depending on the territorial jurisdiction covered
What Is Business Name
Business Name (BN) shall refer to ANY name
that is different from THE TRUE NAME OF AN
INDIVIDUAL WHICH IS USED OR SIGNED in
connection with her/his business on any
written or printed receipts, including receipts
for business taxes, duties and fees and
withdrawal or delivery receipts; any written or
printed evidence of any agreement or business
transaction; and any sign or billboard
conspicuously exhibited in plain view in, or at
the place of her/his business or elsewhere,
announcing his /her business.
What is the difference between CDA, DTI, IPO,
and SEC?
CDA – for Cooperative
DTI – for Single Proprietorship
IPO – for Trademark
SEC – for Partnership and/or Corporation
Is Business Name Registration required?
Yes, according to Section 1 of Act No. 3883 it
is unlawful for any person to use any name in
connection with her/his business other than
her/his true name without first registering the
business name in the Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI).
Who may apply for a Business Name?
A person who is at least eighteen (18) years
old, doing business or proposing to do
business in the Philippines under a BN and
who is not disqualified by any existing law or
regulation to engage in business is qualified to
apply for a BN registration.
- For transactions filed by a representative,
he/she must bring his/her government issued
valid ID in addition with the required
documents for every specific transaction.
What are the requirements in registering a
business name?
• Two (2) copies of duly accomplished
application form signed by the owner.
Note that only the owner is authorized to sign
the application form.
• Presentation of original copy of one photo-
bearing national issued Identification
Document (ID) with signature.
• Payment of registration fee plus documentary
stamp tax.
Per DTI Department Administrative Order No.
10-10, series of 2010, the following registration
fees for every application for registration of
BUSINESS NAME (original and renewal)
DTI Registration Guidelines
in the application are as follows:
Barangay
PHP 200.00
City/Municipality
PHP 500.00
Regional
PHP 1,000.00
National
PHP 2,000.00
Where can I get the application forms?
The forms are available at all DTI Offices. It
may also be downloaded
from http://www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph/web/guest/dow
nloads.
What are the acceptable valid IDs?
Presentation of original valid IDs:
• Passport
• Driver’s License
• Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
ID
• National Bureau of Investigation Clearance
• Police Clearance
• Postal ID
• Voter’s ID
• Government System Insurance System
(GSIS) Unified Multi-purpose ID
• Social Security System (SSS) ID
• Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
(OWWA) ID
• Seaman’s Book
• Government Office and GOCC ID:
o Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP ID)
o Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF ID)
o Philpost ID
o Philhealth ID
• Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)
• Senior Citizen Card
• Person With Disability Card
Note: Any transaction with Department of Trade
and Industry relative to Business Name
Registration requires a presentation of
government-issued valid and original ID of the
owner and representative (if necessary).
For Special Documentary Requirements
Deceased Registrant
In case of death of the registrant, the
registered BN shall no longer be renewed
under the decedent’s name. The heirs, in order
to retain the BN of their predecessor shall
have the following options:
• If an executor is named in the deceased’s
will, she/he may sign the application for BN
registration. Otherwise, any of the heirs may
1
go to court and apply for letters of
administration. The named executor or the
person who obtains the Court’s appointment,
as the case may be, may apply for BN
registration in behalf of the estate.
• If there are two (2) or more heirs, they may
execute an Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate,
assigning therein an heir to administer the
business and apply for the registration of the
predecessor’s existing BN.
• If there is only one (1) heir, she/he may
execute an Affidavit of Self-Adjudication of a
Sole Heir then apply for the registration of the
predecessor’s BN attaching thereto a copy
Where can I process my BN application (new
and renewal)?
There are three (3) modes in processing the
business names application:
• Over-the-counter - can be done at any of the
following:
- DTI Regional/ Provincial/Field Offices.
Visit
http://www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph/web/guest/contactu
s for the complete list of offices. Office
schedule is from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to
5:00 pm.
- SM Business Service Centers
- Negosyo Centers
• Online application – can be done online
through http://www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph or
What are the rules on registrability of business
name?
A. Business name should be comprised of
three different parts namely: Dominant Name,
Infix( for specialized line of business), and
Business Descriptor (defines the nature of
business).
Example: Juan Watch Repair Shop
Dominant Name – Juan
*Infix – Watch
Business Descriptor – Repair Shop
*Infix is required if the nature of business needs to
be specific.
B. BNs that are NOT registrable are:
• Those which are or whose natures of
business are illegal, offensive, scandalous, or
contrary to propriety (e.g Popoy’s Jueteng
Betting Place, Boobs Massage and Spa);
• Those which are the same, nearly the same
as or confusingly the same with an existing
registered business name, company,
partnership, corporation, cooperative name;
nor it infringes on any trademark, service mark
or tradename (e.g Anne Dok’s Lechon,
Jolibee, Starbax Café);
DTI Registration Guidelines
• Those which are composed purely of generic
or geographic words (e.g The Laundry Shop,
Bacolod);
• Those which by law or regulation cannot be
appropriated (e.g OTOP, Intelligence, State
College);
• Those used to designate or distinguish, or
suggestive of quality of any class of goods,
articles, merchandise or service (e.g Best
Taho Factory, A-1 Auto Repair Shop);
• Those which is used by the government in its
