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If you need to breathe some new life into your business, you might consider changing up your business name to reflect a new vision for your company. A change may do you good! And if you’re wondering how to change a business name in North Carolina, we can help. A significant business update to your LLC or corporate information like a name change typically requires filing Articles of Amendment. We can help with this vital step in the process with our Amendment Filing Service.
In this article, we’ll help you learn about changing your company name and provide some tips on updating your image and organizing your documents effectively so business compliance is easy going forward.
A business name change in North Carolina requires planning. We break down the general steps for you below.
Many entrepreneurs find that it’s tricky to choose a new business moniker. After all, your business name reflects your business’s identity. Select a name that best reflects your mission, your products, or any updates to your business since you first formed. You may even want to include the name of the city or town your business is located in to solidify your local reputation.
North Carolina has a few rules about naming your company. In general, your business’s new name needs to:
These rules are pretty straightforward. However, confirming that your business’s new name is unique from others can be more difficult. We simplify part of the process for you with our Business Name Checker.
Once you’ve confirmed that your name is unique, you’re ready to move on to the next step.
Once you’re ready to change your name, you’ll need to file Articles of Amendment to update your corporation or LLC’s formation documents. To do that, you’ll need to gather and provide key business information to the Secretary of State. Typically, the North Carolina Secretary of State will need to know:
It’s easy to change your business name in North Carolina if you have good governance in place. Our comprehensive suite of business services offers North Carolina companies ways to make amendments easier.
Once you’ve chosen a new name, and completed your paperwork, you can file the amendment online through the Secretary of State’s Online Business Services portal. You can also file by mail. All major credit cards are accepted. Check with the Secretary of State’s office for payment options for filing by mail. We can also do this for you with our Amendment Filing Service.
Making a business name change in North Carolina is only step one in an image reboot. After you’ve made the change on paper, there are practical considerations to take care of. These include:
Make sure to budget time and money to handle these updates. You’ll want to begin operating under your new name immediately upon approval of your business name change.
We’re here for you throughout every step of this process. We can help make changing aspects of your business simpler with our Amendment Filing Service. And if you don’t have a business entity formed yet or are making a full-scale business entity change, our North Carolina LLC and North Carolina Corporation Formation Services can get you up and running fast.
We can also help you keep your business legally compliant with our Worry-Free Compliance Service. Our flagship corporate compliance service includes up to two amendment filings per year.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
A legal business name is a name that your business is registered under with the State of North Carolina. A DBA or assumed business name is a name your company uses that is anything other than the business’s legal name. In North Carolina, you can register several assumed business names under one legal business entity.
No, you don’t have to change your business name if you have an assumed business name. A typical purpose of an assumed business name is to keep the official business name while having other names to represent different business projects.
Before you register your business name in North Carolina, you have to make sure that the name you want for your business is different from other names on record with the Secretary of State. You’ll also need to confirm that it conforms to the Secretary of State’s other naming rules.
As long as your business adopts them properly, you can make as many amendments as you want as long as they’re appropriately filed and paid for. You can even make multiple amendments to the same business amendment document.
North Carolina Business Resources
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