Free Australian business name search
Check a name against every business and company name registered with ASIC, 6.6 million+ of them, and every Australian trade mark on record. Free, and you don’t need to give an email address.
Searching mainly for a trade mark? Trade mark search
What it searches
Your name is compared with every business and company name currently registered with ASIC, from the registers ASIC publishes, which we update weekly. At the same time it's checked against every Australian trade mark on record, including lapsed and refused ones.
Business and company names have no industry, so only near-identical names are listed. Trade marks are registered for particular goods and services, which is why the search asks what you sell or do.
How to read the results
For business and company names, high is the same name or one letter apart, medium the same words in another order, and low a name that shares the start of yours. Each one shows the name, whether it's a business or company name, the date it was registered and, for a company, its ACN.
ASIC says a registered business or company name stops another business registering an identical or nearly identical name. It doesn't stop people using similar words in their business name, or prevent legal action if you use someone else's trade mark.
The results show what's on the register. They aren't a legal opinion, and they don't mean a name is safe to use. For that, talk to a trade marks professional before you file or launch.
After the search
New names are registered every day. From the Standard plan up, we watch new business and company names close to your mark each week, and every new trade mark filing within hours of IP Australia publishing it.
Common questions
Is this the same as ASIC's business name search?
No. ASIC's business names register is the official record, and most of what it shows is free: the holder, the ABN, the date the name was registered and whether the registration is current. Our search uses the data ASIC publishes, compares your name with every name in one go and sorts what it finds by how close each one is. For the official record of a name, look it up on ASIC's register.
How do I check if a business name is available in Australia?
ASIC's availability check tells you whether a name can be registered. A name can't be registered if it's identical or nearly identical to another registered business or company name. Our search shows registered names close to yours, and trade marks too: a name that's free to register with ASIC can still be someone's trade mark.
What's the difference between a business name and a company name?
ASIC describes a business name as the name your business operates under. A company is its own legal entity, with a name ending in Pty Ltd or Ltd and an ACN. A company trading under its own name doesn't need a business name; one trading under another name does. Both are registered with ASIC, on separate registers.
Does a registered business name give me rights to the name?
ASIC says only a trade mark can give you exclusive rights to a name. Registering a business name stops anyone else registering an identical or nearly identical one. Our guide on business names and trade marks explains the difference.
How many free searches can I do?
Up to 10 a day, and you don't need to give an email address. The same name and industries checked again within 24 hours shows the earlier answer.
Sources
- Business names register (ASIC)
- Business name availability (ASIC)
- Business names and trade marks (ASIC)
- Register a business name (ASIC)
- ASIC business names dataset (data.gov.au)
- ASIC companies dataset (data.gov.au)
- Search existing trade marks (IP Australia)
This is information only, not legal advice.