Registering a Business Name

Please Note: Due to a backlog, there will be a delay of up to four weeks for the processing of RBN1s (for Individuals, Partnerships and Body Corporates). Applications are processed strictly in date order.

Registration of a business name is obligatory if any individual or partnership (whether composed of individuals or bodies corporate or any combination of both) or 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.

Specifically registration of a business name is required if:

an individual uses a business name which differs in any way from his/her true surname. It makes no difference whether the individuals first name or initials are added. So registration is required if, for example, Mr. John Murphy traded as Murphy Builders but not if he traded as Murphy or John Murphy);
a firm uses a business name which differs in any way from the true names of all partners who are individuals and the corporate names of all partners which are bodies corporate;
a company uses a business name which differs in any way from its full corporate name;
a person having a place of business in the State carries on the business of publishing a newspaper.

Please Note:
The 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.

To register a business name, submit one of the following forms, 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 RBN1: for an individual
Form RBN1A: for a partnership
Form RBN1B: for a body corporate

In order to apply for a Business Name, visit CORE.

Please note:

issued certificate

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 any costs, such as expenditure on business stationery.

Applicants are advised to check that their 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 CORE. This search facility is also available when completing your form online.

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

Please note there are a number of issues that may need clarification when an application is submitted:

That when registering a business name, the following words are not allowed in a business name – “limited”, “ltd”, “teoranta”, “teo”, “incorporated”, “inc.” or “company”.
Ownership of a business name cannot be transferred from one person to another using the form RBN2. The existing owner must complete an RBN3 to cease trading under the name. The new owner must complete an RBN1 to register the business name in his/her own name.
The registration of business names ending in a domain name suffix such as “.ie”, “.com”, “.net” or prefix such as “www” is considered undesireable, for the purposes of Section 14(1) of the Registration of Business Names Act 1963. Proof of domain name ownership is required to process these applications. You can upload this with the letter of no objection on the online form. You can check if your .ie domain name is available and register it online at www.weare.ie.
The word “Associates” or “Group” in a business name implies more that one, that is, a partnership. It cannot be used in the name in the case of an individual application (RBN1).

The registrar issues a certificate of registration for each business name registered. A copy of the certificate of registration must be exhibited in a conspicuous position:

In the case of a firm or individual at the principal place of business and in every branch, office or place where the business is normally carried on;
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, PLC for Public Limited Company, 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 (this does not apply to unlimited 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.

Please click here to watch a YouTube video explaining how to file the form online

Registering a Business Name

Registration Forms to be completed

Checking the Business Name you want to Register

Certificate of Registration

Business letters