490.1506 Corporate name of foreign corporation.

1. If the corporate name of a foreign corporation does not satisfy the requirements of section 490.401, the foreign corporation, to obtain or maintain a certificate of authority to transact business in this state, may do either of the following:

a. Add the word “corporation”, “incorporated”, “company”, or “limited”, or the abbreviation “corp.”, “inc.”, “co.”, or “ltd.”, to its corporate name for use in this state.

b. Use a fictitious name to transact business in this state if its real name is unavailable and it delivers to the secretary of state for filing a copy of the resolution of its board of directors, certified by its secretary, adopting the fictitious name.

2. Except as authorized by subsections 3 and 4, the corporate name, including a fictitious name, of a foreign corporation must be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from all of the following:

a. The corporate name of a corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state.

b. A name reserved, registered, or protected as provided in section 490.402 or 490.403.

c. The fictitious name of another foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state.

d. The corporate name of a not-for-profit corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state.

3. A foreign corporation may apply to the secretary of state for authorization to use in this state the name of another corporation incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state that is not distinguishable upon the secretary of state’s records from the name applied for. The secretary of state shall authorize use of the name applied for if either of the following apply:

a. The other corporation consents to the use in writing and submits an undertaking in form satisfactory to the secretary of state to change its name to a name that is distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from the name of the applying corporation.

b. The applicant delivers to the secretary of state a certified copy of a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction establishing the applicant’s right to use the name applied for in this state.

4. A foreign corporation may use in this state the name, including the fictitious name, of another domestic or foreign corporation that is used in this state if the other corporation is incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state and the foreign corporation has filed documentation satisfactory to the secretary of state of the occurrence of any of the following:

a. The foreign corporation has merged with the other corporation.

b. The foreign corporation has been formed by reorganization of the other corporation.

c. The foreign corporation has acquired all or substantially all of the assets, including the corporate name, of the other corporation.

5. If a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state changes its corporate name to one that does not satisfy the requirements of section 490.401, it shall not transact business in this state under the changed name until it adopts a name satisfying the requirements of section 490.401 and obtains an amended certificate of authority under section 490.1504.

89 Acts, ch 288, §166; 96 Acts, ch 1170, §15; 2006 Acts, ch 1089, §13

Referred to in §490.403, 490.1503