Change LLC Name in Oregon

Can I change the name of my LLC in Oregon?

Absolutely! You can easily change your Oregon LLC name.

The first step is to file a form called the Articles of Amendment with the Secretary of State and wait for it to be approved. This is how you officially change your LLC name in Oregon.

The filing fee for the Articles of Amendment in Oregon is $100.

After the state approves your LLC name change, you should then notify the following 3 places:

• the IRS
• state tax department
• your business bank account

And finally, you can update your LLC name in other places like your website and marketing materials.

This page will guide you through the process and include helpful tips along the way.

Note: We’ve changed the names of our own LLCs over the years. So we have first-hand experience with filing the paperwork as well as dealing with the IRS and financial institutions.

What are the steps for changing an LLC name in Oregon?

1. Check if your new LLC name is available
2. File the Amendment form (and wait for approval)
3. Update the IRS
4. Update the Oregon Department of Revenue
5. Update financial institutions (credit card companies, banks)
6. Update business licenses
7. Update other places (branding materials, business accounts, etc.)

How much does it cost to change an LLC name in Oregon?

It costs $100 to change your LLC name in Oregon. This is the filing fee for the Articles of Amendment form.

How do I change my Oregon LLC name?

In order to change your LLC name, you must file the Articles of Amendment with the Oregon Secretary of State. This officially updates your legal entity (your Limited Liability Company) on the state records.

Note: The Oregon Secretary of State is responsible for LLC formation and administration, including name changes.

We provide step-by-step instructions on how to file the Articles of Amendment by mail. (The Oregon Secretary of State only allows online filings for certain forms. You can’t file the Articles of Amendment online yet.)

Can I change my LLC name myself?

You can file the Articles of Amendment yourself or you can hire a company to do this for you.

Because the Amendment filing in Oregon can be confusing and time consuming, many people choose to hire a company for help.

Step 1: Make sure your new Oregon LLC name is available

Before filing your Oregon amendment form (the Articles of Amendment), you should check that your new LLC name is available in Oregon.

This is important because two businesses in the state can’t have the same name, or be too similar. This is called LLC name distinguishability.

If you file an amendment for a name that’s already taken, the state will reject your filing. And if that happens, you’ll need to re-file with a different name.

To avoid that, look up your desired Oregon LLC name ahead of time using the state’s business entity search.

Step 2: File the Oregon LLC name change form

The Oregon LLC name change form is called the Articles of Amendment.

(It’s called this because you’re amending your Oregon Articles of Organization.)

How to file the Articles of Amendment in Oregon

Get Started

Download the Limited Liability Company Articles of Amendment/Dissolution form.

You can complete this form on your computer (type it) and then print it out to sign. Or you can print it out and complete by hand with black ink.

Articles of Amendment or Articles of Dissolution

At the top of the form, click the button (or color in the circle) for Articles of Amendment.

What’s the difference? The Oregon Secretary of State uses the same form for Amending your Articles of Organization and for Dissolving your LLC. If you want to change your LLC name, you want to file Articles of Amendment. You don’t want to shut down (dissolve) your LLC.

Registry Number

Enter your LLC’s Registry Number.

1. Entity Name

Enter your LLC’s current name. (Not the name you want to change it to.)

2. Amendment(s)

On these lines, you’ll list the article being amended and the new information (the new LLC name). Enter this text:

Article 1. Name of the Limited Liability Company. New business name is: [new name of LLC].

Just replace “[new name of LLC]” with the name you want to use. And make sure to include an appropriate designator (like “LLC”) at the end of your LLC’s name.

For example: Mindy wants to change the name of her company to Anchors Away LLC. In Item 2, she will type: “Article 1. Name of the Limited Liability Company. New business name is: Anchors Away LLC.”

3. How the Amendment was approved

Click the button (or color in the circle) for This Amendment was approved by the members.

Why this option? Oregon law doesn’t allow an LLC Manager to Amend the LLC name without member action. The Members must agree (vote) to Amend the LLC’s name. (Remember, a vote can be informal – a phone call or group email chain is fine.)

Enter 100 so the second sentence reads: “100 percent of the members approved the amendment(s).

Why 100%? Oregon law requires Amendments to Articles of Organization be unanimously approved by the LLC Members.

Enter the date the name change amendment was adopted. This could simply be the date you’re filing the Articles of Amendment form. Or you can enter the date the Members voted on the name change (the date of the phone call or emails, if you didn’t meet in person).

4. Principal Place of Business

Enter your LLC’s principal place of business (aka principal office address).

This must be a physical street address (not a commercial mail receiving agency or a virtual office), but it doesn’t have to be in Oregon.

5. Individual with Direct Knowledge

Enter the name and mailing address for someone with direct knowledge of the LLC’s operations.

