DBA (business name)
Register your DBA.
- Companies and sole proprietors
- Filing fee at cost
Do you need a DBA?
If you use a name other than your own or your company's, most states require you to register it. It's also called a trade name, an assumed name or a fictitious name.
- A company with a brand name: your LLC or corporation trades under a name that isn't its legal name.
- A sole proprietor: you trade under a business name rather than your own name.
- Not protection: a DBA doesn't give legal protection by itself, and it doesn't stop others using the same name. Forming a company and a trademark do those jobs.
Requirements differ by business structure, and by state, county and city. We check yours before you pay.
What we do, and what you do
We
- Find out where your DBA is filed: the state, the county or the city
- Check the name and prepare the filing
- File it and pay the fee at cost, after you approve it
- Where an office won't take filings from us, prepare everything and give you exact directions
- Send you the filed copy, and remind you if it has to be renewed
You
- Tell us the name you want and where you do business
- Approve and sign
Our fee$69plus the state, county or city filing fee, at cost
Questions people ask
Is a DBA the same as forming a company?
No. A DBA is a name you trade under. Registering it doesn't give you legal protection by itself; forming an LLC or corporation is what creates a separate company.
Does a DBA stop others using the name?
No. Several businesses in one state can use the same DBA, and trademark law still applies. Protecting a name nationally takes a trademark.
Where is a DBA filed?
With the state, the county or the city, depending on where you do business and how your business is set up. We check the rule for your location before you pay.
Can I get a DBA without a company?
Yes. A DBA lets you do business under a name other than your own, so a sole proprietor can register one too.
Can I open a bank account with a DBA?
The SBA notes that a DBA together with an EIN lets you open a business bank account. The bank still makes its own decision.