How to register a business name in Ireland

If your café trades under any name other than your own true name, the Companies Registration Office (CRO) says you must register it, within one month of adopting the name. A sole trader uses Form RBN1, a partnership RBN1A and a company RBN1B. The CRO's fee is €20 online through CORE or €40 on paper. The CRO warns that processing of RBN1s can take up to four weeks. Registering does not stop anyone else using the name, so search the registers first.

Do I need to register my café's business name?

Only if the café trades under a name other than your own true name. The CRO says registration is obligatory when an individual, a partnership or a company carries on business under a name other than their own true name or names. The Registration of Business Names Act 1963 is the law behind it.

The CRO's own example is a Mr John Murphy: he must register if he trades as "Murphy Builders", but not if he trades as "Murphy" or "John Murphy". Adding first names or initials makes no difference. Here is the same idea for a café, as an illustration of my own and not the CRO's wording. If Áine Byrne trades as "Áine Byrne" or "Byrne", no registration is needed. If she trades as "The Corner Cup", she must register it. For anything in between, ask the CRO.

A company follows the same rule. The CRO says a company that trades under anything other than its full corporate name must register, for example "Murphy Construction Limited" trading as "Murphy Builders". For a partnership, the name must be the true names of all the partners, or it needs registering. You also need a place of business in the State.

How much does it cost to register a business name in Ireland?

The CRO says the fee is €20 for electronic filing and €40 for paper filing. gov.ie gives the same €20 for online registration and says postal applications are also accepted. Neither source mentions a further charge, but check the current fee on the CRO site when you apply.

How do I register a business name?

You send the CRO the right form with the fee, within one month of adopting the name. The CRO lists Form RBN1 for an individual, RBN1A for a partnership and RBN1B for a body corporate (a company).

The CRO says applications can be made on CORE, its online system. gov.ie says you first set up an account at core.cro.ie, and that the process currently needs you to print, sign and return a document to the CRO. The CRO advises using a laptop or desktop, because it says the forms can be problematic on a phone or tablet.

The CRO says the search of the companies and business names registers is free on CORE and is also available while you fill in the form. Use it before you file.

How long does registration take?

The CRO says there is a delay of up to four weeks (when I read it on 6 October 2026) for processing RBN1s, because of a backlog, and that applications are processed strictly in date order. That notice covers individuals, partnerships and bodies corporate. It is worth knowing before you print signage: the one-month deadline runs from adopting the name, not from approval.

The certificate is issued by email to the address on the form. The CRO says to check your spam or junk folder if it does not arrive.

Does registering the name protect it?

No. The CRO states that registration does not protect against duplication of the name. It also does not mean the name will be acceptable later as a company name, and it does not authorise use of a name that could be prohibited for other reasons, such as trade mark rights.

The CRO says it does not check proposed names against the companies or business names registers. Its advice is to investigate whether others have rights in the name before you spend money on stationery, because anyone claiming a right to the name could take an infringement or passing off action. So: search the companies and business names registers on CORE, and the trade mark register at the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, before you commit to a name.

Which words can't go in a business name?

The CRO says these are not allowed: "limited", "ltd", "teoranta", "teo", "incorporated", "inc." and "company". It also says "Associates" or "Group" implies more than one person, so an individual applying on RBN1 cannot use either word.

Can I put .ie or .com in the name?

The CRO calls it undesirable and asks for proof that you own the domain. It says names ending in a domain suffix such as ".ie", ".com" or ".net", or starting with "www", are considered undesirable under Section 14(1) of the 1963 Act, and that proof of domain name ownership is needed to process the application. You upload it with the letter of no objection on the online form.

What do I have to show once it's registered?

The CRO says a copy of the certificate must be on display in a conspicuous position. For an individual or firm that is the principal place of business and every branch or office where business is normally carried on. For a company it is the registered office in the State and every such branch or place.

The CRO also says the proprietors' names must appear on documents issued to anyone where the business name appears, including business letters, circulars and catalogues. If the owner is a company, more detail is required on business letters, such as its full name and registered number.

One more rule from the CRO: a business name cannot be transferred with form RBN2. If you sell the café, the old owner files an RBN3 to stop trading under the name, and the new owner files an RBN1, which the CRO names for this case; a partnership or company buying the café should check with the CRO which form applies.

A business name is one of several things to sort before opening. The licences and registrations a café needs are covered in another article.

Sources

• Companies Registration Office, Registering a Business Name, read 6 October 2026.
• gov.ie, Registering a Business Name, read 6 October 2026.

This is a summary of public guidance, not legal advice. Cupán Studio builds websites for Dublin cafés.