Business Name Registration

Business Name means the name under which any business is carried on. A company which has a place of business in the state and carries on business under a business name which does not consist of its corporate name without any addition is required to register that business name pursuant to the Registration of Business Names Act 1963.

Registration of Business Names Act

  • An individual who trades under a name other than his true surname. It makes no difference whether the individual’s first
    names or initials are added; For example, the Act would apply to Mr. Michael O’Connell if he traded as O’Connell Supplies but not if he traded as O’Connell or ‘Michael O’Connell’.
  • A partnership which does not trade under the true names of all partners who are individuals and/or the full corporate name of all partners which are bodies corporate
  • A company which trades under a name which is not its full corporate name, for example Murphy Construction Limited trading as Murphy Builders
  • A person who, having a place of business in the state, carries on the business of publishing a newspaper

The applicant must have a place of business in the state and carry on business under a business name.

Registration Requirements

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 exist in the name

Certificate of Registration

The original certificate of registration must be exhibited in a conspicuous position:

  • In the case of a firm or individual, at the principal place of business, with an official duplicate certificate so exhibited in every branch office
  • In the case of a body corporate, at its registered office in the State with an official duplicate certificate so exhibited in every branch office

Irish Company Stationery Legal Requirements

All Irish companies are required to mention the name of the company in legible characters in all business letters of the company, notices and publications, bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheque’s, orders for money or goods and in all invoices, receipts and letters of credit.

  • Place of registration
  • Registered number of Certificate of Incorporation
  • Address of the registered office
  • In the case of an individual, his present name, any former names, and his nationality, if not Irish
  • In the case of a firm, the present name, any former names, the nationality if not Irish, of all the partners in the firm
  • In the case of a body corporate the full name of the company, the registered office address, the names and any former names of the directors, and their nationality, if not Irish
  • If the share capital of a company is mentioned in the business letter and order forms, the reference must be to the paid-up share capital