How to cancel a DTI business name registration

The four reasons DTI accepts

The BNRS FAQ lists these grounds for an owner's request:^[1]

• Your business stopped operating before the registration's expiry date
• You sold or transferred the business to another person
• You concluded that someone else is the prior owner and lawful user of an identical or confusingly similar name
• You moved the business to a location outside the registered name's territorial scope

Where and how to apply

Cancellation of a registered name is done at a selected DTI office, not fully online. DTI asks you to call your DTI regional or provincial office first to find the nearest DTI office or Negosyo Center that offers the service. BNRS also links a step-by-step video on cancelling a registration.^[1]

Bring your certificate, your Reference Code and a valid ID. Ask the office which form and fee apply before you go, since the FAQ does not list them for cancellation.

Cancelling a name you reserved but did not pay for

If you started a registration and want to drop it before paying, you can do it online. Open Transaction Inquiry, enter the Reference Code, click the business name, scroll down and click Cancel Transaction. This cancels the reserved name and the reference code.^[1]

If you simply do nothing, an unpaid application is treated as abandoned and nullified after seven calendar days.^[2]

When DTI cancels a name on its own

DTI may cancel a registration after notice and hearing for violations listed in DAO 18-07, on a final order of an administrative body or court, when it receives notice that your business permit or license was cancelled by a regulator, or when a refugee or stateless owner's recognized status ends. DTI can also cancel a name that was not renewed within the grace period, or on the death of the owner.^[1]

For a death, a relative informs DTI by signing the Other BN-Related Application Form and submitting a clear certified copy of the death certificate and the relative's own valid ID.^[1]

Selling the business or changing owners

A business name registration cannot be transferred. If you sell your sari-sari store or carinderia and the buyer wants to keep the name, you cancel your registration and the buyer applies for a new one under their own name.^[1]

Agree with the buyer on timing, since the name may be registered by anyone once you cancel. Many buyers prefer that the cancellation and the new filing happen on the same day.

DTI cancellation is only one part of closing

Cancelling the name does not close your business with the city or BIR. You still retire your mayor's permit and update your BIR registration. See closing a business, BIR Form 1905 and closing instead of renewing.

Questions people ask

Can I cancel my DTI business name online?

Only a reserved, unpaid name can be cancelled online through Transaction Inquiry. A registered name is cancelled at a selected DTI office.

What if I just let my DTI registration expire?

If it is not renewed within the grace period, DTI cancels it and the name becomes available to others. That does not close your city or BIR registrations.

Can I transfer my DTI business name to my child?

No. DTI does not allow transfer of ownership. The registration must be cancelled and your child applies for a new one.

Is there a fee to cancel?

The BNRS FAQ does not publish a cancellation fee. Ask the DTI office before you go.