Get a business name by registration number

Get a business name

A business name is a trading name registered so that the public can identify who is behind it. Since 28 May 2012 business names are registered nationally with ASIC on the Business Names Register; before that they were registered in each state and territory, and those state records were migrated to ASIC with their original state registration numbers. This endpoint returns the register entry for a business name: its name, status, the state that originally registered it, registration and renewal dates, the ABN of the holder and any former names. ASIC supplies the identifiers you need through the company name search, where business names appear with type BUSN. This is a free lookup: business names have no extract to purchase, nothing is billed, and meta.billable is always false. See the purchasing guide for which calls are free and which are billed.

Path parameters

Query parameters

Example request

curl "https://api.asicapi.dev/v1/business-names/B2345678?jurisdiction=NSW" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASICAPI_KEY"

Example response

{
  "object": "businessName",
  "id": "B2345678",
  "name": "ACME WIDGETS",
  "type": { "code": "BUSN", "label": "Business Name" },
  "status": { "code": "REGD", "label": "Registered" },
  "state": { "code": "NSW", "label": "New South Wales" },
  "stateNumber": "B2345678",
  "asicIdentifier": null,
  "controllingJurisdiction": { "code": "ASIC", "label": "Australian Securities and Investments Commission" },
  "registrationDate": "2013-02-14",
  "reviewDate": "2026-02-14",
  "cancellationDate": null,
  "abn": "53004085616",
  "registeredCharity": false,
  "formerNames": [
    {
      "name": "ACME WIDGET SUPPLIES",
      "from": "2013-02-14",
      "to": "2019-06-01"
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "billable": false, "product": null, "requestId": "req_01J8ZKH3J4K5L6M" }
}

Response fields

Errors

Notes from the ASIC register

• Use the identifier from a search. ASIC's guidance is to always look up a business name by the identifier supplied in a name search result, because business name numbers are not unique across states. Take stateNumber and state (mapped to a jurisdiction code) or asicIdentifier from the search result rather than typing a number from a letterhead.
• Free lookup. Business name details come from ASIC's organisation details, not from an extract, so there is nothing to purchase and every call is free. A waiverToken from a state name search cannot be applied here; it is redeemed when you purchase a company extract.
• What ASIC does not supply. ASIC does not provide address details for business names, and there is no document list for business names or name reservations. Requests to /v1/companies/{id}/addresses or /v1/companies/{id}/documents for a business name return extract_unavailable_for_type or document_list_unavailable. To find the holder's address, resolve the ABN to the company (if the holder is a company), purchase an extract for it and read its addresses.
• Holders. A business name is held by an entity (a company, an individual, a partnership or a trust), identified by its ABN. Where the ABN is ACN based you can pass it to Get a company to reach the holding company.
• Controlling jurisdiction. For business names the controlling jurisdiction is always ASIC, even for names registered with a state before 28 May 2012. The state field preserves the original registering state.
• Status values. REXP (expired) and RMVD (removed) indicate the name is no longer registered and may be available; ARCH marks a record archived from a former state register.
• Registered charities. When registeredCharity is true, ASIC requires the ACNC notice to be displayed: Registered Charity. This company is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). For further information on the charity, including the address for service, details of responsible persons (for example company directors) and financial reports, search the Charities register at www.acnc.gov.au.
• Special characters. ASIC identifiers begin with * or +. Always URL-encode + as %2B in the path; a raw + decodes to a space.

Name reservations

A name reservation is an application (Form 410) to hold a proposed company name for two months before registration. Reservations appear in name search results with type RSVN and an asicIdentifier. Fetch one with GET /v1/companies/{asicIdentifier}, which returns a nameReservation object containing the reservation documentNumber, status, formCode, from and to dates, applicantName, intendedType and intendedClass. Reservations have no addresses, office holders or document list. The full object is documented on the Get a company page.

curl "https://api.asicapi.dev/v1/companies/%2A00123456" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASICAPI_KEY"

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