183.0104 Reservation and registration of name.

(1) A person may reserve the exclusive use of a limited liability company name, including a fictitious name for a foreign limited liability company whose name is not available, by delivering an application to the department for filing or by making a telephone application. The application shall include the applicant's name and address and the name proposed to be reserved. If the department finds that the name applied for under this subsection is available, the department shall reserve the name for the applicant's exclusive use for a 120-day period, which may be renewed by the applicant or a transferee under sub. (2) from time to time.

(1m) A domestic limited liability company or a foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in this state may, upon merger, change of name, or dissolution, register its company name for no more than 10 years by delivering to the department for filing an application, executed by the domestic limited liability company or foreign limited liability company, simultaneously with the delivery for filing of the articles of merger or dissolution, the articles of amendment or restated articles that change the company name or an application for an amended certificate of registration that changes the company name.

(2) A person who has the right to exclusive use of a reserved name under sub. (1) or (1m) may transfer the reservation to another person by delivering to the department a written and signed notice of the transfer that states the name and address of the transferee.

(3)

(a) A foreign limited liability company may register its name if the name is distinguishable upon the records of the department from the names described in s. 183.0103 (2) (a) to (c) and if the foreign limited liability company delivers to the department for filing an application complying with par. (b).

(b) A foreign limited liability company's application to register a name shall be accompanied by a certificate of status or similar document from the state or other jurisdiction of organization and shall include all of the following information:

1. The foreign limited liability company's name.

2. The state or jurisdiction and the date of its organization.

3. The street address of its principal office.

(c) The registration expires annually on December 31. A foreign limited liability company may renew its registration by delivering to the department for filing a renewal application, which complies with par. (b), between October 1 and December 31 of each year that the registration is in effect. The renewal application when filed renews the registration for the next year.

(4) A name is registered under sub. (1), (1m), or (3) for the applicant's exclusive use on the effective date of the application.

History: 1993 a. 112; 1995 a. 27; 2001 a. 44; 2009 a. 236.