With the enactment of the Business Registration Services Act 2011, as of 28 May 2012 the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (‘ASIC’) took over the registration of business names from the States and Territory departments such as the Office of Fair Trading, which previously provided these services.
There is now a single national register which dispenses with the need to apply for business name registration in separate states or territories, and this register is administered by ASIC.
This does not affect existing business name holders, as the registers from the States and Territories have been transferred to the new register, and ASIC will contact existing business name holders upon their business name renewal date.
