N.Y. LLC Law § 204 — New York Code / Act LLC / Article 2 / Section 204
Limited liability company name
Status: in_force

§ 204. Limited liability company name. The name of each limited\nliability company as set forth in its articles of organization:\n  (a) shall contain without abbreviation the words "Limited Liability\nCompany" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC";\n  (b) (1) shall be such as to distinguish it from the name of (i) any\ndomestic limited liability company, (ii) any authorized foreign limited\nliability company or (iii) a fictitious name of an authorized foreign\nlimited liability company filed pursuant to section eight hundred two of\nthis chapter, in each case, as such names appear on the index of names\nof existing domestic and authorized foreign limited liability companies\nof any type or kind, including fictitious names of authorized foreign\nlimited liability companies filed pursuant to section eight hundred two\nof this chapter, in the department of state, or names the right to which\nare reserved;\n  (2) shall be such as to distinguish it from (i) the names of domestic\nbusiness corporations, domestic not-for-profit corporations and other\ndomestic corporations of any type or kind that are formed by a filing in\nthe department of state, (ii) the names of authorized foreign business\ncorporations, authorized foreign not-for-profit corporations and other\nauthorized foreign corporations of any type or kind that are authorized\nto do business or conduct activities in this state by reason of a filing\nin the department of state, (iii) the fictitious names of authorized\nforeign business corporations, authorized foreign not-for-profit\ncorporations and other authorized foreign corporations of any type or\nkind that are authorized to do business or conduct activities in this\nstate by reason of a filing in the department of state, (iv) the names\nof domestic limited partnerships, (v) the names of authorized foreign\nlimited partnerships, or (vi) the fictitious names of authorized foreign\nlimited partnerships, in each case, as such names appear on the index of\nnames of existing domestic and authorized foreign corporations of any\ntype or kind, including fictitious names of authorized foreign\ncorporations of any type or kind, in the department of state, or on the\nindex of names of existing domestic or authorized foreign limited\npartnerships, including fictitious names of authorized foreign limited\npartnerships, in the department of state, or names the rights to which\nare reserved; provided, however, that no limited liability company that\nwas formed prior to the effective date of this paragraph and no foreign\nlimited liability company that was qualified to do business in this\nstate prior to such effective date shall be required to change the name\nor fictitious name it had on such effective date solely by reason of\nsuch name or fictitious name being indistinguishable from the name or\nfictitious name of any domestic or authorized foreign corporation or\nlimited partnership or from any name the right to which is reserved by\nor on behalf of any domestic or foreign corporation or limited\npartnership;\n  (c) shall, unless the limited liability company or foreign limited\nliability company shall have complied with the provisions of section one\nhundred thirty of the general business law, be the name used by the\nlimited liability company in its conduct of business;\n  (d) shall not contain any word or phrase, or any abbreviation or\nderivative thereof, the use of which is prohibited or restricted by any\nother statute of this state, unless in the latter case the restrictions\nhave been complied with;\n  (e) shall not contain the following phrases or any abbreviation or\nderivative thereof:\n            board of trade                state police\n            chamber of commerce           state trooper\n            community renewal             tenant relocation\n            corporation                   urban development\n            incorporated                  urban relocation\n            partnership\n  (f) shall not contain the following words, or any abbreviation or\nderivative thereof:\n            acceptance                    guaranty\n            annuity                       indemnity\n            assurance                     insurance\n            attorney                      investment\n            bank                          lawyer\n            benefit                       loan\n            bond                          mortgage\n            casualty                      savings\n            doctor                        surety\n            endowment                     title\n            fidelity                      trust\n            finance                       underwriter\nunless  the  approval  of  the  superintendent  of financial services is\nattached to the articles of organization or unless the word "doctor"  or\n"lawyer"  or  an abbreviation or derivative thereof is used in a context\nthat clearly denotes a  purpose  other  than  the  practice  of  law  or\nmedicine;\n  (g) shall not, unless the approval of the state department of social\nservices is attached to the articles of organization or application for\nauthority, contain the word "blind" or "handicapped." Such approval\nshall be granted by the state department of social services if in its\nopinion the word "blind" or "handicapped" as used in the limited\nliability company's proposed name will not tend to mislead or confuse\nthe public into believing that the limited liability company is\norganized for charitable or nonprofit purposes related to the blind or\nthe handicapped; and\n  (h) shall not, unless the approval of the attorney general is attached\nto the articles of organization or application for authority, contain\nthe word "exchange" or any abbreviation or derivative thereof. Such\napproval shall not be granted by the attorney general if in his or her\nopinion the use of the word "exchange" in the limited liability\ncompany's proposed name would falsely imply that the limited liability\ncompany conducts its business at a place where trade is carried on in\nsecurities or commodities by brokers, dealers or merchants.\n  (i) shall not contain the following terms: "school," "education,"\n"elementary," "secondary," "kindergarten," "prekindergarten,"\n"preschool," "nursery school," "museum," "history," "historical,"\n"historical society," "arboretum," "library," "college," "university" or\nother term restricted by section two hundred twenty-four of the\neducation law; "conservatory," "academy," or "institute" or any\nabbreviation or derivative of such terms, shall have endorsed thereon or\nannexed thereto the consent of the commissioner of education.\n