Rhode Island § 6-1-1 - Filing of Trade Name

§ 6-1-1. Filing of business trade name requirements.

(a) No person or persons shall carry on or conduct or transact business in this state under any trade name, or under any designation, name, or style, corporate or otherwise, other than the real name or names of the individual or individuals conducting or transacting business, unless the person or persons shall file, in person, by mail, or electronically with the office of the secretary of state an executed application for a trade name certificate stating:

(1) The name under which the business is, or is to be, conducted or transacted;

(2) The true or real full name or names, both the first name and surname, of the person or persons conducting or transacting the business;

(3) The post office address or addresses of the person or persons applying for the trade name certificate;

(4) The email address of the person or persons applying for the trade name certificate;

(5) The municipality where the business is located; and

(6) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code that best represents the business activity to be conducted.

(b) The trade name shall be distinguishable upon the records of the trade name registry from the name of any trade name on file within the municipality where the business is located, subject to the following:

(1) This provision does not apply if the applicant files with the secretary of state a certified copy of a final decree of a court of competent jurisdiction establishing the prior right of the applicant to the use of the name in this state.

(2) The trade name may be the same as the name of a trade name registration that has been canceled by the secretary of state as permitted by this chapter and a restoration statement has not been filed within one year from the date of the cancellation.

(c) Whenever this chapter requires a certificate to be executed and acknowledged, such requirement is satisfied by the signature, without more, of the individual or individuals signing the application, in which case such signature or signatures constitute the affirmations or acknowledgment of the signatory, under penalties of perjury, that the application is that individual’s act and deed and that the facts stated therein are true.