Checking the availability of your proposed company name is an essential component when registering your company. This guide will show the resources available to check the availability of your desired company name and provide hints to ensure your name is registrable.
Company Name Considerations
Before you select and commit to your company name, it is important to take the following points into consideration to ensure it is an appropriate name. Failure to consider these points may result in your company name not getting registered and being rejected by ASIC.
Identical and existing names
The proposed company name cannot be identical to an existing business or company name and will be rejected by ASIC. however, there are some exceptions to this rule, for example, if the company with the identical name is a proposed member of the new company. Since May 2012, you cannot register a company name if it is identical to a registered business name in another Australian State or Territory.
Characters
ASIC only allow certain characters to be accepted for registration within a business name. The full listing of acceptable characters are listed on the ASIC Website. For example, characters 0-9 and A-Z are acceptable.
Restricted terms
There are some terms which are unable to be registered as a company name, for example, the terms ‘Bank’ and ‘Royal. The reason that these words are unregistrable is that they may mislead consumers as to the company’s activities. ASIC can also refuse registration if it believes that the term is offensive or it suggests illegal activity. For a full list of the restricted terms ASIC will reject, check out ASIC’s Restrict Terms
The company name must show its legal status
The legal status of the company name you intend to register must be reflected in the company name. For example, If you are registering a company with a limited liability structure the company name must include ‘Limited Liability’.
Reservation
It is possible to reserve your company name if you do not wish to register it at the moment, subject to ASIC approval. If approved, the ASIC will reserve the name for two months.
How to Check If My Company Name is Available?
You have just selected that name that you believe fits the vision and aims of your business. The next step in the process is to make sure that your selected company name is available for registration.
This is an essential process since you cannot register a name that is identical or similar to an existing name. It is also important to note that some terms are restricted from being registered. Checking the availability of your proposed company name can be done through the following resources:
LawPath Company Namecheck
LawPath offers the Lawpath Company Namecheck which is linked to ASIC which allows you to check your proposed company name.If the name you intend to register is available you can continue with your application using LawPath’s company registration.
ASIC Connect Name Availability Search
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission provide the ASIC Connect Name Availability Search that will show if your intended company name is available for registration.
Next Steps
Once you have selected an appropriate name and your proposed company name is available it’s time to register a company. LawPath offers an online company registration that is quick and easy. We also have a range of bundles and additional services to help protect your new company from the get go.
For greater legal protection for your business, why not register a company? Contact a LawPath consultant on 1800 529 728 to learn more about company registration, customising legal documents, obtaining a fixed-fee quote from our network of 700+ expert lawyers or to get answers to your legal questions.
