Business Name Registration – Doing Business As – DBA
You may have to go through business name registration for doing business as a fictitious name instead of your legal business name. A legal business name is your full name if you are the sole proprietor. If you are a partnership, then it’s you and your partner’s last names or the one in the partnership agreement. For LLCs and corporations, it’s the one registered with the state.
If you want to run a company with a DBA (doing business as) name instead of your legal business name like Jane Smith, you’ll apply for business name registration with a government agency. Some states require fictitious names to be registered with the state government, while other states want you to register with the county clerk’s office. Some states don’t even require a business name registration for doing business as a fictitious name.
Check the chart below for business name registration requirements in your state.
| State | Business Name Registration Requirements |
| Alabama | There are no business name registration requirements for doing business as a fictitious name in Alabama, buy you can choose to register a trade name with the secretary of state using this form. |
| Alaska | For business name registration in Alaska, click here |
| Arizona | Business name registration is not mandatory in Arizona, but is recommended practice to prevent other businesses from using the same name. Apply with the Secretary of State.
Click here for business name registration application. |
| Arkansas | A Doing Business Under an Assumed Name certificate must be filed if you want to run a business as sole proprietorship or general partnership.
An Application for Fictitious Name must be filed with the Secretary of State if you are a domestic or foreign corporation. Domestic Corporations also have to register with the county clerk. Click here to download the Application for Fictitious Name. |
| California | Business name registration is required to operate a business for profit under a fictitious name. File a Fictitious Name Statement at the County Recorder-Clerk’s Office where your business is operating. |
| Colorado | Click here for business name registration. |
| Connecticut | Business name registration is required to use a fictitious name. Register in the town where your business is operated or register a corporation with the Connecticut Secretary of State. |
| Delaware | Business name registration is required in Delaware. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships must file a Fictitious Name Certificate with the Superior Court Prothonotary’s office in the county where your business is operating from.
Click here to download the Fictitious Name Certificate. |
| District of Columbia | Click here for trade name registration. |
| Florida | Busines name registration is required for all businesses seeking to operate under a fictitious name. Register with the Division Corporations here. |
| Georgia | Business name registration is required for doing business as a different name for your full legal name. File a trade name with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where your business is located. |
| Guam | Fictious Names rules and guidelines Certificate of Transacting Business Under a Fictitious Name. |
| Hawaii | Click here for information and application for trade name registration. |
| Idaho | Click here for the certificate of assumed business name form. |
| Illinois | Business name registration is required to operate a business different from your full legal name. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships should register their trade name with the local county clerk’s office. Corporations, LLP, LLC, and limited partnerships should register the trade name with the Illinois Secretary of State. |
| Indiana | Business name registration is necessary in Indiana. File a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Indiana Secretary of State and with the county recorder in the county your business is in. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships only have to file with the county recorder. |
| Iowa | Business name registration is required and you must file a Trade Name Report with the local county recorder’s office if you are a sole proprietorship or general partnership. If you are doing business as a corporation, LLC, LLP, or limited partnership, you must register your DBA with the Iowa Secretary of State. |
| Kansas | Kansas does not require business name registration so registering a fictitious name is not necessary. |
| Kentucky | You need to file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the Kentucky Secretary of State if you are a non profit, LLC, corporation, or partnership.
If you are a sole proprietorship, you need to do the business name registration with the county clerk’s office in the county your business is located. |
| Louisiana | For sole proprietorships and general partnerships to operate under a fictitious name, they must register with the Parish Clerk of Court where their business is operating from. Click here to download the Application to Register Trade Name form, then have it notarized and submitted to the Parish Clerk of Court office.
LLCs, LLPs, corporations, non-profits, and limited partnerships need to sumbit the application to the Louisiana Secretary of State. |
| Maine | Business name registration with the municipal or town clerk where the business is operating is required for sole proprietorships amd general partnerships wishing to do business under a fictitious name.
LLCs, LLPs, limited partnerships and corporations must file a Statement of Intention with the Maine Secretary of State for doing business as a fictitious name. |
| Maryland | Click here for phone and address to apply for a trade name.
