How to Change Your North Dakota Business Name

How to Get a New Business Name

A business name change in North Dakota requires a few basic steps. 

1.) Choose a new business name

Choosing a name that reflects your business identity can be the most time-consuming part of a business name change in North Dakota. Select a name that best identifies your mission and any changes to the business since it was founded. You may even want to include the name of the city or town your business is located in to solidify your local reputation.

North Dakota has a few rules about business names. In general, your business’s name needs to:

• Include words or abbreviations that indicate what kind of business you’re running (e.g., LLC, corporation, LP, etc.)
• Be distinguishable from names already actively in use by other businesses

Confirming that your business’s new name is unique from all others in the state can take time. And this is time that business owners often can’t afford to take away from running their company. We simplify part of the process with our Business Name Checker Service, where we research to see if your desired business name is available to use.

2.) Gather information for filing your amendment

Now that you’re ready to make a formal update to your name and documents, you’ll need to file Articles of Amendment. Articles of Amendment update your North Dakota Corporate or LLC formation documents on file with the Secretary of State. Typically, the North Carolina Secretary of State will need to know: 

• The business’s exact, official current name
• The new name and date the business adopted the name change
• Information about any corporate or board resolution adopting the name change
• The date the name change should be effective (if not the date of the filing)
• The signature of an appropriate party

As you can see, it can be very easy to change your business name in North Dakota if you have good governance in place. Our comprehensive suite of business services also offers North Dakota companies ways to make amendments easier.

3.) File your North Dakota amendment

Understanding how to change a business name in North Carolina is straightforward once you get the hang of the paperwork. And if you work with a team like ours, we can help you navigate it! Once your forms are ready, you can send them to the North Dakota Secretary of State through its FirstStop Online business services portal. All major credit cards are accepted. Check with the Secretary of State’s office for payment options if filing by mail. We can also do all of this for you with our Amendment Filing Service. 

After You Change Your Business Name

As an entrepreneur, you’re probably aware that changing your name is only step one in rebooting your business image. After you’ve received government approval for your request to change your business name, there are practical considerations to take care of. These include:

• Updating your business name on all of your contracts, agreements, and accounts
• Changing the company’s name on any employment contracts or independent contractor agreements
• Reviewing and updating marketing materials like business cards, stationery, website materials, logos, and more

Make sure to budget time and money to handle these updates. Updating websites and business logos can be time-consuming as well as pricey.

We can help

We’re here for you throughout every phase of growing your enterprise. Don’t let frustration and emotion get the better of you — our Amendment Filing Service can take the stress out of updating your documents whenever the need arises. And if you don’t have a business entity formed yet, our North Dakota LLC and North Dakota Corporation Formation Services can get you up and running fast.

We can also help keep your business legally compliant with our Worry-Free Compliance Service. Our helpful corporate compliance service keeps your business on track and includes up to two amendment filings per year.