How to Change a Fictitious Business Name
- 1). Check the availability of the new name. The availability of the business name can be checked in the business name registry on the Secretary of State website of the state your are doing business in. You cannot use a name that is similar to one already in use. A similar name is one that can cause a consumer to associate one business with another.
- 2). Cancel the old fictitious name. The form to cancel a fictitious name is obtained from the same place that it was previously filed, usually the County Clerk's office. In states that require the fictitious name to be registered at the state level, it will have to be canceled at the state level, usually at the Secretary of State's office. The form can be obtained by requesting it from the proper office or, in most cases, printed off the website of that office.
- 3). Register the new name. The form used to cancel a fictitious name usually also has a section to put in a new name. If this is not the case, a new fictitious name form needs to be obtained, filled out and submitted to the proper office. There will be a filing fee for the change of a fictitious name that, as of June 2010, ranges from $10 to $50.
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