The Victorian Names Register, administered by Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), lists all business names, associations, cooperatives and limited partnerships registered in Victoria. You can search the Register for free.

Starting a new business and want to check out your proposed name?

Businesses must register a business name unless operating under the proprietor's name or under an Australian company name.

Business Names can not be registered in Victoria if they are likely to be confused with, or mistaken for another business name registered in Victoria, or if they are identical to a registered company name.

You can search the Victorian Names Register using three different search methods. You can also check for exact matches with company names on the National Names Index via our link to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). However, this do-it-yourself search does not guarantee eligibility of any name for registration.

Want to know more about a business you are dealing with?

Businesses operating from premises in Victoria must register a Business Name unless they operate under the name of the proprietor, or under a company name registered with ASIC. You can search here to find out if the name of the business you are dealing with is registered in Victoria.

You can go to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) website to find out more about a company name.

Want to check that the association, cooperative or limited partnership you are dealing with is registered?

Associations, cooperatives and limited partnerships are included on the Victorian Names Register and can be searched here. If more details are needed you can contact CAV at the address below.

Need more details about a business registered in Victoria?

Your search should produce a list of business names. You can then click on a business name to get more details about the business, including nature of business, date registered and trading postcodes.

If you decide you need more information about a business name you can purchase an extract, which also includes current and former addresses of the business and current and former owners. To purchase an extract contact CAV at the address below. To purchase an extract online you can contact one of several Information Brokers.

Consumer Affairs Victoria
113 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone No: 1300 55 8181
Fax No: (03) 8684 6210
Email: consumer@justice.vic.gov.au
URL: http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au
Counter Service: 8.30am to 5:00pm