Changing your company name
When the name of an incorporated company changes, a name amendment must be
filed with the state of incorporation. If the company has registered to
transact business in other states (foreign qualified) the name must also be
changed with those states. The process required to officially change your
company’s name with the state is the filing of a document called the Articles
of Amendment.
As when you selected the original name for your
company, the new name must be distinguishable on state records, meaning it
cannot be substantially similar to a name already in use by another company
incorporated or foreign qualified in that state. If the name is not unique, the
state may reject the amendment.
Why it’s important
The information
included in your Articles of Incorporation/Organization or in your Certificate
of Authority (if you’ve registered to transact business in other states) is the
official information the state has on record for your company. When that
information changes, it also needs to be updated with the state.
- Submitting Articles of Amendment tells the state that the
appropriate company representatives have consented to the change. For example,
amending the name of a corporation might require consent by the incorporator or
the corporation’s directors or shareholders.
- Approval by the state certifies that your
company met state legal requirements and that the name has officially been
changed with the state.
Key Benefits
BizFilings does all the work. With the information you provide when ordering, BizFilings prepares the Articles of Amendment and handles all interaction with the state.
Keep in Mind
Filing a name amendment changes your company name with the state. Filing a doing business as (DBA) allows you to keep your official company name but transact business under another name.
When to File a DBA