{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-14a.3-010","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 14A.3-010","heading":"Entity name.","body":"(1) Except as authorized by subsection (24) of this section, the real name  of an\nentity or foreign entity shall be distinguishable from any name of record with the\nSecretary of State.\n(2) The real name of a corporation or nonprofit corporation:\n(a) 1. Shall end with the word \"corporation,\" \"company,\" or \"limited\" or the\nabbreviation \"Corp.,\" \"Inc.,\" \"Co.,\" or \"Ltd.\" or words or abbreviations\nof like import in another language, provided, however, that if a\nnonprofit corporation's name  includes the word \"company\" or the\nabbreviation \"Co.,\" it may not be immediately preceded by the word\n\"and\" or the abbreviation \"\u0026\";\n2. If a professional service corporation, shall end with the words\n\"professional service corporation\" or the abbreviation \"P.S.C.\"; or\n3. If a public benefit corporation, shall end with the words \"public\nbenefit corporation\" or \"benefit corporation\" or the abbreviation\n\"P.B.C.\" or \"PBC\"; and\n(b) Shall not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is\norganized for a purpose other than that permitted by its organic act and its\narticles of incorporation.\n(3) The real name of a limited liability company shall end with the phrase \"limited\nliability company\"  or \"limited company\"  or the abbreviation \"LLC\" or \"LC,\"\nprovided, however, if the company  is a professional limited liability company\nthe name  shall end with the phrase \"professional limited liability company\" or\n\"professional limited company\" or the abbreviation \"PLLC\" or \"PLC.\" In the\nname  of either a limited liability company  or a professional limited liability\ncompany,  the word \"limited\" may  be abbreviated as \"Ltd.\" and the word\n\"Company\"  may be abbreviated as \"Co.\"\n(4) The  real name  of a limited liability partnership registered pursuant to KRS\n362.555 shall contain the phrase \"Registered Limited Liability Partnership\" or\nthe abbreviation \"LLP\" as the last words or letters of its name.\n(5) The  real name  of a partnership subject to KRS  362.1-101 to 362.1-975, the\n\"Kentucky Revised Uniform Partnership Act (2006)\":\n(a) Shall not contain the word  \"corporation\" or \"incorporated\" or the\nabbreviation \"Corp.\" or \"Inc.\"; and\n(b) May  contain the word \"limited\" or the abbreviation \"Ltd.\" only if the\npartnership has filed a statement of qualification.\n(6) The  real name  of a limited liability partnership that has filed a statement of\nqualification pursuant to KRS  362.1-931 shall end with the phrase \"Registered\nLimited Liability Partnership\" or  \"Limited Liability Partnership\" or  the\nabbreviation \"R.L.L.P.,\" \"L.L.P.,\" \"RLLP,\" or \"LLP.\"\n(7) The real name of a limited partnership subject to KRS  362.401 to 362.525, the\n\"Kentucky Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act,\" shall:\n(a) Contain the word \"Limited\" or the abbreviation \"Ltd.\" unless the limited\npartnership was formed under any statute of the Commonwealth  prior to\nthe adoption of the Kentucky Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act;\nand\n(b) Not contain the name of a limited partner unless:\n1. That name is also the name of a general partner; or\n2. The  business of the limited partnership had been carried on under\nthat name before the admission of that limited partner.\n(8) The real name of a limited partnership subject to KRS  362.2-102 to 362.2-977,\nthe \"Kentucky Uniform Limited Partnership Act (2006),\" that is not a limited\nliability limited partnership may contain the name of any partner and shall:\n(a) End  with the phrase \"limited partnership\" or \"limited\" or the abbreviation\n\"L.P.,\" \"LP,\" or \"Ltd.\"; and\n(b) Not  contain the phrase \"limited liability limited partnership\" or the\nabbreviation \"L.L.L.P.\" or \"LLLP.\"\n(9) The real name of a limited partnership subject to KRS  362.2-102 to 362.2-977,\nthe \"Kentucky Uniform Limited Partnership Act (2006),\" that is a limited liability\nlimited partnership may contain the name of any partner and shall:\n(a) End  with the phrase  \"limited liability limited partnership\" or the\nabbreviation \"L.L.L.P.\" or \"LLLP\"; and\n(b) Not contain only the phrase \"limited partnership\" or the abbreviation \"L.P.\"\nor \"LP.\"\n(10) Subject to KRS  362.2-974, subsections (8) and (9) of this section shall not\napply to a limited partnership formed under any statute of this Commonwealth\nprior to July 15, 1988.