The corporate name:

     (1) Shall not contain any word or phrase which indicates or implies that it is organized for any purpose other than one or more of the purposes contained in its articles of incorporation.

     (2)(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection, must be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from:

     (i) The corporate name or reserved name of a corporation or domestic corporation organized or authorized to transact business under this chapter;

     (ii) A corporate name reserved or registered under chapter 23B.04 RCW;

     (iii) The fictitious name adopted under RCW 23B.15.060 by a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state because its real name is unavailable;

     (iv) The name or reserved name of a mutual corporation or miscellaneous corporation incorporated or authorized to do business under chapter 24.06 RCW;

     (v) The name or reserved name of a foreign or domestic limited partnership formed or registered under chapter 25.10 RCW;

     (vi) The name or reserved name of a limited liability company organized or registered under chapter 25.15 RCW; and

     (vii) The name or reserved name of a limited liability partnership registered under chapter 25.04 RCW.

     (b) A corporation may apply to the secretary of state for authorization to use a name that is not distinguishable upon the records from one or more of the names described in (a) of this subsection. The secretary of state shall authorize use of the name applied for if:

     (i) The other corporation, company, holder, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership consents to the use in the form of a record and files with the secretary of state records necessary to change its name or the name reserved or registered to a name that is distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from the name of the applying corporation; or

     (ii) The applicant delivers to the secretary of state a certified copy of the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction establishing the applicant's right to use the name applied for in this state.

     (c) A corporation may use the name, including the fictitious name, of another domestic or foreign corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership, that is used in this state if the other entity is formed or authorized to transact business in this state, and the proposed user corporation:

     (i) Has merged with the other corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership; or

     (ii) Has been formed by reorganization of the other corporation.

     (3) Shall be transliterated into letters of the English alphabet, if it is not in English.

     (4) Shall not include or end with "incorporated," "company," "corporation," "partnership," "limited partnership," or "Ltd.," or any abbreviation thereof, but may use "club," "league," "association," "services," "committee," "fund," "society," "foundation," ". . . . . ., a nonprofit corporation," or any name of like import.

     (5) May only include the term "public benefit" or names of like import if the corporation has been designated as a public benefit nonprofit corporation by the secretary in accordance with this chapter.

     (6) A name shall not be considered distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state by virtue of:

     (a) A variation in any of the following designations for the same name: "Corporation," "incorporated," "company," "limited," "partnership," "limited partnership," "limited liability company," or "limited liability partnership," or the abbreviations "corp.," "inc.," "co.," "ltd.," "LP," "L.P.," "LLP," "L.L.P.," "LLC," or "L.L.C.";

     (b) The addition or deletion of an article or conjunction such as "the" or "and" from the same name;

     (c) Punctuation, capitalization, or special characters or symbols in the same name; or

     (d) Use of abbreviation or the plural form of a word in the same name.

     (7) This title does not control the use of assumed business names or "trade names."

[2004 c 265 § 7; 1998 c 102 § 3; 1994 c 211 § 1305; 1989 c 291 § 10; 1987 c 55 § 39; 1986 c 240 § 6; 1982 c 35 § 76; 1967 c 235 § 10.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- Severability -- 1994 c 211: See RCW 25.15.900 and 25.15.902.

     Finding -- Severability -- 1989 c 291: See notes following RCW 24.03.490.

     Intent -- Severability -- Effective dates -- Application -- 1982 c 35: See notes following RCW 43.07.160.

Corporate name of foreign corporation: RCW 24.03.315.