Illinois Compiled Statutes
805 ILCS 5/ - Business Corporation Act of 1983.
Article 4 - Name

(805 ILCS 5/Art. 4 heading)

 
(805 ILCS 5/4.05) (from Ch. 32, par. 4.05)
Sec. 4.05. Corporate name of domestic or foreign corporation.
(a) The corporate name of a domestic corporation or of a foreign
corporation organized, existing or subject to the provisions of this Act:
(b) The Secretary of State shall determine whether a name is
"distinguishable" from another name for purposes of this Act. Without
excluding other names which may not constitute distinguishable names in
this State, a name is not considered distinguishable, for purposes of this
Act, solely because it contains one or more of the following:
(c) Nothing in this Section or Sections 4.15 or 4.20 shall:
(Source: P.A. 100-753, eff. 1-1-19.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/4.10) (from Ch. 32, par. 4.10)
Sec. 4.10. Reserved name. The exclusive right to the use of a corporate
name or an assumed corporate name, as the case may be, may be reserved by:
(a) Any person intending to organize a corporation under this Act.
(b) Any domestic corporation intending to change its name.
(c) Any foreign corporation intending to make application for authority to transact business in this State.
(d) Any foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this State
and intending to change its name.
(e) Any person intending to organize a foreign corporation and intending
to have such corporation make application for authority
to transact business in this State.
(f) Any domestic corporation intending to adopt an assumed corporate name.
(g) Any foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this State
and intending to adopt an assumed corporate name.
Such reservation shall be made by filing in the office of the Secretary
of State an application to reserve a specified corporate name or a specified
assumed corporate name, executed by the applicant. If the Secretary of State
finds that such name is available for corporate use, he or she shall reserve
the same for the exclusive use of such applicant for a period of ninety days
or until surrendered by a written cancellation document signed by the
applicant,
whichever is sooner.
The right to the exclusive use of a specified corporate name or assumed
corporate name so reserved may be transferred to any other person by filing
in the office of the Secretary of State a notice of such transfer, executed
by the person for whom such name was reserved, and specifying the name and
address of the transferee.
The Secretary of State may revoke any reservation if, after a hearing,
he or she finds that the application therefor or any transfer thereof was
made contrary to this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-66, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/4.15) (from Ch. 32, par. 4.15)
Sec. 4.15. Assumed corporate name.
(a) A domestic corporation or a
foreign corporation admitted to transact business or attempting to gain
admission to transact business may elect to adopt an assumed corporate name
that complies with the requirements of paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), and (6)
of subsection (a) of Section 4.05 of this Act with respect to corporate names.
(b) As used in this Act, "assumed corporate name" means any corporate
name other than the true corporate name, except that the following shall
not constitute the use of an assumed corporate name under this Act:
(c) Before transacting any business in this State under an assumed corporate
name or names, the corporation shall, for each assumed corporate name, pursuant
to resolution by its board of directors, execute and file in duplicate in
accordance with Section 1.10 of this Act, an application setting forth:
(d) The right to use an assumed corporate name shall be effective from
the date of filing by the Secretary of State until the first day of the
anniversary month of the corporation that falls within the next calendar
year evenly divisible by 5, however, if an application is filed within
the 2 months immediately preceding the anniversary month of a corporation
that falls within a calendar year evenly divisible by 5, the right
to use the assumed corporate name shall be effective until the first day of the
anniversary month of the corporation that falls within the next succeeding
calendar year evenly divisible by 5.
(e) A corporation shall renew the right to use its assumed corporate name
or names, if any, within the 60 days preceding the expiration of such
right, for a period of 5 years, by making an election to do so at
the time of filing its annual report form and by paying the renewal fee as
prescribed by this Act.
(f) (Blank).
(g) A foreign corporation may not use an assumed or fictitious name in the
conduct of its business to intentionally misrepresent the geographic origin or
location of the corporation within Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 100-753, eff. 1-1-19.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/4.20) (from Ch. 32, par. 4.20)
Sec. 4.20. Change and cancellation of assumed corporate name.
(a) Any domestic or foreign corporation may, pursuant to resolution by
its board of directors, change or cancel any or all of its assumed
corporate names by executing and filing, in accordance with Section 1.10 of
this Act, an application setting forth:
(b) Upon the filing of an application to change an assumed corporate
name, the corporation shall have the right to use the assumed corporate
name for the balance of the period authorized by subsection (d) of
Section 4.15.
(c) The right to use an assumed corporate name shall be cancelled by the
Secretary of State:
(Source: P.A. 96-66, eff. 1-1-10.)
 
(805 ILCS 5/4.25) (from Ch. 32, par. 4.25)
Sec. 4.25.
Registered name of foreign corporation.
Any foreign corporation
not transacting business in this State and not authorized to transact business
in this State may register its corporate name, provided its corporate name
is available for use as determined by the Secretary of State in accordance
with the provisions of this Act.
(a) Such registration shall be made by (1) executing and filing in accordance
with Section 1.10 of this Act:
(i) an application for registration, stating the name of
the corporation, the State or place under the laws of which it is incorporated,
the date of its incorporation, a brief statement of the business in which
it is engaged or plans to engage, the post-office address of the
corporation to which the Secretary of State may mail notices as required or
permitted by this Act, and that it desires to register its name
under this Section; and (ii) a certificate setting forth that such corporation
is in good standing under the laws of the State or place wherein it is
organized
executed by the Secretary of State of such State or by such other public
official as may have custody of the records pertaining to corporations;
and (2) paying to the Secretary of State the fee prescribed by this Act.
(b) Such registration shall be effective from the date of filing by the
Secretary of State until the first day of the 12th month following such date.
(c) Such registration may be renewed from year to year by filing an
application
for renewal setting forth the facts required in an original application
for registration and a certificate of good standing as required for the
original registration and by paying the fee prescribed by this Act within
60 days immediately preceding the first day of the 12th month following
the date of filing the original registration or prior renewal. Such renewal
shall extend the registration for 12 months, to expire on the first day
of the month in which the original registration was filed the next year.
(d) Any foreign corporation which has in effect a registration of its
corporate name may cancel such registration at any time by filing an application
for cancellation in the same manner and setting forth the same facts required
to be set forth in an original registration and paying the fee prescribed by this Act.
(e) The Secretary of State may cancel any registration if, after a hearing, he or she
finds that the application therefor or any renewal thereof was made
contrary to this Act.

(Source: P.A. 84-924.)