Cooperative Business Name Request
In 2017, the Indiana General Assembly passed SEA 90 which required the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) to regulate the use of the terms “cooperative” and “co-op” or any derivative thereof to ensure the use of the word would not create a substantial likelihood of misleading the public by implying that the business is a cooperative entity. (IC 23-15-12-3).
In order to issue a letter of approval for your business name, ISDA will need to see that the business is either organized as a cooperative or make the determination that using the term would not mislead the public. Businesses seeking approval must send documents that demonstrate either of these scenarios. Documents that will aid in making a determination would be by-laws, articles of incorporation, etc.
Additionally, if your use of the word “coop” is not meant to be interpreted as use of the word cooperative or “co-op”, please let ISDA know and provide a brief sentence describing your business and reason for use of the term.
Cooperative requests can be submitted online using the following form: Cooperative Business Name Request