governmental functions (e.g NBI Private
Investigation Services, DTI Trading);
• Those names or abbreviation of a name of
any nation, intergovernmental or international
organization (e.g Philippine Manpower Pooling
Agency, UNESCO Marketing);
• Those which are deceptive, misleading or
which misrepresent the nature of the business
(e.g “GOLD CONSTRUCTION SERVICES”
where nature of business is recruitment);
Can a natural person or sole proprietor use the
word "corporation" or "incorporated" as part
of his business name? How about company?
No, only a partnership or corporation
registered with SEC can use the word
"company" or "corporation" as part of their
business name.
What is territorial scope/territorial applicability
of BN registration?
Territorial scope/applicability of BN registration
refers to an area within which the BN owner’s
right to use the registered BN shall be
confined. It may be within a Barangay, within
a certain City/Municipality, Region or may
be National in coverage.
What are the rules on the approval of BNs
within territorial boundaries?
A proposed BN will be validated against the
database of registered BNs in the territory:
• Barangay – the proposed business name
will be validated against the registered BNs in
that specific barangay, city/municipality
covering specified barangay, proper region
and national level in scope. It will be approved
provided it is not identical or confusingly
similar with BNs registered within that
barangay, city/municipality, region or national
in scope.
• City/Municipality – the proposed BN will be
validated against the registered BNs in that
specific city/municipality, proper region and
national in scope. It will be approved provided
it is not identical or confusingly similar with
BNs registered within that city/municipality and
its barangay, region or national in scope.
2
• Regional - the proposed BN will be validated
against the registered BNs in that region and
those national in scope. It will be approved
provided it is not identical or confusingly
similar with BNs registered within the same
region, its cities/municipalities and barangays
or national in scope.
• National - the proposed BN will be validated
against the all registered BNs.
The territorial scope of my Business Name is
within a city. If I want to expand my business
and put up branches in other cities, what do I
need to do?
• New Application- The owner may register
the same BN provided that it will be registered
with a different city and will cover the new
business location.
• Cancel/Apply- under DAO 10-08 Section
23.1 “provided that a change of business
location territory shall be deemed as new
application, the approval of which is subject to
the rules on registrability and payment of the
prescribed fee.”
How long is the validity of my BN registration?
The Business Name registration is valid for
five years from the date of registration.
When to renew the BN registration and what
are the requirements?
• Applications for renewal may be filed three
(3) months prior to the expiration date (Early
Filing) or within three (3) months immediately
following the expiration of the registration
(Regular Filing). If the renewal application is
filed within the last three (3) months thereof, a
surcharge of Fifty Percent (50%) of the
registration fee shall be imposed (Late Filing).
(Reference: DAO No. 13-01 Section 1) Fill up
the portion of the application form for renewal.
• Failure to renew the business name beyond
the Late Filing period shall be deemed not
filed. The Certificate of BN Registration shall
be immediately cancelled from the records and
will be made available for new registration.
(Reference: DAO No. 13-01 Series of 2013
Section 1).
If I file for a renewal of my business name, can I
change or modify other information which was
originally approved?
Yes. You can only update some business
information like territorial scope, TIN, middle
name, citizenship, gender, civil status, email
address, phone number or telephone number,
and residence address. However,
you CANNOT change the business name
which was originally
DTI Registration Guidelines
What are the requirements for the change of
business information due to change of marital
status?
- Request letter for the change of marital
status
- Government issued original valid ID of the
business name owner
- Original and photocopy of Certificate of
Marriage (single to married)
- Original and photocopy of Court Order
(married to single)
- Processing fee of P50.00 plus P15.00
documentary stamp tax per business name
*Certification of Business Name Registration will
be issued upon the request of change of marital
status.
What are the requirements for Change of
Address?
The Business Name Registration System does
not require a business address, but a territorial
scope of the business. The applicant may
locate his/her business anywhere within the
defined territorial scope as indicated in the
application.
For the change of residence address, the
requirements are:
- Government issued original valid ID of the
business name owner
- Request letter originally signed by the
business name owner
- Payment of Php50.00 and Php 15.00
documentary stamp
Do we still need to inform DTI when we close
our business?
Yes, you have to apply for cancellation of your
registered business name.
What are the requirements/procedures for the
cancellation of a Business Name?
• Government issued original valid ID of the
business name owner
• Affidavit of cancellation of the registered
business name, stating the reason/s for the
cancellation and that the registered owner has
no outstanding financial obligation.
• Surrender original copy of the Certificate of
Business Name Registration
• An affidavit of loss if the Certificate of
Business Name Registration was lost.
• Php15.00 Documentary stamp
I lost my original BN registration certificate.
How can I secure another copy?
You may be able to secure a substitute
document to evidence the existence and
3
validity of your business name based on the
DTI registration records. This refers to a
request for and issuance of the affirmative
CERTIFICATION.
Requirements to secure a CERTIFICATION
from DTI are:
1. Government issued original valid ID of the
requestor
2. Letter request signed by the owner, stating
the following:
