Is it Legal to Use a City Name as a Business Name?

Introduction

A small business owner may want to use a city name in the title of his or her company. For example, you might want to call your new ice cream shop “Blueberry Hill Ice Cream Parlor,” after the famous St. Louis landmark. But can you do this? Are there any legal issues that would prevent you from doing so? The answer is yes—there are many legal reasons why it isn’t possible for most businesses to just pick any city name and use it as part of their company’s name or branding.

You need to get Permission

Most of the time, a small business owner can’t just use a city name in the title of the business without getting permission.

You’ll need to get permission from both your state government and your local government. The reason for this is that while states have jurisdiction over names at a statewide level, cities have their own jurisdiction over trademarks within their borders.

If you’re not sure whether or not you can use a city’s name in your business title, contact an attorney who specializes in trademark law. He or she will be able to tell you whether or not it’s legal and if so, how to go about doing it correctly.

Sell Licenses or Franchises

In most cases, city governments want to be able to sell licenses or franchises for the rights to use their names. This is because they want to be able to make money from the sale of these licenses. In some cases, this can raise revenue for a city government and help it fund local services.

In addition, local governments may also have concerns about protecting their brand identity or preventing someone else from using a similar name. They might also want control over how businesses are using their trademarks and logos, which could be at risk if someone else gets a license without permission.

The City Government may cite Regulations that Prohibit it

When you try to use a city name in your business title, the city government may cite regulations that prohibit it. The city government may have a trademark on the name and want to protect it. The city government may also have a franchise agreement with another company that sells products or services under their name. Some cities don’t want their image associated with certain types of businesses, so they may try and stop anyone from using their name in a business title if they think it will tarnish the image of the city.

Exclusive Rights of the Local Government

You cannot just use a city name as part of your company’s name if you are selling products or services that the state or local government has exclusive rights to sell. For example, in Kentucky, it is illegal to use Lexington or Louisville as part of your business because they are the names of cities within the state and those cities have exclusive rights over all businesses that operate within their boundaries.

In other states like Indiana, however, there is no such law in place for businesses using Indianapolis as part of their company name—and this has led to some confusion among entrepreneurs trying to figure out if they can legally register their new business under such an umbrella. To be sure about what kind of restrictions apply to you when choosing a company name and how best to navigate them (if at all), we recommend speaking directly with someone from your state’s department of commerce before making any final decisions about registering your business with them.

Takeaway

There are many legal reasons why you can’t just use any city name as part of your business’s name. For example, if your state or local government has exclusive rights to sell products or services that match the name of the city, you cannot use that name without permission from them.

There are also many other legal reasons why you should not use a city’s or town’s name as part of your company’s name, such as:

• It may lead people to believe that there is some kind of affiliation between your company and the city or town.
• A trademark can be registered only if there is proof provided that no one else has already done so before (and therefore owns rights over).

Conclusion

In short, you can’t simply use any city name as part of your business’s name. But there are many exceptions and ways to get permission from the state or local government. You should check with them before trying to use a city name in your business’s title. If you just want to start a business and it is not related to any of these issues, then you will need their permission as well.