Click here to download the trade name application. |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts requires business name registration for businesses, including corporations, to file a Doing Business As certificate in the city where the business is headquartered in. |
| Michigan | Michigan has business name registration requirements for sole proprietorships and general partnerships to file an Assumed Name Certificate with the county clerk. Corporations, LLCs, LLPs, and limited partnerships must register thier assumed name with the Michigan Secretary of State as part of their required buisness filings |
| Minnesota | Minnesota requires business name registration for doing business as an assumed name. Click here for more information on Assumed Name Registration |
| Mississippi | Mississippi does not require business name registration to operate under an assumed name. |
| Missouri | Missouri requires persons or entities that does business using a name other than their legal name to register their fictitious name with the Secretary of State
Click here for online Registration of Fictitious Name. |
| Montana | Click here for the Reservation of Name application. Click here for the Registration of Assumed Business Name application. |
| Nebraska | Download the Application for Registration of Trade Name from Nebraska Secretary of State |
| Nevada | Business name registration is required for all persons and entities doing business as a a fictitious or assumed name different from your full legal name. File a Ficitious Firm Name Certificate with the county clerk in each county your business is operating in. |
| New Hampshire | Download trade name registration forms. |
| New Jersey | Business name registration with the county clerk office is required for sole proprietorships and general partnerships. You can get contact information at the new jersey Division of Elections webpage.
LLCs, LLPs, non-profit and for profit corporations can register with the New Jersey Division of Revenue. |
| New Mexico | You are not required to register an assumed business name in New Mexico. |
| New York | Sole Proprietorships using an assumed name must file a Business Certificate with the county clerk’s office. General partnerships using an assumed name must fine a Business Certificate for Partners with the county clerk’s office.
LLCs, LLPs, limited partnerships, and corporations must register their assumed name with the New York Department of State as part of their required business filings. |
| North Carolina | Click here to download forms for Certificate of Assumed Name. |
| North Dakota | More information about Trade Name Registration. |
| Ohio | View trade name registration forms. |
| Oklahoma | Download the Trade Name Report file here. |
| Oregon | Click here for more information about business name registration. |
| Pennsylvania | Read more about fictitious name registration requirements. Download the application here. |
| Puerto Rico | Register your trade name and trademark at the Department of State’s Registry of Marks and Commercial Names. (Registro de marcas y nombres comerciales). |
| Rhode Island | Business name registration may be required for businesses operating under an assumed name. You can file an assumed name certificate with the city or town clerk where your business is being conducted. All corporations, LLPs, LLCs, and limited partnerships need to register a Fictitious Business Name Statement with Rhode Island Secretary of State. |
| South Carolina | Local businesses are not required to file business name registration for doing business as a fictitious or assumed name. Foreign (out of state) businesses can obtain a fictitious name with the South Carolina Secretary of State. |
| South Dakota | Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are required to file a fictitious name statement. Corporate entities operating under a name other than the corporate name must also file. South Dakota Secretary of State |
| Tennessee | DBA or fictitious names are not required to be filed for sole proprietorships and general partnerships. Corporations, LLCs, LLPs, and limited partnerships are required to file business name registration as part of their required business filings. Click here for forms. Information for corporations. |
| Texas | You must file an Assumed Name Certificate with the county clerk’s office in the county your business is located.
Corporations, LLPs, LLCs, and limited partnerships must file an Assumed Name Certificate with the Texas Secretary of State along with another Assumed Name Certificate with the county. |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | File a Certificate for Registration of Trade Name with the Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands.Download form here. |
| Utah | Businesses in Utah using an assumed name must file a Business Name Registration / DBA Application with the Department of Commerce. Download the application here. click here for information for corporations. Click here for information for sole proprietorships and general partnerships. |
| Vermont | Business name registration can be filed with Vermont Secretary of State. Download the form here. Click here for more information. |
| Virginia | Business name registration must be filed in the county or city the business is conducted. limited partnerships, LLCs, and corporations file with both the Clerk of the circuit Court and the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission. Download the Virginia business name registration guide for more info on DBA requirements. |
| Washington | Read the trade name registration FAQ from the Washington State Department of Licensing. |
| West Virginia | Read trade name registration information at West Virginia Secretary of State website. |
| Wisconsin | Download the Registration of Firm Names (or “Doing business as”) application. More information on Business Name Registration in Wisconsin |
| Wyoming | Download the Registration of Trade Name form. See more business forms here |
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