ASIC Business Name Registration: $47 Fee and 6 Steps (2026)

To register a business name in Australia, get an ABN (or apply for one), check the name is available on ASIC's register, then apply through ASIC Connect or the Business Registration Service and pay ASIC's fee: $47 for one year or $108 for three years (as at 18 October 2026). Registration usually completes within 24 to 48 hours of payment.

This is an independent ASBG guide. For the official transaction, start at ASIC's registration page. The registration attaches the name to its holder; it doesn't create a company.

Before applying, settle who will hold the name and check that the name is suitable. Changing those decisions after ordering signs, stationery and a website can cost much more than the registration.

How much does it cost to register a business name?

ASIC charges the same fee whether you register online through ASIC Connect or through the Business Registration Service. Private websites resell the same registration with their own fee added.

A few points the table doesn't show:

• Checking availability is free on ASIC's register. So is changing your details later.
• Three years is cheaper at today's fee. Three one-year payments of $47 total $141, against $108 upfront, a $33 difference. Fees are indexed each July, so treat that as a guide, not a forecast.
• Reseller renewals usually cost the reseller's price again. Namecorp, for example, lists its renewals at the same $199 and $297. Check whether a service renews automatically and charges your card.
• The fee went up on 1 July 2026, from $45 and $104. Pages quoting those amounts, or $44 and $102, are out of date.

Paying a provider is a choice, not a requirement. If you'd like help, an accountant you already use can lodge it as an authorised lodger.

Do you need to register a business name?

ASIC's registration guidance says you must register a business name if you run a business in Australia and don't trade under your own name. The exceptions:

• an individual trading under their first name and surname alone
• a partnership trading under all the partners' personal names
• a company trading under its exact registered company name.

For an illustrative example, a sole trader called Ava Martin might operate under that personal name. Adding "Garden Care" creates a name that must be registered. For a company, check the exact company name rather than assuming a shortened brand is identical. Registering a company name and a separate, identical business name is a common way to pay twice.

If the legal structure isn't settled, use our sole trader vs company guide or the broader business structure comparison first. Registering a name to an individual doesn't make a company you create later its owner; you'd need to transfer it.

Before you apply

Choose the holder

The holder should be the entity carrying on the business. Make sure the ABN belongs to that entity, not simply to the person filling in the application. Write the legal name, structure and ABN on a small registration sheet before you start, with the proposed business name separately. This helps when an adviser is handling several related businesses.

If the numbers are confusing, our ABN vs ACN guide explains the difference. If you're applying for the ABN at the same time, keep the application reference separate from an issued number. Our guide to registering an ABN covers that application.

Check availability and trade marks

Search ASIC's business names register. It returns a traffic-light result:

Then search IP Australia's trade mark database. A name clearing ASIC's check doesn't settle every other right to use it, and registration doesn't give you trade mark protection. Our trade mark guide explains the separate process, and how to choose a business name covers the creative side. If a similar brand already trades in your market, get advice before paying for signage.

Gather the details

• the holder's details and the ABN or ABN application reference (joint ventures list each partner's ABN)
• the business name exactly as it should appear, including capitals, because ASIC treats names as case sensitive
• an email address the business will keep. ASIC sends the record of registration, renewal notices and invoices there, and it isn't shown on the public register
• a service of documents address: a street address or PO Box in Australia, shown publicly on the register
• a principal place of business: a street address in Australia, not a PO Box. It's shown publicly, but if you operate as an individual from home, ASIC shows only the suburb, state and postcode.

The holder must be eligible: ASIC says they must not be disqualified from managing corporations or convicted of certain criminal offences. If you have safety concerns about an address being public, read ASIC's page on hiding personal details before you apply. Don't put a false address on the application.

How to register a business name with ASIC: 6 steps

These steps follow ASIC Connect, the route for anyone who already has an ABN or an ABN reference number. ASIC publishes user guides with screenshots; here each screen is described in words.

