(a) No person shall adopt any fictitious business name which includes “Corporation,” “Corp.,” “Incorporated,” or “Inc.” unless that person is a corporation organized pursuant to the laws of this state or some other jurisdiction.

(b) No person shall adopt any fictitious business name that includes “Limited Liability Company” or “LLC” or “LC” unless that person is a limited liability company organized pursuant to the laws of this state or some other jurisdiction. A person is not prohibited from using the complete words “Limited” or “Company” or their abbreviations in the person’s business name as long as that use does not imply that the person is a limited liability company.

Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 17910.5

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • County: includes city and county. See California Business and Professions Code 17
  • fictitious business name: means :

    California Business and Professions Code 17900

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: includes individuals, limited liability companies, partnerships and other associations, and corporations. See California Business and Professions Code 17902
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21

(c) A county clerk shall not accept a fictitious business name statement which would be in violation of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 728, Sec. 64. Effective January 1, 2002.)

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