A DBA (doing business as) name is useful for any business that wants to rebrand or relaunch without creating an entirely new business entity. It’s also useful for small businesses that don’t wish to incorporate or form a limited liability company (LLC). This formal, legal nickname lets you do business under a trade name, even though it’s not the official name of the business.
DBA registration may be easier than you think. You can handle the process relatively quickly with the proper state or county office. Follow these simple steps to register a DBA for your business.
Choose Your Location
For most small businesses, you’ll register your DBA in the same state or county where you do business as an LLC, corporation, partnership or sole proprietor — but you can register a DBA in a different location if it makes sense for your business.
Check Name Availability
Search online for the state or county where you want to register a DBA to make sure the name is available. In most states, a DBA name has to be unique. It can’t be the same as or too closely resemble another DBA, LLC or corporate name registered in that state or nationally recognized.
Your state agency that handles the registration of business names, such as the state secretary of state, usually has a searchable database of names in use for the state. The county likely has one as well. Enter the name you want to use for your DBA to see whether a business with that name already exists in the state or county.
Register Your DBA With the State
Typically, you register a DBA with the same office where you register an LLC or obtain a tax identification number (TIN). Depending on your location, that could be a county clerk, the state’s department of revenue or the office of the secretary of state.
Generally, you’ll have to create an account if you haven’t already. You might already have an account if you filed an LLC with the department. To file the DBA, you may have to provide:
- Your business’s legal name or yours, if you’re a sole proprietor
- Your federal employer identification number (EIN), Social Security number and/or state tax ID
- The name you want to register as a DBA
You can file for a DBA through an online application, and you’ll be notified by mail or email when your DBA is accepted. At the end of the application, you should be notified about how long it’ll take to make a decision, which should happen within a couple of weeks.
Most states and counties charge a small fee to file a DBA, usually around $10 but up to around $100. You have to pay to renew your DBA registration periodically, usually every one to three years.
After You File Your DBA
Once your DBA is accepted and officially registered, you can use it in your business operations. You can open a bank account and write contracts using the name to represent your business. You can use it to sell your business or part of it, including the brand name DBA as intellectual property.
Not all states restrict using duplicate DBAs and most protections don’t cross state lines. If you want stronger protection against others using your trade name, you can register it as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)—but this isn’t required to make the DBA official.
A DBA or fictitious name is a trade name you can use to do business without forming an entire business entity. Registering is easy and relatively low-cost, and you can register online in most states.
