Change LLC legal name (2026)

Changing an LLC’s legal name is usually an articles amendment (or the state’s dedicated name-change filing) at the Secretary of State — not a silent letterhead update, and not a DBA. The short path: confirm you need the legal name rewritten, search SOS name availability, get the consent your operating agreement or statute requires, file the amendment, then update banks, the EIN name record, licenses, and contracts after the public record posts.

Broader amendment desk (name plus other articles fields): Amend LLC articles or certificate of organization. Brand that is not the exact legal name: DBA, assumed name, and trade name for an LLC. Principal office / mailing moves: Change LLC business or principal office address. Registered-agent path: Change registered agent for an LLC. First-30-days desk list: After you form an LLC. Home-state formation walkthroughs: Georgia, Texas, California, Florida, New York, Illinois, and the full 50-state formation index.

Short version for 2026: consent → clear the new name on the SOS search → file the articles amendment → confirm on the public record → update EIN / bank / licenses / contracts. A DBA does not replace this path. Published amendment fees for the core formation guides live in the fee table below — confirm at filing time; portals can add processor charges.

How do I change my LLC’s legal name?

File an articles amendment (Certificate of Amendment / Amendment to Articles of Organization, or the state’s name-change instrument) with the formation-state SOS. Search name availability, get required member or manager consent, file and pay the published fee, then update banks, the EIN name record, licenses, and contracts after the public record posts.

1. Confirm legal-name change vs DBA. Use an articles amendment when the public legal name on the formation document must change. Use a DBA / assumed / trade / fictitious name filing when the LLC keeps its legal name and only needs a brand that is not that exact string.
2. Search name availability and get consent. Search the formation-state entity database and reserve the name if the state offers reservation. Obtain member or manager consent under the operating agreement or default statute and keep the written record.
3. File the amendment on the official portal. File Articles of Amendment, a Certificate of Amendment, or the state’s name-change instrument. Published fees on this page (confirm at filing): Georgia Articles of Amendment/Restatement $20 plus $10 service charge ($30 typical), Texas Form 424 $150, California Form LLC-2 $30, Florida Any Other Amendment $25, New York Certificate of Amendment $60, Illinois Form LLC-5.25 $50 non-expedited.
4. Update banks, EIN, licenses, and contracts. Download the stamped acceptance, confirm the public record, then update the EIN name record if needed (often Form 8822-B — confirm the current IRS form), bank KYC, licenses and permits, contracts and invoices, the operating-agreement cover page, and any foreign qualifications. SOS acceptance alone does not rewrite those desks.

Name-availability process map: Check LLC name availability. Broader amendment desk (fields beyond the legal name): Amend LLC articles or certificate of organization.

Is a DBA the same as changing the LLC legal name?

No. A DBA, assumed name, trade name, or fictitious name is public notice that the same LLC also uses a brand that is not the exact articles name. It does not rewrite the legal name on the formation document. Banks, the IRS, and counterparties still key off the stamped legal name until an articles amendment posts.

DBA walkthrough: DBA, assumed name, and trade name for an LLC. Principal office / mailing updates usually ride the annual report or Statement of Information — Change LLC business or principal office address. Agent-only updates: Change registered agent for an LLC.

How much does it cost to change an LLC name?

Pay the formation state’s published articles-amendment / name-change fee (and any portal processor or service charge) — confirm at filing. Published SOS pieces here: Georgia Articles of Amendment/Restatement $20 (+ $10 service → $30 typical), Texas Form 424 $150, California Form LLC-2 $30, Florida Any Other Amendment $25, New York Certificate of Amendment $60, Illinois Form LLC-5.25 $50 non-expedited.

These are the published Secretary of State (or equivalent) pieces cited on this page for amending the formation document to change the legal name — not commercial shop invoices. Same instruments as the amend LLC articles guide. Re-checked on each filing office’s fee page on 6 October 2026 (Illinois via search-index copy of Form LLC-5.25 and 805 ILCS 180/50-10 after a direct fetch from this box failed). Confirm at filing time.

• Georgia. Corporations Division fee schedule (effective 6 September 2025) lists Articles of Amendment; Restatement at $20, with a $10 service charge for filing — $30 is the typical checkout total. File on eCorp. See How to form an LLC in Georgia.
• Texas. Domestic LLCs use Form 424 Certificate of Amendment — $150 on the Business Filings fee schedule (Form 806, Revised 09/26). Form 503 assumed name is a DBA path, not a legal-name rewrite. See How to form an LLC in Texas.
• California. Form LLC-2 Amendment to Articles of Organization is $30 and is the usual legal-name path. Business address, manager, and agent-for-service changes go on a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), not LLC-2 — Change LLC address. See How to form an LLC in California.
• Florida. Sunbiz’s LLC fee table lists Any Other Amendment at $25. A fictitious-name registration is a separate brand filing, not a legal-name change. See How to form an LLC in Florida.
• New York. Certificate of Amendment is $60 on the DOS fee schedule. DOS publishes a name-change-only Certificate of Amendment path for domestic LLCs (often online); other amendments may still require paper — confirm on the DOS page before you start. Publication and the written operating agreement are separate New York requirements. See How to form an LLC in New York.
• Illinois. Form LLC-5.25 Articles of Amendment lists Filing Fee $50; 805 ILCS 180/50-10 sets filing amendments at $50. Direct fetches of ilsos.gov / ilga.gov from this box failed on 6 October 2026 — fee text held from search-index copies of the form and statute. Assumed-name adoption is a separate Form LLC-1.20 path. Expedite and online name-change packaging can change the portal total — pay what the portal shows and keep the receipt. See How to form an LLC in Illinois.

