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The short answer
No. A CAC business name certificate has no expiry date, but section 822 of CAMA 2020 requires an annual return by 30 June every year after the year of registration, and CAC can remove a business name it believes has stopped trading (section 819). Under the 29 May 2025 fee schedule each return costs ₦5,000, late filing adds penalties, and relisting a removed name costs ₦25,000.
No expiry date, but not permanent either
Nothing in Part E of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA), which governs business names, gives a registration a fixed life. Once CAC enters the name and issues the certificate (sections 816 and 817), the registration stands until it is removed. People who say a business name "expires", or ask about "renewing" a CAC certificate, usually mean one of two things: the name reservation has lapsed before registration, or the business has fallen behind on annual returns and is at risk of removal.
Name reservation does expire
A reservation is different. Section 31(2) caps a name reservation at 60 days. If you reserved a name and did not complete registration in time, you need to reserve again (₦1,000 under the 2025 schedule) and the name may have gone to someone else.
What keeps a business name active
Section 822 sets the yearly duty:
- Every business name files a return with CAC not later than 30 June each year, except in the calendar year it was registered.
- The return goes with a financial statement for the preceding 1 January to 31 December.
- It is signed by the proprietor, or by each partner who is an individual; a corporate owner signs through a director and secretary.
- Failure attracts a penalty and a daily default penalty set in CAC's regulations.
Changes in particulars, such as a new address or partner, must also be notified within 28 days (section 818). Returns and change notices are separate duties: filing one does not cover the other, and both show on the record a bank or partner sees. An up-to-date record is what banks and partners see when they pull a status report.
What lapsing costs
Figures from CAC's New Schedule of Fees, Official Gazette of 29 May 2025, as at October 2026. The portal works out the total for your record at payment.
| Item | Business name fee |
|---|---|
| Annual return (each year) | ₦5,000 |
| Late annual return penalty (one-off) | ₦5,000 |
| Daily default penalty (other penalties table) | ₦100 |
| Other one-off penalty (other penalties table) | ₦5,000 |
| Relisting after removal | ₦25,000 |
| Status report | ₦5,000 |
Worked example (illustrative only): a business name registered in 2023 that never filed would owe returns for 2024, 2025 and 2026: 3 × ₦5,000 = ₦15,000 in return fees, before any late penalties the portal assesses. If CAC had removed the name, relisting at ₦25,000 would come on top, taking the base cost to ₦40,000. Filing ₦5,000 a year on time is far cheaper.
CAC's registration portal carried a notice in October 2026 that annual return filing is available for all business names registered before July 2025, and that a new process for business name returns is being introduced. Check the portal for the version that applies to your registration date.
When CAC can remove a business name
Section 819 gives two routes off the register:
- You close it: the owner notifies CAC within three months of stopping trade, and CAC may remove the name (section 819(1) and (2)). The 2025 schedule lists the application for cessation at ₦10,000.
- CAC acts: if the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe the business is not trading, CAC may send a notice by registered post. If no answer comes within two months, or the answer says the business has stopped, the name may be removed (section 819(3) and (4)).
Not filing returns for years is the kind of signal that can lead to that notice. Keep your phone number and email on CAC's records current so you receive it.
What a removed or lapsed name means in practice
- A bank status check may show the business as inactive, which can hold up account changes or loan applications.
- While you are in default on filing particulars, section 821 can stop you enforcing contracts in the business name in court, unless a High Court grants relief.
- Once a name is off the register, another person may be able to register it.
Steps to bring a name back into good standing
- Log in to the CAC portal account that holds the business name.
- Check the status and the list of outstanding returns.
- File each missing return with its financial statement and pay the fees and penalties shown.
- If the name was removed, apply for relisting.
- Order a status report to confirm the record is current.
For deadlines and the filing itself, see CAC annual returns; to close a name you no longer use, see how to close a business name.
Where Pryme fits
Business name owners with a Pryme Business Account can ask the Compliance agent to prepare a reminder before 30 June each year, with the filing approved and made by a person.
Questions people ask
Does CAC business name expire after one year?
No. There is no expiry date, but an annual return is due by 30 June every year after the year of registration (CAMA 2020, section 822).
How much is CAC annual return for business name?
₦5,000 per year under the 29 May 2025 gazetted schedule, as at October 2026, plus penalties if late.
What happens if I don't file annual returns for my business name?
Penalties build up, CAC may send a notice and remove the name if you do not reply within two months (section 819), and relisting costs ₦25,000.
Can someone else take my business name if it is removed?
Once a name is off the register it may become available to other applicants, so keeping it active protects the brand.
Sources
- Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (full text) · accessed Oct 2026
- CAC New Schedule of Fees, Official Gazette No. 92 Vol. 112 (29 May 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- CAC Company Registration Portal (icrp.cac.gov.ng) public notice on business name annual returns · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.