1. Get your ABN or ABN reference number. If you don't have one yet, either apply for the ABN first or use the Business Registration Service at register.business.gov.au to apply for the ABN and business name together. The ABN application is free.
2. Check the name. Search ASIC's business names register and look for a green result. Amber means ASIC will assess it after you apply.
3. Log in to ASIC Connect and start the transaction. Sign up for an account if you don't have one. Open the "Licences and Registrations" tab. If it's your first login and you're asked whether you already have a current business, answer "No". You don't need an ASIC key. Select "Business name registration", read the information screen and tick the acknowledgements.
4. Enter the ABN, the name and the term. Type the ABN or reference number without spaces, then the business name exactly as it should appear on the register. Choose a 1-year ($47) or 3-year ($108) registration. If the name is being transferred to you, enter it exactly as it appears on the register along with the transfer number.
5. Enter the holder's details and addresses, and confirm eligibility. Add the email, service of documents and principal place of business addresses. Confirm the holder isn't disqualified, check the spelling and every detail on the review screen, then read the declaration and confirm you're authorised.
6. Pay. You must pay within 10 business days of the application being approved, or ASIC refuses it and you have to apply again. A confirmation screen appears after payment, and ASIC emails a record of registration once the name is registered.

Through the Business Registration Service the questions are similar, with the ABN questions first. Either way, don't treat a transaction reference as proof the name is registered: check the register before using the name on a bank account, contract or sign.

How long does it take?

The online application takes about 10 to 15 minutes. After that, the official sources give slightly different timeframes:

In practice, a green-light name paid by card is usually registered within a day or two. Amber names take longer because ASIC assesses them. You can start using the name once it appears on the business names register. If the record of registration hasn't arrived within 24 hours, check your junk folder for email from ASIC, then contact ASIC with your transaction reference.

ASIC Connect or the Business Registration Service?

Whichever you use, link the business name to an ASIC Connect account once it's registered. You'll need it to update addresses within 28 days of a change, to renew online with your details visible, and to transfer the name if you sell the business.

After registration

Save the record of registration and note the renewal date. Check how the business name and ABN should appear on your documents. Our guide to tax invoice requirements covers invoices, and ASIC requires the name to be displayed prominently wherever the business is open to the public.

Update the website, invoice template and other customer-facing records consistently. If you use different software for quotes and invoices, check both. It's easy to update the accounting system while leaving an old legal name on a sales proposal template.

Make someone responsible for official notices and changes to registered details. If the person who applied leaves the business, move that responsibility before their email account is closed.

Renewal and transfers in brief

A business name must be renewed every one or three years for the same $47 or $108. ASIC emails a renewal notice at least 30 days before the due date, and it can cancel a name that isn't renewed. Private companies also send renewal offers that look like invoices, so check who sent any notice before you pay. Our business name renewal guide covers the steps, what happens if a name lapses and how to spot fake notices.

If you sell the business or its ABN changes, for example when a sole trader moves into a company, the name must be transferred. The current holder starts the transfer in ASIC Connect and gets a transfer number, valid for 4 months and 28 days, which the new holder uses to register the name. The remaining registration period doesn't carry over and isn't refunded. Our sole trader to company restructure guide covers the wider move.

If you also need to incorporate, use the company setup and first-year cost planner.

Common mistakes

• Registering the name to the wrong holder, such as yourself personally when the business will be run by a company.
• Registering a name the company already has. A company trading under its exact name doesn't need one.
• Treating registration as brand protection. It isn't a trade mark.
• Paying a reseller without realising it. The ASIC fee is $47 or $108; anything more is a service fee.
• Using an email address you'll lose, so renewal notices go to a former employee or adviser.
• Missing the 10-business-day payment window after approval, which means starting again.

Key takeaways

• ASIC charges $47 for one year or $108 for three years (as at 18 October 2026); resellers published $99 to $199 for one year.
• Register the name against the correct legal holder and its ABN.
• Check ASIC's traffic-light result and trade marks before committing to branding.
• Registration usually completes within 24 to 48 hours of payment by card.
• Keep the record, the renewal date and access to the email address ASIC uses.

Where to get help

• ASIC: registration instructions and the business names register.
• Business Registration Service: register.business.gov.au for an ABN and business name together.
• business.gov.au: register your business name.
• IP Australia: trade mark searches and trade mark basics.
• A lawyer for uncertain brand rights or ownership arrangements.

Our business registration hub connects names, ABNs, company costs and ongoing obligations.