• Information relative to business name such
as business name and/or owner’s name
• Reason/s for the request
3. Processing fee of Php 50.00 per certification
plus documentary stamp tax of Php 15.00.
What are the requirements if I want to secure a
Certified True Copy?
Requests for Certified True Copy of the
Business Name Certificate are allowed if the
applicant registered his/her business name
through over-the-counter transaction only. The
requirements in securing a certified true copy
are:
• Letter request signed by the requesting party;
indicate requested number of copies for CTC;
• Original and photocopy/ies of the Business
Name certificate;
• Processing fee of P50.00 per copy plus
P15.00 documentary stamp tax
How many days can I reserve the business name
lodged online?
Business Name reservation is valid up to 5
working days.
What are the requirements if I want to request
for verification if a certain business name is
registered?
You may verify/search a business name
through the internet
via https://www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph/web/guest/sear
ch.
If you need a certification from DTI regarding a
valid registration, the following requirements
are needed:
1. Government issued original valid ID of the
requestor
2. Letter request signed by the requesting
party, stating the following:
• Information relative to business name such
as business name and/or owner’s name.
• Reason/s for the request
3. Processing fee of P50.00 plus P15.00
documentary stamp tax per business name
DTI Registration Guidelines
What is a Transaction Reference Number
(TRN)?
The TRN is a system-generated number which
serves as reference of a specific transaction.
If I lost my TRN, how can I retrieve it?
In the event that you have lost the TRN you
may contact the PMT-BR Helpdesk thru
email, bnrshelpdesk@dti.gov.ph. and
telephone number 751-0384 locals 2519 and
2520.
Can I get another copy if I failed to print the
Transaction Reference Number (TRN)
Acknowledgement?
No. The TRN Acknowledgement is only issued
once.
Is it allowed to transfer the ownership of a
business name registration?
No. Transfer of ownership of a business name
registration is not allowed.
What is the use of Business name search?
The online search facility is provided in the
eBNRS for you to find registered business
names in the Philippines. The search facility
should not be used to determine the
availability of the proposed business name but
a tool to initially check for possible similarities.
There are two (2) search criteria available for
the public, namely Begins With and Contains
All Words. You can conduct a search by
typing the exact business name or a few words
contained in a business name.
What is e-Payment?
Payments that are processed entirely
electronically, with the value passing from one
account to another account. Currently, DTI has
enlisted both Bancnet and Globe’s GCash for
this facility.
What is Bancnet?
Bancnet is the largest electronic banking
consortium with 54 members and affiliates. It is
a multi-bank multi-channel electronic payment
network enabling payments for its ATM
cardholders via ATM, point-of-sale terminal,
Internet, and Mobile.
How can an applicant pay his/her registration
through Bancnet?
To pay their BN application via Bancnet, here
are the steps to follow:
Step 1:
4
Go to www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph or www.dti.gov.ph DBP
and click the Business Name Registration Metrobank
(BNR) icon; Security Bank
Step 2: Dumaguete Bank
Select Online Payment and accept BNRS PBCom
Terms and Conditions; Click the TRN to Standard Chartered Bank
display the Business Information. East West Bank
Step 3: PSBank
Select Bancnet as Payment Type, enter TRN, Sterling bank of Asia
and click Search; Enterprise Bank
Step 4: Philippine Business Bank
Click the TRN, the system will display the Sun Savings Bank
information of the application such as: Entrepreneur Bank
Transaction Reference Number (TRN), Philippine National Bank
Proposed Business Name, Applicant Name, Tiaong Rural Bank
Process Fee, Documentary Stamp Tax (DST),
Convenience Fee, and Total Amount, Click Where can the client locate the Member
Process Payment to continue; Number?
Step 5: The client may call their issuing bank to get the
The system will redirect to Bancnet Online Member Number or may refer to this
Payment Page; choose the Bank to be used in link https://www.bancnetonline.com/BancnetW
paying the registration and click Submit; eb/goToOnlineShoppingFAQ.do
Step 6:
Enter the ATM Card Number, Member How much will be the BancNet’s charge for the
Number, Account Type, ATM PIN, and click epayment service?
PAY; The BancNet will charge the client a
Step 7: convenience fee of Php 15.00 per Business
Wait for the Payment Confirmation page to be Name payment transaction.
displayed and click Continue to proceed;
Step 8: What is Gcash?
Download the system generated Official GCash is an internationally acclaimed
Receipt; micropayment service that transforms your
Step 9: mobile phone into a virtual wallet for secure,
The client may now download the certificate. fast, and convenient money transfers at the
speed and cost of a text message.
What are BancNet’s participating banks?
Here is the list of participating banks offering How do I become a registered GCash
online payment: subscriber?
You may
Allied Bank visit https://www.globe.com.ph/help/gcash/usin
Greenbank of Caraga g-gcash for the instructions or call 2882.
Philippine Veterans Bank
Allied Savings Bank How can an applicant pay his/her registration
Islabank through GCash?
Philtrust Bank Payment Steps:
Asia United Bank
Korea Exchange Bank Step 1:
PlanBank Access the BNRS website,
Banco Dipolog www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph/web/guest/registration,
Land Bank click Online Payment and accepts Terms and
Postal Bank Conditions;
Bank of Commerce Step 2:
Luzon Development Bank Select GCash as payment type; enter the
RCBC Transaction Reference Number (TRN), and
CTBC Bank click search. The following details will be
Malayan Bank displayed: Click the TRN to display the
RCBC Savings Bank Business Information.
Citystate Savings Bank Step 3:
Maybank Philippines The Business Information contains the details
Robinsons Savings Bank of TRN, Applicant Name, and Fees. Please

