18 NCAC 04 .0503             DECEPTIVELY SIMILAR AND DISTINGUISHABLE NAMES

(a)  Designations of entities, such as "company", "co.", limited", "ltd.", "corporation", "corp.", "incorporated", "inc.", "professional association", "p.a.", "limited liability company", "L.L.C.", "professional limited liability company", and "limited partnership" shall be disregarded in determining if a proposed entity name is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State, provided that such words appear at the end of the proposed entity name.  Such words shall not be disregarded in such determination when they appear in the body, rather than at the ending, of the proposed entity name.

(b)  Articles, conjunctions, prepositions, punctuation, spaces, and the substitution of an Arabic numeral for a word shall be disregarded in determining whether a proposed entity name is distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State or otherwise permissible for use in a proposed entity name.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 55D-5; 55D-20; 55D-21; 55D-22; 57D-1-30; 57D-2-21(a)(2); 59-103;

Eff. February 1, 1976;

ARRC Objection Lodged June 21, 1990;

Temporary Amendment Eff. July 1, 1990 For a Period of 180 Days to Expire on December 27, 1990;

ARRC Objection Removed August 20, 1990;

Amended Eff. March 1, 1996; February 1, 1991;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. December 20, 2015.