How to Register a Business Name in NSW (and Which Address to Use)

By Bilal Alwan, Manager, Hunters Hill Offices · Updated October 2026

Knowing how to register a business name is one of the first jobs for any new business in NSW. The process is quick and done online, but two parts trip people up: whether you need to register at all, and which address to put on the form. The address matters because some of it ends up on a public register.

Here is the process step by step, based on ASIC, business.gov.au and ABR guidance checked in October 2026.

Business Names Are National, Not NSW-Only

There is no separate NSW business name register. According to business.gov.au, “Business names are registered nationally. You don’t need to register the name separately with your state or territory.”

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) runs the national business names register. The ABR notes that this register started on 28 May 2012 and replaced the old state and territory registers. So whether you trade in Hunters Hill, Ryde or Perth, the process is the same.

Do You Need to Register a Business Name?

ASIC says you must register a business name if you run a business in Australia and are not trading under your own name. You don’t need to register if you are:

• a sole trader operating under your first name and surname, and nothing else
• a partnership operating under all partners’ personal names
• a registered company and your operating name is the same as the company’s name.

ASIC’s example: John Smith doesn’t need to register “John Smith”, but would need to register “John Smith Gardening” or “John Smith & Co”.

Business name vs company name vs trading name

If your company trades under a name that differs from its registered company name, business.gov.au says you must register that name as a business name. For more on the numbers involved, see ABN vs ACN, and if you haven’t chosen a structure yet, read sole trader vs company.

How to Register a Business Name: Step by Step

Before you start, you need an Australian Business Number (ABN), or an ABN reference number if you have applied and are waiting. The ABR says you are entitled to an ABN if you are carrying on or starting an enterprise in Australia. You can’t get one for work you do as an employee. You can also apply for an ABN and a business name together through the Business Registration Service.

You also can’t hold a business name if you have been convicted of certain criminal offences or disqualified from managing corporations.

1. Choose your business structure. Sole trader, partnership, company or trust.
2. Get your ABN. Apply through the Australian Business Register if you don’t have one.
3. Check the name is available. Search ASIC’s business names register. Green means available, amber means ASIC will assess it after you apply, and red means it is unavailable. business.gov.au also suggests checking trade marks with IP Australia’s TM Checker.
4. Log in to ASIC Connect. Create an account if needed, then choose business name registration.
5. Enter your details. Your ABN, the name exactly as you want it to appear (it is case sensitive), the 1 or 3 year period, holder details and addresses.
6. Review, declare and submit.
7. Pay the fee. ASIC says you must pay within 10 business days or the application will be refused.

ASIC then emails you a record of registration. You can start using the name once it appears on the business names register.

What it costs

As of October 2026, ASIC’s fee schedule lists $47 to register a business name for 1 year and $108 for 3 years. business.gov.au shows the same amounts. Fees change, so check ASIC’s register a business name page before you pay.

Which Address to Use When You Register a Business Name

This is the part most guides skip. ASIC asks for two addresses, and both are shown on the public register, with one exception.

The exception: if your principal place of business is your home and you operate as an individual, ASIC only shows your suburb, state or territory and postcode. Your email address and mobile number are not shown.

What this means in practice:

• Your principal place of business must be where you actually run the business. If that is your home, it is your home, whatever other address you have.
• Your service of documents address is shown in full, so many home-based owners prefer not to use their home here. A virtual business address gives you a business street address that can be used for business name registration, with mail received and held for you. New to the idea? Read what is a virtual office.
• If you hold the name through a partnership or company, the home-address exception above doesn’t apply, because it is for individuals.
• If you are worried about your safety, ASIC lets you ask for some personal details to be hidden from the public register.

For the difference between these address types for companies, see principal place of business vs registered office and street address vs PO Box.

After You Register

• Display the name. It must be shown prominently wherever your business is open to the public. You don’t need to display the certificate.
• Use it on documents. Put your registered business name and ABN on invoices and purchase orders.
• Keep details current. Tell ASIC about changes, usually within 28 days. That includes a new address.
• Renew on time. business.gov.au says ASIC emails a renewal notice at least 30 days before your renewal date, and may cancel the name if you don’t renew.
• Protect your brand. A business name doesn’t give you exclusive rights to it. For that, you need a trade mark.

Register Once, Use It Anywhere in Australia

Now you know how to register a business name: get your ABN, check the name, apply through ASIC, and choose your addresses with the public register in mind. One national registration covers you in NSW and every other state.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check your situation with your accountant, ASIC or the ABR.