quality Document Uploads

**The Problem:** The CAC requires clear, legible uploads of your ID card and signature. If your NIN slip is blurry, heavily shadowed, or cut off at the edges, it will be rejected.

**The Fix:** Re-scan your ID using a scanner app (like CamScanner) in a well-lit room. Ensure all four corners of the ID are visible. Upload the new file to resolve the query.

3. Name Discrepancies

**The Problem:** The name on your application does not perfectly match the name on your Government ID. For example, your ID says "Oluwaseun Adebayo", but you registered as "Seun Adebayo".

**The Fix:** The CAC is incredibly strict about legal names. You must edit the application to match your ID exactly, including the arrangement of First Name, Middle Name, and Surname.

4. Incorrect Business Object / Nature of Business

**The Problem:** You selected a business category that requires special licensing, but didn't provide the license. For example, registering a "Pharmacy", "School", or "Security Company" requires approval from NAFDAC, the Ministry of Education, or the NSCDC respectively.

**The Fix:** If you don't have the specialized license yet, you must change your Nature of Business to something general (like "General Merchandise" or "Consultancy") to get the CAC approval first.

5. Under-Aged Proprietors

**The Problem:** You attempted to register a business with a proprietor or director who is under 18 years old.

**The Fix:** Minors cannot legally register a business name in Nigeria. For an LLC, a minor can be a shareholder, but there must be at least two other adult directors. You must remove the minor from the application or replace them with an adult.

How to Avoid Queries Completely

Dealing with CAC queries delays your registration by 1 to 3 weeks.

At **CACnigeria.ng**, our compliance team manually audits every single application, ID card, and name choice *before* we submit it to the government. We catch and fix 99% of these issues on day one, ensuring your registration sails through without a single query.

[Register without the headache — Search your name today →](/register?search=true)