Brian Doudna, Executive Director
| 101 North Farwell Street. Suite 101 | 715.834.0070 or 1.800.944.2449 | ec.info@eauclaire-wi.com |
| PO Box 1108 | 715.834.1956 (fax) | |
| Eau Claire, WI 54702 |
This is an important step in your business development process. Please exercise care in selecting a name to avoid infringing on names filed by other
businesses or being used by another entity as a trademark or trade name.
Sole Proprietor and General Partnerships
In Wisconsin, sole proprietors and general partnerships that wish to conduct business under a name other than the real name of the person(s) must file a Registration of Firm Names (also known as "doing business as" application) with the county. Before completing the form you should check the phone directory, real estate index and the Corporate Registration Information System (CRIS) to make sure no one else in the county is using the desired name.
Corporations, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership
The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) applies different name availability standards when naming a business. Search the Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions Corporate Registration Information System (CRIS) to determine if a business name is available in Wisconsin. If you want to discuss this with a state employee, call the Department of Financial Institutions at 608-261-7577 to find out if that name is already in use or being reserved.
CAUTION: Name reservation and name registration are valid only for the State of Wisconsin. A search performed on CRIS will not reveal every business name in use in Wisconsin, as CRIS reflects only the names of entities on record with DFI. Do not assume that a name is available until you have written confirmation from DFI that your Articles of Incorporation or Organization have been accepted and "FILED." To determine the availability of a name in another state, you would have to perform a records search in that other state. The corporate record custodians in other states (usually the Secretary of State) may be able to help you.
Dept of Financial Institutions Corporate Registration Information System
View Website
Conduct Domain Name and Internet Searches
Advancements in search engines capabilities and the expansion of business web sites on the Internet makes it a good place to start for researching business names. Search key words in your business name and potential web site addresses. These searches will help identify similar entities that may confuse potential customers.
Sole Proprietor and General Partnerships
In Wisconsin, sole proprietors and general partnerships that wish to conduct business under a name other than the real name of the person(s) must file a Registration of Firm Names (also known as "doing business as" application) with the county. Before completing the form you should check the phone directory, real estate index and the Corporate Registration Information System (CRIS) to make sure no one else in the county is using the desired name.
Corporations, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership
The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) applies different name availability standards when naming a business. Search the Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions Corporate Registration Information System (CRIS) to determine if a business name is available in Wisconsin. If you want to discuss this with a state employee, call the Department of Financial Institutions at 608-261-7577 to find out if that name is already in use or being reserved.
CAUTION: Name reservation and name registration are valid only for the State of Wisconsin. A search performed on CRIS will not reveal every business name in use in Wisconsin, as CRIS reflects only the names of entities on record with DFI. Do not assume that a name is available until you have written confirmation from DFI that your Articles of Incorporation or Organization have been accepted and "FILED." To determine the availability of a name in another state, you would have to perform a records search in that other state. The corporate record custodians in other states (usually the Secretary of State) may be able to help you.
Dept of Financial Institutions Corporate Registration Information System
View Website
Conduct Domain Name and Internet Searches
Advancements in search engines capabilities and the expansion of business web sites on the Internet makes it a good place to start for researching business names. Search key words in your business name and potential web site addresses. These searches will help identify similar entities that may confuse potential customers.
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