How to Change Your Maryland Business Name

How to Change a Business Name in Maryland

To change your business name, you must gather information and take several steps to make your name change legally compliant.  

1. Choose your new business name    

The first step in changing your business name is choosing your new name. Generally, you can pick almost any name so long as it’s distinguishable from other Maryland entity names. This means that it can’t be too similar to other business names in the state.

LLCs and corporations have specific name requirements under Maryland law:  

• LLC: If your business is an LLC, then you must include the words “limited liability company,” “LLC,” “LC,” or another term listed in Maryland’s business name statute.
• Corporation: You must use the word “corporation,” “limited,” “company,” “incorporated,” or an abbreviation of one of these if you’re naming a corporation.

Once you’ve narrowed it down, check with the Maryland Secretary of State to make sure that it’s available. You can do so either by calling them or conducting an online search using Maryland’s Business Entity search tool. Then, you can reserve the name by filing a corporate name reservation form with a fee.

2. Gather information for filing your amendment   

The next step for a business name change in Maryland is to gather the information needed for filing the Amendment to the Articles of Organization for an LLC or the Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation for a corporation.  

Generally, amending your business’s formation documents requires the following information:

• The current legal name of your entity
• The new name you’ve reserved for your entity
• Language stating that your business is amending its organizational documents to change its name to the new name
• The signature of an appropriate person
• If it’s a corporation, who approved of the change

The Amendment to your business’s organizing documents must be typewritten, not handwritten. If it’s handwritten, the Secretary of State will reject it.    

3. File your Maryland amendment 

You must file your amendment with your name change with the Maryland Secretary of State along with the filing fee. You can submit it by mail, in person, or through Maryland’s Business Express site online.

We can help you file your name change amendment in Maryland with our Amendment Filing Service, so you can rest assured that the legal requirements are met. 

After You Change Your Business Name

After you change a business name in Maryland, you need to update all your important documents with the new name.  This includes updating:

• Business bank accounts, loans, and other financial records
• Marketing materials for your business, including business cards, letterheads, logos, and flyers
• The business’s website, email address, and social media accounts

You may also contact contractors, employees, or other entities who have relationships with your business so they’re aware of your name change.

We Can Help

Even something that seems simple like how to change a business name in Maryland requires navigating legal regulations and government filings. We can take that burden off your back with our Amendment Filing Service so that you can focus on running your business.  

If you haven’t yet formed a Maryland business, we can help you with our Maryland LLC or Maryland Corporation Formation services. We also have a Worry-Free Compliance Service that includes two amendments a year. Plus, we have a customer service team that is here to help you with your small business.