Name Amendment Filing Service

What are Articles of Amendment?

The Articles of Amendment, sometimes also called a Certificate of Amendment, is a document filed with your state of incorporation (or any states in which your company has foreign qualified to transact business), to enact a specific change to the information included in your company’s incorporation or qualification documents.

When do companies need to file a name amendment?

You would file a name amendment for your company if you need to change the official name of your company with your state of incorporation and/or state of foreign qualification (if you have registered to transact business in states other than your state of incorporation).

What type of amendments does BizFilings file?

BizFilings can file an amendment to change most any information included in your company’s incorporation or foreign qualification documents. We have one online order form for amending the name of your company (our Name Amendment Filing Service) and another order form for all other types of amendments. With a Name Amendment Filing Service order, you can also select to amend other information at the same time. You can also place amendment orders by phone with our Incorporation Specialists.

Can you help me file an amendment even if I didn’t incorporate my company with BizFilings?

We will gladly prepare and file the necessary amendment documents for your business in any state.

What information do I need to have before I place my order?

When ordering our Name Amendment Filing Service, please have the following ready:

• Two name choices for your company
• State of incorporation
• Business type (corporation, LLC, etc.)
• Current company name (exactly as it appears on your incorporation documents)
• Incorporation date
• Current business purpose
• Company contact information
• Director(s) name(s) & address(es) (for corporations)
• Officer(s) name(s) & address(es) (for corporations)
• Member(s) or Manager(s) name(s) & address(es) (for LLCs)
• Partner(s) name(s) & address(es) (for LPs and LLPs)

If you would like a name amendment to a Certificate of Authority (foreign qualification document) to transact business in another state, you would also need to provide the state of qualification and the qualification date in the order comments field of our online order form.

Does the process for amending incorporation documents differ from amending foreign qualification documents?

The process is very similar, but the states often require more documentation when you are amending the foreign qualification document (which is called a Certificate of Authority). For example, the state of qualification may require a Certificate of Good Standing from the state of incorporation (showing that your company has fulfilled all its obligations in a timely manner in that state) and a Certified Copy of incorporation documents and/or foreign qualification documents. We can obtain these documents on your behalf (extra fees will apply) or you can obtain them and provide them to us.

What should be the new name for my company?

Choose the name of your company carefully. It is very important that you project the image you want. Legally, the name must not be “deceptively similar” to any existing corporation, LLC, limited partnership or limited liability partnership in that state and must be “distinguishable on the record” of your state. It is possible that the name you select is not available--that’s why we ask for a second choice on the name amendment order form.

Additionally, the name you choose must show your business is incorporated, an LLC, an LP or LLP. Most states require that the company name be followed by an ending such as "Corporation," "Incorporated," “Limited Liability Company,” "Limited Partnership", "Limited Liability Partnership", or an abbreviation such as "Inc.," "Corp.," “LLC,” “LP,” or “LLP.” For more information regarding state requirements, view our state guides.

How do I check the availability of the name I want to use?

BizFilings' Name Amendment Filing Service includes a preliminary name check with the state. However, if you would like to check the availability of a desired name prior to submitting your order, take advantage of our stand-alone name check.

What happens if the name choice(s) I submit is not available?

If the name choice(s) you requested is not available, we’ll contact you for additional options. Providing us with two name options helps to secure a name choice and eliminates a potential delay in the processing of your order.

Can my company conduct business under a different name without changing the name of my company?

Yes, you can file for a doing business as (DBA) or fictitious business name. A DBA is used if the company intends to transact business under a name other than the legal one that appears on the incorporation or foreign qualification documents. DBAs are filed with the appropriate state and/or county agency in the state where you are incorporated and/or foreign qualified.