NY Bus Corp L § 301 (2021)
2021 New York Laws BSC - Business Corporation Article 3 - Corporate Name and Service of Process 301 - Corporate Name; General.

§ 301. Corporate name; general.  (a)  Except  as  otherwise  provided  in  this  chapter, the name of a domestic or foreign corporation:  (1) Shall contain the word "corporation", "incorporated" or "limited", or an abbreviation of one of such words; or, in the case  of  a  foreign corporation, it shall, for use in this state, add at the end of its name one of such words or an abbreviation thereof.  (2)  (i)  Shall  be  such  as  to  distinguish  it  from  the names of corporations of any type or kind, or a fictitious name of an  authorized foreign  corporation filed pursuant to article thirteen of this chapter, as such names appear on the index of  names  of  existing  domestic  and authorized   foreign   corporations  of  any  type  or  kind,  including fictitious names of authorized foreign corporations  filed  pursuant  to article  thirteen  of this chapter, in the department of state, division of corporations, or a name the right to which is reserved.  (ii) Shall be such as to distinguish it from (A) the names of domestic limited liability companies, (B) the names of authorized foreign limited liability companies, (C) the  fictitious  names  of  authorized  foreign limited   liability   companies,  (D)  the  names  of  domestic  limited partnerships, (E) the names of authorized foreign limited  partnerships, or  (F) the fictitious names of authorized foreign limited partnerships, in each case, as such names appear on the index  of  names  of  existing domestic  and  authorized foreign limited liability companies, including fictitious names of authorized foreign limited liability  companies,  in the  department  of state, or on the index of names of existing domestic or authorized foreign limited partnerships, including  fictitious  names of  authorized foreign limited partnerships, in the department of state, or names the rights to which are reserved; provided,  however,  that  no corporation  that  was formed prior to the effective date of this clause and no foreign corporation that was qualified to  do  business  in  this state  prior to such effective date shall be required to change the name or fictitious name it had on such effective date  solely  by  reason  of such  name  or  fictitious name being indistinguishable from the name or fictitious name of any domestic or authorized foreign limited  liability company  or  limited  partnership or from any name the right to which is reserved by or on behalf of any domestic or  foreign  limited  liability company or limited partnership.  (3)  Shall  not  contain  any  word  or phrase, or any abbreviation or derivative thereof, the use of which is prohibited or restricted by  any other  statute of this state, unless in the latter case the restrictions have been complied with.  (4) Shall not contain any word  or  phrase,  or  any  abbreviation  or derivative  thereof,  in  a  context which indicates or implies that the corporation, if domestic, is formed or, if foreign,  is  authorized  for any  purpose  or  is  possessed  in this state of any power other than a purpose for which, or a power with which, the domestic  corporation  may be and is formed or the foreign corporation is authorized.  (5)(A)  Shall  not  contain  any  of  the  following  phrases,  or any abbreviation or derivative thereof:    board of trade         state police        urban development    chamber of commerce    state trooper       urban relocation    community renewal      tenant relocation  (B) Shall not contain any of the following words, or any  abbreviation or derivative thereof:    acceptance             endowment           loan    annuity                fidelity            mortgage    assurance              finance             savings    bank                   guaranty            surety     benefit                indemnity           title    bond                   insurance           trust    casualty               investment          underwriter    doctor                 lawyer unless  the  approval  of  the  superintendent  of financial services is attached  to  the  certificate  of  incorporation,  or  application  for authority or amendment thereof; or that the word "doctor" or "lawyer" or an  abbreviation  or  derivation  thereof  is  used  in  the  name  of a university faculty  practice  corporation  formed  pursuant  to  section fourteen  hundred  twelve  of  the  not-for-profit  corporation law or a professional service corporation formed pursuant to article  fifteen  of this  chapter,  or a foreign professional service corporation authorized to do business in this state  pursuant  to  article  fifteen-A  of  this chapter,  the  members or shareholders of which are composed exclusively of doctors or lawyers, respectively, or are  used  in  a  context  which clearly denotes a purpose other than the practice of law or medicine.  (6) Shall not, unless the approval of the state board of standards and appeals  is attached to the certificate of incorporation, or application for authority or amendment thereof, contain any of the  following  words or  phrases,  or  any abbreviation or derivative thereof:  union, labor, council, industrial  organization,  in  a  context  which  indicates  or implies   that  the  domestic  corporation  is  formed  or  the  foreign corporation authorized as an organization of working  men  or  women  or wage  earners  or  for the performance, rendition or sale of services as labor or management consultant, adviser or specialist, or as  negotiator or arbitrator in labor-management disputes.  (7)  Shall  not, unless the approval of the state department of social services is attached to the certificate of incorporation, or application for  authority  or  amendment  thereof,  contain  the  word  "blind"  or "handicapped". Such approval shall be granted by the state department of social  services, if in its opinion the word "blind" or "handicapped" as used in the corporate name proposed will not tend to mislead or  confuse the  public  into  believing  that  the  corporation  is  organized  for charitable  or  non-profit  purposes  related  to  the  blind   or   the handicapped.  (8)  Shall  not  contain  any words or phrases, or any abbreviation or derivation thereof in a context which will tend to  mislead  the  public into  believing  that the corporation is an agency or instrumentality of the United States or the state of New York or a subdivision  thereof  or is a public corporation.  (9)  Shall  not  contain  any  word  or phrase, or any abbreviation or derivation thereof, which, separately, or in context, shall be  indecent or  obscene,  or  shall  ridicule  or degrade any person, group, belief, business or agency of government, or  indicate  or  imply  any  unlawful activity.  (10)  Shall  not,  unless  the  approval  of  the  attorney general is attached  to  the  certificate  of  incorporation,  or  application  for authority  or  amendment  thereof,  contain  the  word "exchange" or any abbreviation or derivative thereof. Such approval shall not  be  granted by  the  attorney  general,  if  in  his  opinion  the  use  of the word "exchange" in the proposed corporate name would falsely imply  that  the corporation  conducts  its business at a place where trade is carried on in securities or commodities by brokers, dealers, or merchants.  (11) Shall not, unless the consent of the commissioner of education is endorsed on or annexed to the certificate of incorporation, contain  the words  "school;" "education;" "elementary;" "secondary;" "kindergarten;" "prekindergarten;" "preschool;" "nursery school;"  "museum;"  "history;" "historical;"  "historical  society;" "arboretum;" "library;" "college;"  "university" or other term restricted by section two hundred twenty-four of the education law; "conservatory," "academy," or "institute," or  any abbreviation  or  derivative  of  such  terms. Such consent shall not be granted  by  the  commissioner  of  education,  if in the commissioner's opinion, the use of such terms  in  the  corporate  name  is  likely  to mislead  or  confuse  the  public into believing that the corporation is organized  for  non-profit  educational  purposes  or  for   educational business  purposes  that are not specified in the corporate purposes and powers contained in its certificate of incorporation.