\n(11) The real name of a rural telephone cooperative corporation:\n(a) Shall contain the word \"Telephone,\" \"Telecommunications,\" \"Company,\"\nor \"Corporation\" and the abbreviation \"Inc.,\" unless in an affidavit made\nby its president or vice president, and filed with the Secretary of State, or\nin an affidavit made  by a person signing articles of incorporation,\nconsolidation, merger, or conversion which relate to that cooperative, and\nfiled, together with any such articles, with the Secretary of State, it shall\nappear that the cooperative desires to do business in another state and is\nor would be precluded there from by reason of the inclusion of such words\nor either thereof in its name; and\n(b) May  include the word \"Cooperative.\"\n(12) The phrase \"Rural Electric Cooperative\" may not be used in the name  of any\nentity or foreign entity except for one formed under KRS Chapter 279.\n(13) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the word \"cooperative\" may not\nbe used in the name of any entity doing business in this Commonwealth.\n(14) The name of a limited cooperative association shall end with the words \"limited\ncooperative association\" or \"limited cooperative\" or the abbreviation \"L.C.A.\" or\n\"LCA.\"  \"Limited\" may  be  abbreviated as  \"Ltd.,\" \"Cooperative\" may  be\nabbreviated as \"Co-op\" or \"Coop,\" and \"Association\" may be abbreviated as\n\"Assoc.\" or \"Assn.\"\n(15) There are no required identifiers for a business trust or a statutory trust, but the\nname  of a business or statutory trust may include \"Limited\" or \"Ltd.\" and may\nnot include any of \"incorporated,\" \"corporation,\" \"Inc.,\" \"Corp.,\" \"partnership,\" or\n\"cooperative.\"\n(16) The  real name  of an unincorporated nonprofit association that has filed a\ncertificate of association with the Secretary of State shall end with \"Limited\" or\n\"Ltd.,\" and the real name  of an unincorporated nonprofit association that has\nnot filed a certificate of association with the Secretary of State shall not include\n\"Limited\" or \"Ltd.\" No unincorporated nonprofit association shall include in its\nname  any  of \"incorporated,\" \"corporation,\" \"Inc.,\" \"Corp.,\" \"company,\"\n\"partnership,\" \"benefit,\" or \"cooperative.\"\n(17) This chapter does not control the use of assumed names.\n(18) The  filing of articles of incorporation, articles of organization, articles of\nassociation, a statement of qualification, a certificate of limited partnership, a\ndeclaration or certificate of trust, a certificate of association, an application to\ntransact authority in the Commonwealth,  a statement of foreign qualification, a\nname  registration, or name  reservation under a particular name  shall not\nautomatically prevent the use of that name  or protect that name  from use by\nother persons.\n(19) The  provisions of subsection (2)(a) of this section shall not affect the right of\nany nonprofit corporation existing on June 13, 1968, to continue the use of its\nname  as then in effect.\n(20) The assumption of a nonprofit corporate name in violation of this section shall\nnot  affect or vitiate the corporate existence, but the courts of this\nCommonwealth  having equity jurisdiction may, upon the application of the\nCommonwealth  or of any person interested or affected, enjoin such corporation\nfrom doing business under a name  assumed  in violation of this section,\nalthough a certificate of incorporation may have been issued.\n(21) This section shall not apply to any domestic or foreign telephone cooperative\nwhich became  subject to KRS  279.310 to 279.600 by complying with the\nprovisions of KRS  279.470 or which does business in this Commonwealth\npursuant to KRS  279.570 and which elects to retain a name  which does not\ncomply with this section.\n(22) Nothing in this section shall limit the ability of a professional regulatory board to\npromulgate rules governing entities and foreign entities under its jurisdiction.\n(23) The real name of a foreign entity will be determined according to KRS 365.015.\nFor entities not covered by that statute, the real name of the foreign entity will\nbe  the real name  of the entity as so recognized in the jurisdiction of its\norigination.\n(24) The real name of a partnership, other than that of a limited liability partnership\nas set forth on a statement of qualification or a registration as a limited liability\npartnership filed pursuant to KRS  362.555 or that of a foreign limited liability\npartnership as set forth on a statement of foreign qualification, need not be\ndistinguishable from any name of record with the Secretary of State.","path":[],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=45775","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:32Z","sha256":"1b8739d616eeebbb8e95ccd26a44cf903e96f543ad73f491f040186df8992366","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-14a.2-165","next":"us-ky/krs-14a.3-020"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}