(1) The Secretary of State shall refuse registration of a fictitious business name, which, in the Secretary of State’s sole discretion, is potentially misleading, or which includes any of the following terms:

(a) “Corporation,” “Corp.,” “Incorporated,” or “Inc.,” unless the applicant is a corporation organized or qualified to do business pursuant to the laws of this state;

(b) “Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Company” or the abbreviation “L.L.C.,” “L.C.,” “LLC,” or “LC,” unless the applicant is a limited liability company organized or registered to do business pursuant to the laws of this state;

(c) “Business Trust” or the abbreviation “B.T.” or “BT,” unless the applicant is a business trust organized or registered to do business pursuant to the laws of this state;

(d) “Professional Corporation” or the abbreviation “Prof. Corp.,” “P.C.,” or “PC” or the word “Chartered” or the abbreviation “Chtd.,” unless the applicant is a professional corporation organized to do business pursuant to the laws of this state;

(e) “Professional Association,” “Professional Organization,” or the abbreviation “Prof. Ass’n” or “Prof. Org.,” unless the applicant is a professional association organized to do business pursuant to the laws of this state;

(f) “Limited” or the abbreviation “Ltd.,” unless the applicant is a corporation, limited liability company, registered limited liability partnership, limited partnership, or professional corporation organized, qualified, or registered to do business pursuant to the laws of this state;

(g) Words not permitted to be used in any business name without governmental consent, unless the applicant provides to the Secretary of State written evidence of such consent.

(2) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, the Secretary of State may allow registration of a fictitious business name which contains a prohibited term if, in the Secretary of State’s sole discretion, the term is not misleading.