Registering a Business Name

When you first get started in a business you should register your business name with ASIC. Registration of a business name lasts for either one or three years, depending on the fee paid, and ASIC will mail a renewal notice to the nominated proprietor prior to the expiry.

A sole trader, a partnership, a company or a trust can be a nominated proprietor of a business name.

When choosing a business name you should understand that ASIC may refuse to register a name if:

It is the same as an existing registered business name
It is too similar to an existing registered business name and may be likely to cause confusion
The name or words in the name are restricted by Ministerial Prohibition or State or Federal law
It contains foreign language characters

If the proposed name suggests the applicant is a professional person, eg. doctor or lawyer, evidence of the relevant qualifications may be required. To check if your proposed name already exists you can check the National Names Index on ASIC here.

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