If your LLC is Member-managed, list one of the Members.
If your LLC is Manager-managed, list one of the Managers.

If you’re not sure what these terms mean, check out Member-managed vs Manager-managed LLC for more information.

Articles of Dissolution Only – Items 6 and 7

Skip these items. Do not write or type anything in this section.

8. Execution

At least one Member or one Manager must sign the Articles of Amendment.

Enter your Printed Name.

Enter your Title:

• If you are an LLC Member (business owner), enter Member
• If you are an LLC Manager and your LLC is Manager-managed, enter Manager
• If you aren’t a Member or Manager, but have been authorized to file the Articles of Amendment on their behalf, enter Authorized Agent

For more information on these titles, check out LLC Officer Titles.

After you print the form out, sign it.

Contact Name and Phone Number

Enter a name and phone number here. Don’t worry, this information won’t go on public record. If the Secretary of State has questions about your Articles of Amendment filing, they’ll call this person.

File by mail

1. Prepare a check or money order for $100 payable to the “Corporation Division”.
2. Send the payment, and the signed Articles of Amendment, to:

Secretary of State – Corporation Division
255 Capitol Street NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327

Wait for approval from the Secretary of State

After submitting your Articles of Amendment to the state, please wait for approval.

Approval times vary, but on average, it takes 4-6 weeks (plus mail time) for your Oregon business name change to be approved.

When you file by mail, you’ll receive your name change approval (a stamped copy of the Articles of Amendment) back via mail.

Step 3: Change your Oregon LLC name with the IRS

After your new LLC name is approved, the next step is to update your Oregon LLC name with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This updates the name connected to your LLC’s EIN number.

We have step-by-step instructions here:
How to change LLC name with IRS

Step 4: Update your LLC’s Account with the Oregon Department of Revenue

After your new LLC name is approved, you need to update your business’s account with the state’s tax department (the Oregon Department of Revenue).

Note: In most states, it’s called the Department of Revenue or Department of Taxation. In Oregon it’s called the Department of Revenue, and this is who you’ll update with your new LLC name.

Typically, you can update your LLC name in one of three ways:

• online
• by mail
• by phone

But it differs from state to state, so we recommend you call the Department of Revenue. You can ask about the process to update your business name.

Step 5: Update financial institutions with your new LLC name

Besides updating your Oregon LLC name with the IRS and Department of Revenue business tax department, you’ll also want to contact the following places and let them know about the name change.

Financial institutions:

• LLC business bank account
• business checks
• business debit card
• business credit cards
• Paypal or other online banking solutions
• business loans or lines of credit
• brokerage accounts
• bookkeeping software, like Quickbooks

Pro Tip: You don’t have to rush to update these the same day or even the same week. Your existing checks and credit cards will still work, but it’s important to eventually get everything updated to your new LLC name.

Step 6: Update or Get a New Business License

If you have a state business license or a local business permit, you’ll need to change the name on that license.

Sometimes that means applying for a new license and canceling the old one. Or sometimes you can just change the name on your existing license.

Oregon doesn’t have a general state business license requirement. But your LLC might have an industry- or occupation-specific license.

If that’s the case, contact your state licensing agency or licensing board for information on how to update the state business license: Oregon Regulator Agencies.

And contact your local government (like a city clerk or county clerk) for the process to update any local business permits. You can find your county clerk on the Oregon Counties website, and you’ll need to look up your town or city, too.

Step 7: Update marketing materials and other places with your new LLC name

Below are some examples of places to update with your new LLC name.

Branding and online presence:

• online stores (like eBay, Shopify, Amazon)
• website, domain registrar, hosting company
• letterhead, logos, invoices, contracts, and important documents
• social media accounts

Professional services:

• Registered Agent Service (if you hired one)
• accountant
• attorney

Other government agencies:

• local tax office (ex: city, county, township)
• business licenses and permits
• sales tax permit
• utility companies
• Department of Labor (if you have employees)

Stay calm: Don’t stress out thinking you have to change your LLC name everywhere right away. That’s not the case. Take your time and do the important ones first. Give yourself a few days or a few weeks to get them all done. Technically, your old business name will still work for quite some time.

Update your Oregon LLC Operating Agreement

It’s a good idea to update the name on your LLC’s Operating Agreement. Don’t worry, this is a simple process. You can either:

• You can make a new version of the Operating Agreement you already have. Update the document with your new LLC name, and have the LLC Member(s) sign.
• Or, you can use our free template on Oregon LLC Operating Agreement to create a new Operating Agreement with the new LLC name.

Tip: This is a good opportunity to review the other sections in your Operating Agreement and make any needed updates there, too. Have the LLC Member(s) sign, and distribute copies like you did with your initial LLC Operating Agreement.

Change LLC Name in Oregon FAQs

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.