After submitting your documents, you will receive a confirmation email within 5 business days with your case number. GS1 US begins reviewing your request. Allow 3 business days for GS1 US to either come to a decision or contact you to get more details. Each request is unique and in some cases may require additional review. Once GS1 US has made a decision, you will be notified of the final decision by email—either approval or denial of the request. If approved, GS1 US proceeds with the name change and updates its records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Update Identifiers - Identifier Transfer, M&A, Company Name Change
Company Name Change Request
You can submit a company name change request by following the instructions on this page.
The name of the official document to change the name of a business will depend on the type of business organization and the state in which the business is formed. Generally speaking, name changes are accomplished by amending organizational formation documents. Some of those documents include*:
- Amendment to Articles of Incorporation
- Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation
- Amendment to Articles of Formation
- Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Formation
- Amendment to Articles of Organization
- Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Organization
- Fictitious Name Certificate or Fictitious Name Filing
*The information contained herein is for informational purposes.GS1 US does not provide legal advice.
Transfer Identifiers Between Companies
No, a GS1 Company Prefix, GS1 US GTIN or GLN is for the sole use of the member to which it is licensed. GS1 US rules and regulations do not allow for the transfer of identifiers except in limited circumstances, generally involving a business transaction, including the merger of two companies, the acquisition of one company by another, or the sale of a business line or division.
You can submit an identifier transfer request by following the instructions on this page.
The process for an identifier transfer request may take 4-6 weeks. See the detailed process timeline on this page.
While there is no transfer fee, once the identifier is transferred, the new company becomes responsible for all applicable license fees.
Refer to the GS1 License Agreement as well as the GS1 General Specifications (section 1.6) for additional information and obligations.
A GS1 Company Prefix is issued to only one company by GS1 US® and cannot be shared by multiple organizations.
A GS1 Company Prefix uniquely identifies the company, so if multiple companies unknowingly use the same GS1 Company Prefix, it can cause confusion among trading partners, making unique product identification and product traceability problematic and potentially unattainable. In the event of a merger, acquisition or divestiture, it should be clear which party will have rights to use the GS1 Company Prefix. Providing notification to GS1 US will help ensure proper registration.
Read section 25 of the Trade Item Implementation Guide for Mergers & Acquisitions, which provides detailed steps to effectively manage and communicate impacted trade item data with trading partners through the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®).
Once you have received confirmation of the identifier transfer, you should advise your data pool provider regarding the GLN.
No. The information provided to GS1 US is used only to update the prefix registration. Any updates that impact the FDA Labeler Code itself need to be communicated directly to the U.S. FDA. This notification is the responsibility of the company, not GS1 US.
No. The information provided to GS1 US is used only to update the prefix registration. Any updates that impact the registration of an item in the GUDID need to be communicated directly to the U.S. FDA. This notification is the responsibility of the company, not GS1 US.