Other formation states publish their own amendment / name-change fees on the SOS fee schedule. Use the instrument named there and the matching form-LLC guide — do not invent a fee from this page for a state not listed in the table above.

Does the SOS name change update my EIN, bank, or licenses?

No. Secretary of State acceptance updates the public formation record only. The IRS often uses Form 8822-B (or the current business name/address change path) for an EIN account name change — confirm the live IRS form. Banks need their own KYC update. Licenses, permits, contracts, and foreign qualifications each have their own desks. Stack: After you form an LLC.

EIN basics and when a new number is (and is not) required: Get an EIN. After the stamped amendment posts, continue the desk list when it still applies — bank KYC, licenses, contracts, invoices, the operating-agreement cover page, and any foreign qualifications. A domestic rename does not automatically rewrite every foreign registration: Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.

Do I need member or manager consent to rename the LLC?

Usually yes under the operating agreement or the default LLC statute — often unanimous member consent unless the agreement says otherwise. Keep the written consent or meeting minutes with the company records. The SOS filing is the public piece; the consent is the internal authority piece. Agreement map: LLC operating agreement basics.

Amending the articles does not automatically rewrite the operating agreement, and editing the agreement does not automatically update the public record. Keep both desks aligned after a rename. When membership or voting terms also change, start with Amend an LLC operating agreement. If you are ending the company instead of renaming it, use Dissolve or cancel an LLC.

After the SOS accepts the new name

Keep the stamped amendment with the formation packet. Then continue the desk list when it still applies:

• Get an EIN — or update the EIN name record after a rename (often Form 8822-B; confirm the current IRS form).
• First business checking account — bank KYC must match the new legal name (or show a stamped DBA if the brand differs).
• DBA / assumed name — only if you still need a brand that is not the new exact legal name.
• Change LLC address — if the principal office / mailing line also moved.
• LLC annual report and After you form an LLC — keep renewals and the first-30-days stack current.

Change LLC name FAQ

How do I change my LLC’s legal name?

File an articles amendment (Certificate of Amendment / Amendment to Articles of Organization, or the state’s name-change instrument) with the formation-state SOS. Search name availability, get required member or manager consent, file and pay the published fee, then update banks, the EIN name record, licenses, and contracts after the public record posts.

Is a DBA the same as changing the LLC legal name?

No. A DBA, assumed name, trade name, or fictitious name is public notice that the same LLC also uses a brand that is not the exact articles name. It does not rewrite the legal name on the formation document. Banks, the IRS, and counterparties still key off the stamped legal name until an articles amendment posts.

How much does it cost to change an LLC name?

Pay the formation state’s published articles-amendment / name-change fee (and any portal processor or service charge) — confirm at filing. Published SOS pieces here: Georgia Articles of Amendment/Restatement $20 (+ $10 service → $30 typical), Texas Form 424 $150, California Form LLC-2 $30, Florida Any Other Amendment $25, New York Certificate of Amendment $60, Illinois Form LLC-5.25 $50 non-expedited.

Does the SOS name change update my EIN, bank, or licenses?

No. Secretary of State acceptance updates the public formation record only. The IRS often uses Form 8822-B (or the current business name/address change path) for an EIN account name change — confirm the live IRS form. Banks need their own KYC update. Licenses, permits, contracts, and foreign qualifications each have their own desks. Stack: After you form an LLC.

Do I need member or manager consent to rename the LLC?

Usually yes under the operating agreement or the default LLC statute — often unanimous member consent unless the agreement says otherwise. Keep the written consent or meeting minutes with the company records. The SOS filing is the public piece; the consent is the internal authority piece. Agreement map: LLC operating agreement basics.

Do I need to check name availability before renaming?

Yes — search the formation-state business-entity database so the portal will accept the new legal name. Distinguishable-from-existing-name rules still apply. Clearing the SOS search is not a trademark clearance. Process map: Check LLC name availability.

Is renaming the LLC the same as dissolving and forming a new one?

No. An articles amendment keeps the same entity alive under a new legal name (same file/control number in most states). Dissolution ends the company; forming again creates a new entity with a new SOS record and usually a new EIN conversation. If you are closing instead of renaming, use Dissolve or cancel an LLC.

Should I DIY the name change or use a formation shop?

The primary path is the home-state portal: Georgia eCorp, Texas SOSDirect (Form 424), California bizfile (LLC-2), Florida Sunbiz, New York DOS, Illinois ilsos.gov (Form LLC-5.25), or the equivalent in other formation states. A formation shop is optional convenience for portal friction or multi-state clean-up. A shop invoice is not Secretary of State acceptance, and it does not update the bank or the IRS for you. Formation Lane is a publisher only and does not file name changes for anyone.

What this page does not cover

• Treating a DBA / assumed-name filing as a substitute for a legal-name articles amendment — that is DBA, assumed name, and trade name for an LLC.
• Other articles fields beyond the legal-name focus — start with Amend LLC articles or certificate of organization.
• Principal office / mailing address process map — that is Change LLC business or principal office address.
• Registered-agent-only filings — that is Change registered agent for an LLC.
• Invented fees for states not in the published table above — use that state’s SOS fee schedule and form-LLC guide.
• Federal or state trademark clearance, opposition, or registration.
• Acting as anyone’s filing agent. Formation Lane is a publisher only.