Change the name (corporate name) of the business

Verified 26 February 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The business is identified by its company name, chosen by those associated with the creation of the business. During its lifetime, the business may change its corporate name, subject to certain formalities.

The trade name and the sign name may also be amended, but they do not replace the corporate name. They're both optional and may be entirely similar to or different from the corporate name. Their amendment is a separate matter.

The company name is the legal and official name of a business (SAS, SARLetc.). It allows the business to be identified as legal person distinct from the partners that make it up. It's the equivalent of the last name for a natural person.

Please note

Where the business is a civil business (ICS, SCP, SCMetc.), we are talking about company name.

The company name is chosen at the constitution of the business and appears in the statutes and in all official documents (proof of registrationcontracts, invoices, etc.) of the business. The company name is protected upon registration in RNE: titleContent and at RCS: titleContent if the activity is commercial.

The company name is freely chosen by associates, it can include letters and numbers, or even some special characters. It can be fanciful, in connection with the activity carried out or can simply take the name of a partner.

Please note

The company name should not be confused with the trade name and the sign name. They're both optional and may be entirely similar to or different from the corporate name.

In the event of a change of company name with an abbreviation, it should also be amended accordingly. For example, if the business “ Martin Services ” uses the acronym “ MS ’ and becomes ‘ Martin Building ”, the acronym will have to be adapted (e.g. “ MB »).

There are several reasons why a business may change its name during its lifetime:

  • Evolution of business activity : the change of activity or sector sometimes requires a change of name to better correspond to the activity of the business.
  • Strategic repositioning : the change of image of a business sometimes requires a name change to better communicate with its customers.
  • Legal reorganization : in case of legal reorganization (disposal of shares to a third party, merge, splitetc.), it is sometimes necessary to change the name of the company to symbolize this new union between partners.
  • Dispute : a complaint of copyright infringement may sometimes compel a business to change its name.

Warning  

Where the name of the company corresponds to the name of a person, the business may continue to use it even after the departure of the latter. It is therefore appropriate to change it to avoid this situation.

Before carrying out any modification process, it is imperative to check availability of the chosen name, i.e. to ensure that it is not already used by a company with a similar or similar activity.

Example :

You want to rename your catering business “ The small market ». A neighboring restaurant already bears this name. The similarity of name and activity creates a risk of confusion. It is therefore recommended to choose another name.

FYI  

If the new name may cause confusion with a competitor, the competitor may take you to court for unfair competition and claim payment of damages and interest.

To check the availability of the name, it is possible to consult the site free of charge Directory of companies. This database gives you access to all the information of a company (name, Siren, address, etc.):

Company Directory: Find all the information in a company

It is also advisable to perform a search for anteriority on the website of theInpi: titleContent to verify that the name envisaged does not benefit from any protection (trademark registration):

Brand Anteriority Search (INPI)

As for any company change, it is necessary to follow a number of steps to change a business' name.

Please note

The change of trade name or brand does not follow the same steps. No collective decision, no legal announcement or any amendment to the articles of association are necessary, unless otherwise specified in the original articles of association. Simply update the corresponding information on the website of the company formalities window. The proof of registration will then be updated with the new trade name and/or brand name.

1Make the decision to change the corporate name

Changing the corporate name of a business requiresadoption of a collective decision by the members or shareholders, in accordance with terms and conditions which vary according to the legal form of the business:

SARL

In a SARL, the decision to change the company name must be voted on and approved by the members meeting in extraordinary general meeting (AGE)

For LLCs incorporated before 4 August 2005

The decision must be adopted by the partners representing at least the 3/4 of the shares. There's no no quorum required. This means that a minimum number of participants present or represented at theAGE: titleContent is not required.

Please note

For more information, you can consult the fact sheet on the decision-making in a LLC.

For LLCs incorporated after August 4, 2005

The general meeting may validly deliberate only if the members present or represented possess at least 1/4 of the shares (on first summons) and 1/5 of these (on second summons).

Otherwise, a new assembly must be convened within 2 months at the latest.

If the quorum is respected, the modifications must then be decided at the majority of 2/3 of the shares held by the partners present or represented.

Please note

For more information, you can consult the fact sheet on the decision-making in a LLC.

SAS

In a SAS, the decision to change the company name must be voted and approved under the conditions laid down in the articles of association:

  • Body empowered to take the decision : board of directors, general meeting
  • Number of votes required
  • Quorum required

In the vast majority of cases, the decision to change the company name is taken collectively by the partners. However, the statutes may provide that the decision is to be taken by the President.

