How to Change Your South Carolina Business Name

How to Get a New Business Name

There are multiple steps to properly change a business name in South Carolina, and some are typically easier than others. We can help you simplify the process in general with our business support services and this guide. 

1.) Choose a new business name

How do you make sure the new business name you choose is right? A lot of choosing the right name has to do with what you want to communicate about your business, but there are a handful of naming rules you have to follow. The new name you choose for your South Carolina business has to:

• Include words or abbreviations that identify what kind of business you’re running (e.g., LLC, corporation, etc.)
• Exclude language that implies that you started your business for an impermissible purpose (for corporations)
• Be distinguishable from other business names on record with the South Carolina Secretary of State

It can be frustrating to try to change your business name when the name you want isn’t available because another business has it. Our Business Name Checker and Name Reservation Service can help you secure an available name you like quickly, so you can have it ready when it’s time to file your Articles of Amendment. 

2.) Gather information for filing your amendment

Before the state can officially recognize a change to your business name, you need to provide multiple pieces of information about your business on your Articles of Amendment. In Articles of Amendment, you normally must include: 

• Your business’s current name
• The date you incorporated your corporation or filed Articles of Organization for your LLC
• The name and address of your registered agent
• Your business’s new name
• The date your business adopted the name change (for corporations)
• Information about how the name change was adopted (for corporations)
• A signature from an authorized party

When filing your amendment, you’ll likely need to pay a filing fee. 

3.) File your South Carolina amendment

Once your Articles of Amendment are complete and your filing fee is ready, you can submit your forms and payment to the Secretary of State. You can send your Articles of Amendment and fee to the mailing address on the appropriate Articles of Amendment form. You can also file your Articles of Amendment online. You usually need to file two copies of your Articles of Amendment, and you might need to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your filing. Once again, these aren’t tasks you have to fulfill alone. Our Amendment Filing Services can free up your time by filing business amendments for you. 

After You Change Your Business Name

Filing the proper paperwork with the government to change your business’s name can be paramount to keeping your business legally compliant, but it isn’t the only important step you have to take when updating your business. To protect your legal rights and maintain visibility in the market, you’ll likely need to change the name on other business paperwork and materials such as:

• Your business’s insurance company policies
• Websites
• Legal contracts
• Logos
• Packaging
• Marketing materials

You’ll likely also need to change the names on any business licenses you have. 

We can help

Updating your business’s name can keep you occupied in many different ways, but it doesn’t have to take over all your time. You can significantly cut down the time it takes to make changes to your business by using our services. Our Amendment Filing Service can handle business changes for you, and our Worry-Free Compliance Service can help you stay on top of your important business filing deadlines. 

If you’re still trying to get your business off of the ground, we have your back there as well. You can use our South Carolina LLC and South Carolina Corporation Formation Services to form your business right away. Our goal is to support your business dreams from start to finish, so you can dream even bigger.