Business names, trading names and legal names

A registered business name helps customers find, identify and connect with your business. You can have multiple business names linked to your Australian Business Number (ABN).

You may need to register it

If you want to trade under a specific name, you need to register it as a business name with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). It’s an offence to trade under an unregistered business name unless it’s the same as your own name (for example, Mary Jones).

Once registered, you can use your business name Australia wide.

You need to renew your business name every year or every 3 years.

Learn how to choose a business name and check if you need to register it.

A trading name is an unregistered name that businesses could use before the introduction of the national Business Names Register on 28 May 2012.

A trading name is not a registered business name. If you want to keep using a trading name, you need to register it as a business name.

A legal name is the name that appears on all official documents or legal papers, such as:

• legal contracts and registrations
• property leases
• employment contracts.

Your legal name can be different from your business name (the name you trade under). Depending on your business structure, your legal name may be:

• your own name if you’re a sole trader
• the name of a partnership
• the name of a proprietary limited company
• the name of an incorporated association.

You don’t need to register it

You don't need to register a legal name for your business. But for certain businesses, their legal name is a name they have already registered. For example, their legal name may be a company name they registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).

Registering a business name does not give you exclusive rights to the name. If you want to have exclusive rights and stop others using your business name, apply for a trade mark.

A trade mark gives you exclusive trading, branding or ownership rights over your business name. If you think your business would benefit from a trade mark, go to IP Australia’s trade mark page to find out more.