In the absence of details in the statutes, theunanimous agreement associates are required.

Please note

For more information, you can consult the fact sheet on the decision-making in a SAS.

SA

In a SA, the decision to change the company name must be voted on and approved by the shareholders meeting in extraordinary general meeting (AGE) Any change requires a qualified majority of 2/3 the votes of the shareholders present or represented.

Please note

For more information, you can consult the fact sheet on the decision-making in an AS.

ICS

In a ICS, the decision to change the company name must be voted on and approved by the members meeting in extraordinary general meeting (AGE) If the amendment of the articles of association is not approved at the first meeting, the members are consulted a second time.

Any amendment to the statutes shall require the agreement to theunanimity of the partners (100%). However, the statutes may provide that certain decisions are to be taken with the agreement of the majority (50%).

Please note

For more information, you can consult the fact sheet on the decision-making in an ICS.

CNS

In a CNS, the decision to change the company name must be voted on and approved by the members meeting in extraordinary general meeting (AGE) If the amendment of the articles of association is not approved at the first meeting, the members are consulted a second time.

Any amendment to the statutes shall require the agreement to theunanimity of the partners (100%). However, the statutes may provide that certain decisions are to be taken with the agreement of the majority (50%).

SCS

In a SCS, the decision to change the company name must be voted on and approved by the members meeting in extraordinary general meeting (AGE) THEAGE: titleContent may validly deliberate only if:

  • the general partners (business partners) have given their consent to theunanimity
  • the limited partners (so-called passive partners financing the business) approved the decision by a majority in number and capital
SALT

Decision-making in the SALT are those of the corresponding commercial business, for example the SELARL for the SARL or the SELAS for SAS.

We invite you to refer to the corresponding case, according to the legal form of your business.

Please note

When the business has only one associate (EURL or SASU), it is up to him to decide to change the company name.

Once the decision is approved, a minutes must be drawn up and signed by the legal representative or the chairman of the sitting, where there is one.

2Change the statutes of the business

Once the decision has been made, the change of company name requires a amendment of the statutes.

The article on the company name should be amended to include the new name and the header of the articles of association where one exists.

It is also necessary to specify on the first page that the statutes were amended on the date of the decision. Finally, the updated statutes must be signed.

3Publish a legal ad in a legal ad medium

The change notice must then be published in a support entitled to receive legal notices (SHAL) by mentioning the old and the new name of the company.

Search for a support authorized to publish legal ads by department

The amending notice must contain the following information:

  • Changes: former and new corporate name of company
  • Company name of the business in the header
  • Legal form of the business (SAS, SARL, SCI, etc.)
  • Address of head office of the business
  • Unique identification number of the business (Siren number)
  • Amount of share capital of the business
  • Mention " RCS: titleContent ” followed by the name of the city of the registry where the business is registered
  • Date of theAGE: titleContent

FYI  

Once the publication has been made, a certificate of publication the notice of amendment shall be issued. This document is important since it must then be sent to the change declaration on the one-stop shop for company formalities.

4Declare the name change

The change of company name must then be declared on the website of the company formalities window, in the one month delay from the date of the decision.

Window of company formalities

Automatic insertion at Bodacc (Official Bulletin of Civil and Commercial Advertisements) will make the change of the company name enforceable against third parties.

When declaring changes, different supporting documents shall be transmitted:

  • Copy of the statutes updated, dated and certified as true to the original by the legal representative
  • Copy of the minutes of the decision to change the company name: the document indicates the old and the new company name
  • Certificate of publication of the notice in a support for legal announcements
  • Change Form

Once the change of company name has been validated by the Registry, the proof of registration is updated with the new corporate name. It is therefore possible to modify all its documents accordingly (contracts, quotes, pay slips, invoices, etc.).

FYI  

A change in the name of the company does not in itself entail a change in the beneficial owners. However, a new declaration of beneficial ownership (DBE) shall be deposited in the company Formalities Window if, at the same time, the identity, personal address, share capital or control exercised by one of the beneficial owners has changed.

On the Window of company formalitiesHowever, the question of a change in beneficial ownership is now always raised in the course of the formality. If there is no change, then simply check “ The situation has not changed ” to validate the sending of the formality. Failure to comply with this obligation may result in severe penalties, such as deregistration of the business.

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