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Online business name details check facility
What is the 'Business name details check'?
The free 'Business name details check' allows you to check basic business name registration details online for NSW business names.
Top of pageWhy is business registration information displayed on the internet?
Any person is entitled to inspect an entry in the register of business names.
To make it easier for consumers and other interested parties to access the information contained in its registers, Fair Trading has provided access to basic information online.
There are also online checks available for building, property, stock and business agent licences.
What does 'Business name details check' contain?
‘Business Name Details Check’ contains basic information about all business names that have previously been or are currently registered in NSW including:
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business name and registration number
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registration date and registration status
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nature of business
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renewal due date
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ABN
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business addresses
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trading and document history.
Business names that were registered prior to legislative changes being introduced may not have all data recorded. For example, the ABN has only been recorded when provided on applications and renewals received after October 2004.
‘UNKNOWN’ will be displayed if a piece of information has not been captured for a business name.
How current is the information shown on ‘Business name details check’?
The information displayed on ‘Business name details check’ was transferred from Fair Trading’s Business Registration System (BRS) the previous night. Any registrations added or updated in BRS today will be shown on the ‘Business name details check’ tomorrow.
The date and time when the registration information was last transferred to ‘Business name details check’ is displayed on the bottom of each search results page.
What does ‘registration status’ mean?
Where the ‘registration status’ is shown as ‘Registered’, the business name is currently registered. This may include business names that are overdue for renewal but have not yet been removed from the register.
Where the ‘registration status’ is shown as ‘Removed’, the business name may have been ceased at the request of the proprietors, removed from the register as it was not renewed within the required timeframe, or cancelled or deregistered by Fair Trading.
How to use the 'Keyword search'
‘Keyword search’ helps find a business name when you are not sure of the name. It can also help to find out if a name that you have entered is close to any names that are already registered.
The ‘Keyword search’ option will search and return business names that contain all or some of the words that you have entered.
When using the ‘Keyword search’ only business names that are currently registered will be shown in the search results.
If you wish to see previously registered business names, tick the ‘Include non-current business names’ box as well as the ‘Keyword search’ box. This search will return more names and will take a little more time.
Punctuation and special characters are ignored when searching.
You cannot use wildcard characters to substitute for parts of a name. Characters such as ‘?’, ‘*’, ‘%’ are treated as punctuation characters and are ignored when searching.
The words ‘and’, ‘&’ and ‘+’ are ignored when searching. For example, a ‘Keyword search’ for ‘Turtle and Daisy’ will return the same as a ‘Keyword search’ for ‘Turtle & Daisy’ or ‘Turtle + Daisy’ or ‘Turtle Daisy’.
When searching for names that contain initials, the result will depend on how the name has been registered. For example, ‘A.B. Smith’ or ‘A. B. Smith’ or ‘AB Smith’ or ‘A B Smith’. The fullstops will be ignored, and if there is a space between the initials, each initial will be treated as a separate word:
‘A.B. Smith’ will be treated the same as ‘AB Smith’
‘A. B. Smith’ will be treated the same as ‘A B Smith’
The search will look for exact spellings. If the business name that you are searching for is not returned, try different spelling variations. For example, ‘New Body’ may be registered as ‘Nu Body’, or ‘Crazy Coffee’ as ‘Krazee Coffee’.
Some business names may be registered with two words joined or as separate words e.g. ‘Lawn Mowing’ and ‘Lawnmowing’, or ‘Book Keeping and ‘Bookkeeping’. Try different variations if the business name you are searching for is not in the list.
Only the first 250 business names that the search finds are displayed. If the business name that you are searching for is not in the list, try to refine the search.
If you still cannot find the business name, contact Fair Trading on 13 32 20 Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm.
Are there definitions for the terms used?
Where a word is underlined, you can click on the word to see a definition for that term.
Why isn't all information provided free?
Fair Trading provides basic information without charge wherever possible. The Business Names Regulation 2004 prescribes fees for inspecting the register of business names and obtaining copies of information from the register. As the ‘Business Name Details Check’ provides basic information only, Fair Trading can provide this to you at no cost.
How do I get all the information for a business name?
A copy of all information held in the register of business names, called a business name extract, can be obtained from Fair Trading Centres and by mail. A business name extract includes the name and address of proprietors of the business name. Please note that this information will not be provided on the phone.
Can this facility be used to check the availability of a business name for registration?
No. The process for determining whether a name is available for registration is complex. The search facility has been developed to show exact and close matches as quickly as possible.
For more information view the Registering and using your business name fact sheet.