# BRD-068 — Sole proprietor brand name must be a person, not a company

> The sole proprietor brand name must be the individual’s first and last name — never an LLC, Inc, Corp or other registered entity name.

- **Rule ID:** BRD-068
- **Layer:** Brand (`BRAND`)
- **Checks:** `brand.company_name`
- **Severity:** BLOCKING — Breaking this rule gets the submission rejected outright.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** Deterministic (settled in code from the submitted values)
- **Fix type:** Fix the field — a better value in the form clears it
- **Required by:** TCR, Twilio
- **Applies:** Applies when the brand is a sole proprietor.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/brand/brd-068/

## Why this rule exists

A sole proprietor is a natural person, so the brand name is a person's name. A corporate suffix proves a registered entity exists behind it, which means the business qualifies for — and is required to use — the standard tier instead.

## How to fix it

Enter the individual’s legal first and last name. A business name with a corporate suffix means the entity is not a sole proprietor for 10DLC purposes — register it as a standard brand.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
Brand name: Jane Doe
```

## Provider rejection codes

| Provider | Code | Resubmission allowed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Twilio | `30914` | yes |