(a) (1) The purpose of this section is to protect those dealing with individuals or partnerships doing business under fictitious names, and it is not intended to confer any right or advantage on individuals or firms that fail to comply with the law. The filing of a fictitious business name certificate is designed to make available to the public the identities of persons doing business under the fictitious name.
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impair or impede the rebuttable presumption described in Section 14411.
(b) As used in this chapter, “fictitious business name” means:
(1) In the case of an individual, a name that does not include the surname of the individual or a name that suggests the existence of additional owners, as described in subdivision (c).
(2) In the case of a partnership or other association of persons, other than a limited partnership that has filed a certificate of limited partnership with the California Secretary of State pursuant to Section 15902.01 of the Corporations Code, a foreign limited partnership that has filed an application for registration with the California Secretary of State pursuant to Section 15909.02 of the Corporations Code, a registered limited liability partnership that has filed a registration pursuant to Section 16953 of the Corporations Code, or a foreign limited liability partnership that has filed an application for registration pursuant to Section 16959 of the Corporations Code, a name that does not include the surname of each general partner or a name that suggests the existence of additional owners, as described in subdivision (c) and in Section 17901.
(3) In the case of a domestic or foreign corporation, any name other than the corporate name stated in its articles of incorporation filed with the California Secretary of State, in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17910.5.
(4) In the case of a limited partnership that has filed a certificate of limited partnership with the California Secretary of State pursuant to Section 15902.01 of the Corporations Code and in the case of a foreign limited partnership that has filed an application for registration with the California Secretary of State pursuant to Section 15902.02 of the Corporations Code, any name other than the name of the limited partnership as on file with the California Secretary of State.
(5) In the case of a limited liability company, any name other than the name stated in its articles of organization and in the case of a foreign limited liability company that has filed an application for registration with the California Secretary of State pursuant to Section 17708.02 of the Corporations Code, any name other than the name of the limited liability company as on file with the California Secretary of State, in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 17910.5.
(c) A name that suggests the existence of additional owners within the meaning of subdivision (b) is one that includes such words as “Company,” “& Company,” “& Son,” “& Sons,” “& Associates,” “Brothers,” and the like, but not words that merely describe the business being conducted.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 419, Sec. 2. (SB 323) Effective January 1, 2013. Operative January 1, 2014, by Sec. 32 of Ch. 419.)