Company Business Name

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How to register a Business Name for a Company?

Registration of a business name is obligatory if any body corporate carries on business under a name other than their own true names. Its purpose is to make public the identities of those individual(s), partnerships or corporate bodies being the legal entity behind the business name.

How to register a Business Name?

To register a business name, submit one of the following form, along with the registration fee (€40 for paper filing/€20 for electronic filing), to the CRO within one month of adopting the business name: Form RBN1B: for a body corporate.

What information is required?

  • When describing the nature of business on the application, where the business is taking place from a residential address, the application may be queried (retail, manufacturing etc.). Some types of business may not be conducive to being operated from a residential address. We would advise attaching a brief note with the application outlining how the home address is appropriate for the business activity.
  • If the address of the place of business and residential address of the business name owner are the same, a note in writing should be attached to the application (signed by business name owner) providing an explanation as to why the addresses are the same. Failure to include an appropriate written explanation may result in the rejection or return of the application.

Can a name be disallowed?

When registering a business name, the following words are not allowed in a business name - "limited", "ltd", "teoranta", "teo", "incorporated", "inc." or "company".

The registration of business names ending in a domain name suffix such as ".ie", ".com", ".net" or prefix such as "www" is considered undesireable. Proof of domain name ownership is required to process these applications. You can check if your .ie domain name is available and register it online at www.iedr.ie/.

How to check if a name is available?

The CRO does not check proposed business names against names on the registers of companies or business names.

It is advisable, therefore, to investigate the possibility of others having rights in the name which it is proposed to use before incurring expenditure on business stationery, etc.

Applicants are advised to check those registers to ensure the proposed business name does not conflict with a company name or trade mark since any person claiming to have a right to that name could take an infringement action or a passing off action to defend his/her interest.

You can check the register of companies and register of business names free of charge using the Search Facility.

You can undertake a search of the trade mark register at the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland.

 You should note that registration of a business name:
  • does not give protection against duplication of the name;
  • does not imply that the name will necessarily prove acceptable subsequently as a company name;
  • does not authorise the use of the name if its use could be prohibited for other reasons. It should not for instance be taken as an indication that no rights (e.g. trade marks rights) exist in the name.
  •  Registration of a business name does not result in the creation of an entity with separate legal personality, i.e. a company.

How long that is take to register?

It normally takes three weeks from the receipt of the paper form or signature page in the CRO for the registration of a business name and the issue of the certificate.

The registrar issues a certificate of registration for each business name registered.

Please also note that the certificate will issue by email. Remember that the email address supplied on the form for registration will receive the certificate. Please check in case the document is received into Spam or Junk folder and consider whitelisting the CRO email address for any future communication (if any).

How to disclose a Business name?

 A copy of the certificate of registration must be exhibited in a conspicuous position in the case of a body corporate, at its registered office in the State and in every branch, office or place where the business is normally carried on.

The name(s) of the proprietor(s) of a business must be shown on all business letters, circulars etc. on which the business name appears. If the proprietor of the business name is a body corporate, the following additional information must be shown on business letters:

  • The full name of the company (note that the only permitted abbreviation is Ltd for Limited, etc.);
  • The names and any former names of the directors and nationality if not Irish;
  • Additional particulars are required on letters and order forms for Irish registered companies:
  • The place of registration (e.g. registered in Dublin, Ireland);
  •  the registered number (i.e. number of certificate of incorporation);
  • the address of the registered office (where this is already shown on the document, the fact that it is the registered office must be indicated);
  • if the company share capital is mentioned on the business letters and order forms, the reference must be to the paid-up share capital.

Certificate of Incorporation

Registration of a business name does not result in the creation of an entity with separate legal personality, i.e. a company.  The  owner of the business name - the company which has/have registered the name is the person to be contacted or sued.

Need help with Company Registration?

If you require any help with a Company registration, please complete the form and order your company here:

Company Registration

€125

Included is:

  • Company Name check
  • Form A1
  • Company Constitution
  • CRO Fixed Fee €50
  • Company Certificate

You may also find useful:

  • Corporation Tax Return - from €120
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