Business names 

New national business names register  

A new national business names registration service commenced on 28 May 2012, replacing the state and territory services. Businesses now only need to register or renew their name once with the single national register and pay a single fee. This will reduce red tape, save time and cut costs for businesses.

IMPORTANT: NSW Fair Trading no longer administers business names in NSW.

The new national business names registration service is administered and managed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Businesses should visit ASIC’s website to register, search, renew, cancel or make changes to their business name details.

New businesses need to obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN) before they can register a national business name.

Do you have a business name registered in NSW?

Existing state and territory business name registrations have been automatically transferred to ASIC’s national register. ASIC will contact business name holders when it is time to renew their national business name.

However, if the renewal of your existing business name was due before the new national service commenced on 28 May 2012 and you did not renew but you have received a restoration notice from NSW Fair Trading, you must restore your business name with Fair Trading.

If you don’t, your business name will no longer be registered and will not be automatically transferred to the national system.

If this happens you will need to reapply for your former business name under the new national arrangements with ASIC. ASIC will treat your application as a new application and there is no guarantee the name will be registered if someone else has the same or similar name already registered on the national system.

To register a business name 

For more information on the new national business names registration service, or to register, update, cancel, renew or search for a business name, visit the Business names section on ASIC’s website at www.asic.gov.au or call ASIC on 1300 300 630.

Useful contacts

ASIC Connect 
Search the national business names and companies registers.
www.asic.gov.au and click on ‘ASIC Connect’

Australian Business Register
www.abr.gov.au

Business Licence Information Service
blis.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 13 32 20

Business licensing (motor dealers, travel agents, pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers)
Tel: 9619 8700

Property services licensing (real estate agents, business agents, stock and station agents, strata managing agents, on-site residential property managers and conveyancers)
Tel: 9619 8799

Certificates of registration (real estate salespersons, business salespersons, stock and station salespersons, strata managers, community managers, on-site residential property managers and valuers)
Tel: 9619 8799

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