Changing a company's registered name is a two-part task: the members resolve to change it, and ASIC is then notified so the national register is updated. Editing a business name record, printing new business cards, or updating your website does none of that on its own. This guide walks through the order that works — availability, approval, lodgement, then the downstream updates — and flags the points you need to confirm for your own company.
Start by being clear about which name you are changing
A registered company name is the legal name recorded on ASIC's company register. A business name is a separate registration that lets a person or entity trade under something other than their own name. ASIC treats these as different things, and the processes are different too.
That distinction matters in practice. If your company trades as "Blue Gum Landscaping" but is registered as "BGL Holdings Pty Ltd", changing the business name registration is not the same action as changing the company name. Work out which one you actually need before you spend time on forms.
One related case is worth noting: in some situations an existing business name already held by the company can become its company name. ASIC indicates that the identity and ownership conditions matter here, so treat this as a case to check against ASIC's guidance rather than an assumption.
Step 1: Check the name is available and acceptable
Before anything else, test the new name against ASIC's rules. Reserve the name if you want certainty while you organise the paperwork — ASIC describes reservation as optional, not a required step.
What ASIC's acceptable-name rules cover includes:
- The name cannot be identical to another registered or reserved company name, or to a registered or reserved business name.
- Certain words and formats are restricted.
That "identical" standard is narrower than many people expect, so availability should be read as a register check rather than a clearance of every risk. Two practical cautions:
A company name is not brand protection. ASIC notes that a name change does not itself guarantee freedom from trade-mark conflict. If the name is also a brand, check the trade marks position separately before you commit to rebranding costs.
Do not guess at rejection grounds. ASIC sets out the rules on its acceptable company names page, and the only reliable approach is to read the current rules and test your exact spelling, punctuation and suffix against them.
Checklist before you proceed:
- Exact proposed name, including "Pty Ltd" or other required ending
- Availability check against the ASIC register
- Review of restricted words and formatting rules
- Optional reservation if you need to hold the name while the resolution is organised
- Separate trade mark check if the name is a brand
Step 2: Get member approval by special resolution
ASIC states that company members must pass a special resolution to change the company name. There is no version of this step where the directors simply decide.
How that resolution is called, held and passed depends on the Corporations Act and on your company's own governing documents. Two things to check before you draft anything:
Do not assume the replaceable rules apply. It is common to hear that replaceable rules automatically govern any proprietary company without a constitution. ASIC explicitly says the replaceable rules do not apply to a proprietary company where the same person is the sole director and sole shareholder — special statutory rules apply instead. If that describes your company, do not rely on the replaceable rules for your decision-making mechanics.
Read your constitution, if you have one. A constitution can displace or add to the default rules, and a shareholders' agreement may impose extra steps such as consent from particular members. Where a constitution and the default rules differ, the constitution governs.
Because exact voting mechanics vary with your circumstances and are not covered here, confirm the requirements in the applicable law and your governing documents, or get advice — particularly if your company has multiple share classes or a shareholders' agreement.
Whatever mechanics apply, document the outcome. You will need a written copy of the resolution for the ASIC lodgement, and the 14-day clock below runs from the resolution date, so record that date accurately.
Step 3: Lodge Form 205 with ASIC
Once the resolution is passed, notify ASIC. ASIC's process is to lodge Form 205 Notification of resolution, together with a copy of the resolution, and to pay the applicable fee.
Key points:
- Timing: lodge within 14 days of the resolution. Late fees may apply if you lodge outside that window.
- Fee: check the current amount on ASIC's live fee pages rather than working from an old figure. Fees change.
- Lodging early does not remove the fee. The 14-day period is a deadline, not a discount period — the notification fee applies whether you lodge on day one or day thirteen.
- Outcome: ASIC accepts or rejects the application and sends a certificate of registration if accepted.
Until ASIC accepts the change and issues that certificate, continue to use the existing registered name on documents, invoices and contracts. The certificate is your evidence of the change, so file it with your company records and diary a follow-up if it does not arrive within the timeframe ASIC indicates.
Step 4: Update records, identifiers and counterparties
This is the part most people underestimate. The items below are things to check with each authority, institution or counterparty — each has its own requirements, and none of them update automatically just because ASIC has issued a new certificate. Confirm directly rather than assuming.
| Item | What to check | Confirm with |
|---|---|---|
| Company records | Update the constitution references, minute book, registers and any company seal or stamp | Your own records |
| Business name | Your business name registration is a separate record — check whether it also needs updating | ASIC business names |
| Tax and GST records | Whether ABN, TFN and GST registration details need updating, and how | Australian Taxation Office |
| Bank and payment accounts | Account name, direct debit authorities, merchant facilities, payroll | Your bank and providers |
| Licences and permits | Whether the licence or permit is issued in the company name and how a name change is recorded | Each issuing authority |
| Contracts, leases and suppliers | Whether existing agreements need a name-change notice, deed of amendment, or simply notification | Counterparties / your adviser |
| Insurance | Policies issued in the old name | Your insurer |
| Domain names, website, email and signage | Brand consistency and disclosure requirements | Your providers |
| Trade marks | Whether the new name needs its own protection | Trade mark register / adviser |
Work through this list once the certificate arrives, and keep a simple log of what you changed and when. If you are mid-contract or mid-licence application, ask the counterparty or authority how they want the change handled before you start issuing documents under the new name.
Checks that trip people up
- Confusing the two name types. Changing the business name registration does not change the company name, and vice versa.
- Assuming replaceable rules cover a sole-director, sole-shareholder company. ASIC says they do not in that case.
- Treating an ASIC availability check as trade mark clearance. It is not, per ASIC's own note.
- Working from a remembered fee. Check ASIC's current fee pages.
- Leaving the lodgement to later. The 14-day deadline runs from the resolution, and late fees may apply.
- Rebranding before the certificate arrives. ASIC accepts or rejects the application; wait for the outcome.
Your next steps
- Decide whether you are changing the company name, a business name, or both.
- Check availability and the acceptable-name rules on ASIC's site; reserve the name if you need to hold it.
- Read your constitution (or confirm whether the sole director and sole shareholder exception means the replaceable rules do not apply), then confirm the resolution requirements.
- Pass and document the special resolution, and note the resolution date.
- Lodge Form 205 with a copy of the resolution within 14 days and pay the fee shown on ASIC's current fee pages.
- File the new certificate of registration and start the update list above, confirming requirements with each authority.
General information only
This article provides general information about Australian company name changes and is not legal, tax, accounting or business advice. Company rules, ASIC forms, timeframes and fees change, and how they apply depends on your company's constitution, structure and circumstances. Confirm current requirements with ASIC, check the source pages linked above, and speak to a qualified adviser before acting. Australian Ltd publishes independent general information; it is not ASIC, a government agency, a regulator or a service provider, and nothing here should be read as a recommendation of any product or provider.