Business Names & Trading Name Disclosure Check

The name you trade under is regulated more than most owners realise. Part 41 of the Companies Act 2006 and the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015 restrict “sensitive” words (such as “Bank”, “Royal” or “Chartered”), block names too similar to existing companies, and require you to disclose your name and an address for service of documents on business letters, order forms and websites. Sole traders and partnerships using a name other than their own surname must also show their own name and address. Breaches can be a criminal offence and, for companies, can lead to fines.

Even a correctly registered name can cause problems. Registering at Companies House gives no trade mark protection, and trading under a name that is confusingly similar to an established brand can lead to a passing off claim or a trade mark infringement action under the Trade Marks Act 1994. Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, Companies House can also require a company to change a name that is too like another or likely to mislead. Checking your name, your disclosures and your brand protection together avoids forced rebrands, costly disputes and removed listings.

This check reviews your business name, how you display it, and how well it is protected, flagging the gaps most likely to cause a legal challenge or forced rebrand.