You can change the name on your business bank account, but the bank is the last stop, not the first. Before the account can be updated, you need a certified name change on file with your state, notice to the IRS, and internal authorization from your company’s owners or directors. With those in hand, most banks will process the update in a single in-person appointment, and the full sequence from state filing to bank confirmation usually runs two to four weeks.
Legal Name Change or DBA
Figure out which one you’re actually doing before you call the bank. A legal name is what your corporation, LLC, or partnership registered with the Secretary of State when it was formed. Changing it means amending your formation documents and updating nearly every government record tied to the business.
A trade name, or “Doing Business As,” is a public-facing brand layered on top of the existing entity. You might be Smith Holdings LLC on paper and run a coffee shop called Daily Grind. Adding or changing a DBA doesn’t change the underlying entity, the EIN, or the formation documents, and banks handle DBA updates with lighter paperwork: usually a copy of the new DBA registration and a short form. The rest of this article covers legal name changes, which are the heavier process.
File the Amendment With Your State
Start at the Secretary of State in the state where your business is registered. You submit a short amendment form, often called Articles of Amendment or a Certificate of Amendment, that identifies the old name, the new name, and the authorizing vote or consent from the owners or directors. The state then issues a certified copy replacing the old entity name in its records.
Filing fees vary. Some states charge as little as $25; others run several hundred. Expedited processing is available in most states for an extra fee. Order at least two certified copies, because your bank will want one and you’ll likely need another for the IRS or other agencies. Make sure the new name on the amendment matches, exactly, what you want on the bank account, down to punctuation and abbreviations. A mismatch between the state filing and the bank request is one of the most common reasons these updates get stuck.
Notify the IRS
How you tell the IRS depends on your entity type. Corporations check the name-change box on the next annual return: Box 3 on Line E of Form 1120, or Box 2 on Line H of Form 1120-S. Partnerships do the same on Form 1065, Box 3 on Line G. If you’ve already filed for the year, write to the IRS service center where you filed, signed by an authorized person — a corporate officer for corporations, a partner for partnerships, or the owner for sole proprietorships.1Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
One point of confusion worth clearing up: Form 8822-B is for changes of business address, location, or responsible party. It has a name field, but the IRS’s own guidance for name changes points to the tax return checkbox or a written letter instead.2Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party
Your EIN Stays the Same
Changing the business name does not require a new Employer Identification Number. The IRS is explicit: corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and sole proprietors can all change names without affecting the EIN.3Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN The existing EIN gets associated with the new name once the IRS is notified.
A new EIN is only required when you change the business structure, such as incorporating a sole proprietorship, converting a partnership to a corporation, or merging into a new entity. If someone at the bank tells you a name change triggers a new EIN, push back with the IRS’s own guidance. Getting an unnecessary EIN splits your tax history, complicates payroll filings, and causes mismatches on W-2s and 1099s.3Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
What to Bring to the Bank
Checklists vary by institution, but the core packet is consistent across commercial banks:
- Certified Articles of Amendment. The official state-filed document with the state seal, not a printout from a website.
- Corporate resolution or meeting minutes. A signed record from the board of directors (corporations) or managing members (LLCs) authorizing the name change on financial accounts and naming who can execute the change at the bank.
- Government-issued ID for every authorized signer who will appear at the bank.
- EIN confirmation. Your original EIN assignment letter (IRS Letter CP 575) or a recent tax return showing the EIN. Some compliance officers want an updated IRS confirmation letter reflecting the new name, which you can request by writing to the IRS or calling the Business and Specialty Tax Line.
Have the corporate resolution ready. Banks look for it because it shows the name change was formally approved by the company’s leadership, not just one person’s initiative. Without it, expect to be sent home to get one.
At the Bank
Most banks require an in-person appointment with a business banker for a legal name change. The bank needs to verify the identity of authorized signers and inspect original or certified documents. Some larger institutions accept uploads through a secure portal, but physical verification remains standard for commercial accounts, especially those with lending relationships or heavy transaction volume.
During the appointment, authorized signers complete new signature cards. The bank then updates the account across its systems, which typically takes three to seven business days. You’ll get a confirmation letter or an alert in online banking when it’s done. Don’t assume the change is active before that confirmation; transactions started during the processing window can get flagged when the old and new names conflict in the system.
Checks Still Made Out to the Old Name
After the account is updated, you’ll keep receiving checks from clients, vendors, and government agencies with the old business name on them. Banks handle this inconsistently, so ask your banker about their specific policy during the appointment.
Many banks accept checks made out to a former name if the name change is documented in their system. A common workaround is endorsing the back of the check with both the old and the new name. Some banks keep a “formerly known as” notation on the account for a transition period so tellers can process these deposits without raising fraud flags. The safest move is to notify anyone who regularly pays you — clients, insurance companies, government agencies — well before the change takes effect, and to follow up with anyone still using the old name afterward.
What to Update Right After the Bank Confirms
The bank account is one stop on a longer list, and the follow-up items are where name changes quietly fall apart months later. Order new checks and debit cards the day the bank confirms the update; checks with the old name can be rejected by vendors, and card transactions can fail when the name doesn’t match merchant verification.
Send updated ACH instructions to every client or vendor who pays you electronically, because if an incoming transfer doesn’t match the account record, the bank may return the funds. The same applies to wire transfers. Update your merchant account or payment processor (Stripe, Square, PayPal, and the like) with the new legal name so settlement deposits keep flowing. These updates are usually self-service, but allow a few business days to propagate to the card networks.
Beyond banking, work through:
- Business licenses and permits. Local business licenses, professional permits, health department permits, and industry-specific registrations tied to the old name all need amending. Most agencies want a copy of the Articles of Amendment.
- Business credit bureaus. Dun and Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business maintain records under the business name. If they aren’t updated, credit history may not follow the new name, which affects loan applications and vendor credit terms.
- Insurance policies. General liability, professional liability, property, and workers’ compensation all need to reflect the current legal name. A claim filed under a name that doesn’t match the policy can be denied.
- Existing loans and credit lines. Send each lender the certified Articles of Amendment and updated tax documentation so the name on the loan documents matches your current legal name.
- Payroll and employment tax filings. The IRS wants notice of the name change right away, and the next Forms 941, 940, or 944, along with year-end W-2s and the W-3, should carry the new name. 1099-NEC forms for the year should also use the new name.4Internal Revenue Service. Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employers Tax Guide
- Major contracts and vendor agreements. Some need formal amendments; at minimum, send written notice to the other party.
Work through this list in the first two weeks after the bank confirms the change. The goal is consistency across state records, IRS records, bank account, payroll, and vendor files by year-end, so audits, renewals, and credit applications later don’t surface a mismatch you forgot about.