§ 55D-20. Name requirements.
Article 3.
Names.
§ 55D‑20. Namerequirements.
(a) In addition to therequirements of any other applicable section of the General Statutes:
(1) The name of acorporation must contain the word "corporation","incorporated", "company", or "limited", or the abbreviation"corp.", "inc.", "co.", or "ltd.".
(2) The name of alimited liability company must contain the words "limited liabilitycompany" or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC", or thecombination "ltd. liability co.", "limited liability co.",or "ltd. liability company".
(3) The name of alimited partnership that is not a limited liability limited partnership mustcontain the words "limited partnership", the abbreviation"L.P." or "LP", or the combination "ltd.partnership".
(4) The name of alimited liability limited partnership must contain the words "registeredlimited liability limited partnership" or "limited liability limitedpartnership" or the abbreviation "L.L.L.P.","R.L.L.L.P.", "LLLP", or "RLLLP".
(5) A registered limitedliability partnership's name must contain the words "registered limitedliability partnership" or "limited liability partnership" or theabbreviation "L.L.P.", "R.L.L.P.", "LLP" or"RLLP".
(b) In addition to therequirements of subsection (a) of this section, the name of a limitedpartnership shall not contain the name of a limited partner unless (i) it isalso the name of a general partner or the corporate name of a corporate generalpartner, or (ii) the business of the limited partnership has been carried onunder that name before the admission of that limited partner.
(c) The name of acorporation, nonprofit corporation, or limited liability company shall notcontain language stating or implying that the entity is organized for a purposeother than that permitted by G.S. 55‑3‑01, 55A‑3‑01, or57C‑2‑01 and by its articles of incorporation or organization.
(d) The use of assumednames or fictitious names, as provided for in Chapter 66, is not affected bythis Chapter or by Chapter 55, 55A, 57C, or 59 of the General Statutes.
(e) The filing of anydocument, the reservation or registration of any name under this Chapter orunder Chapter 55, 55A, 55B, 57C, or 59 of the General Statutes, or the issuanceof a certificate of authority to transact business or conduct affairs or a statementof foreign registration does not authorize the use in this State of a name inviolation of the rights of any third party under the federal trademark act, thetrademark act of this State, or other statutory or common law, and is not adefense to an action for violation of any of those rights. (1901, c. 2, s. 8; 1903, c.453; Rev., s. 1137; 1913, c. 5, s. 1; C.S., s. 1114; 1935, cc. 166, 320; 1939,c. 222; G.S., s. 55‑2; 1955, c. 1371, s. 1; 1959, c. 1316, s. 28; 1969,c. 751, ss. 4‑6; 1973, c. 469, s. 45.3; 1989, c. 265, s. 1; 1989 (Reg.Sess., 1990), c. 1024, s. 12.5; 1995, c. 539, ss. 4, 5; 2001‑358, ss.14(a), 15; 2001‑387, ss. 162, 173, 175(a); 2001‑413, s. 6.)