DTI Registration Guidelines 5

ensure that the information matches the
correct transaction before the payment to
avoid inconvenience. Enter the 11-digit
GCash-registered Cell Phone Number and
click Continue. A notification pop-up will be
displayed. Click yes to continue;
Step 4:
From their mobile phones, reply the SMS
requesting for the entry of mobile personal
identification number (MPIN);
How can the client download and print their
Business Name Certificate?
After successful payment, the client may now
download the certificate. Here are the steps to
follow:
Step 1:
Click Download Certificate/Certification under
Online Services;
Step 2:
Accept BNRS Terms and Conditions;
Click the TRN to display the Business
Information.
Step 3:
Supply required information and click Next;
Step 4:
Click Generate PDF, the button will change
into a link;
Step 5:
Click Download Business Name Certificate
link;
Step 6:
The client may now download their Business
Name Certificate.
• Territorial Scope
• Registration Date
What are the requirements for the request of
BN listing?
Requirements for the request of BN listing are
the following:
• Request letter (indicate the reason);
• Present one (1) valid government-issued ID
of the requestor;
• *Storage device (e.g. flashdrive, compact
disc, etc.)
*this should be provided upon the release of
the request..
Where to submit the request for BN listing?
The request can be submitted at any DTI
Regional/Provincial/Field Offices.
Visit http://www.bnrs.dti.gov.ph/web/guest/cont
actus for the complete list of offices. Office
schedule is from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to
5:00 pm.
Is there a fee for the BN listing?
Yes. Payment for the first five (5) pages is Php
20.00 and succeeding pages is Php 3.00.

Note: MPIN is the User-defined pin/password

that will be provided during the GCASH
Account creation.

If I failed to download and print the generated

Business Name Certificate, can I request for a
re-download?
Yes, you may contact our office through
telephone no. 751-0384 locals 2519 and 2520
or email bnrshelpdesk@dti.gov.ph to request
for the re-download of the Business Name
Certificate.

Can I get a list of registered Business Name?

What are the information available?
Yes, you may request for a list of registered
business names. The only information
available are:

• Business Name
• Business Location

DTI Registration Guidelines 6