Guidelines for the use in business names of the word ‘Chartered’

‘Chartered’ is a restricted word under Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Names Determination.

'Chartered' is a term commonly associated with entities created under Royal Charter, such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Criteria for the assessment of applications

Applicants seeking Ministerial consent to the use of 'chartered' in a proposed business name will need to demonstrate:

(a) that the entity has been created by, or is closely related or affiliated to, an entity created under Royal Charter (whether in Australia or elsewhere)

(b) the context in which the word 'Chartered' is used in the name is not likely to mislead members of the public into believing the entity has been created by or is closely related or affiliated to an entity created under Royal Charter.

In the case where an applicant seeks consent to use the expression 'Chartered Accountant' or 'Chartered Accountants', ASIC may consult with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA). Where ASIC does consult with the ICAA, ASIC is not required to accept the views of ICAA.

Further links

Description

Business Names Registration Act 2011

This Act details the legislative framework for business names in Australia.

Business Names Registration (Availability of Names) Determination 2015

 

This Determination provides the rules for determining whether proposed business names are identical or nearly identical, restricted words and expressions, and the kinds of names that are undesirable.

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Last updated: 30/04/2014 12:00