Guide
How to File a DBA: The Filing Process in Every State
Updated September 2026
A DBA ("doing business as"), also called a fictitious business name, trade name, or assumed name depending on the state, lets a business or individual operate under a name other than its legal one — without forming a new entity. What makes filing one confusing is that there's no single national process: some states register DBAs with the Secretary of State, others with the county clerk or even the town clerk, and a handful have no formal DBA filing system at all. The table below shows the actual filing agency, fee, and renewal terms for each state.
Quick Answer
Check the table below for your state's filing agency — it's the Secretary of State in roughly half the states, and the county (or town/city) clerk in the rest, with a few states splitting it by entity type. Fees typically run $10 to $75, though a few states charge more or set no fee at all. File with the correct office, pay the fee, and in a handful of states (including California and Minnesota) publish a notice in a local newspaper to complete the process.
Why there's no single "DBA office"
A DBA registration doesn't create a business entity — it's a public record connecting a name to whoever's actually operating under it, which is why the office that keeps that record varies so much. States that treat it as an extension of the entity registry file it with the Secretary of State. States that treat it as a matter of local public record file it with the county or town clerk. A few states, including Kansas and New Mexico, have no formal DBA statute at all, so there's nothing to file.
The pattern that trips people up most: in several states (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Texas among them) the filing office depends on entity type — an LLC or corporation registers its assumed name with the state, while a sole proprietor or general partnership registers locally with the county instead.
What the fee actually buys
The filing fee reserves the name on that office's public record — it doesn't trademark it, and it doesn't stop another business from registering a very similar name in a different county or under a different entity type. Some states additionally require publishing a notice of the filing in a local newspaper (California requires four consecutive weeks; a handful of others require one or two notices) before the registration is considered complete.
None of this replaces the underlying business registration. Forming an LLC or corporation is a separate filing with a separate fee — a DBA just lets that entity, or a sole proprietor with no entity at all, operate under a different public-facing name.
Renewal: the part people forget
DBA registrations lapse. Some states set no expiration (Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma), but most require renewal somewhere between every 2 and 10 years, and a lapsed registration can mean losing the name to someone else who files for it first. The table below lists each state's renewal term where one applies — worth noting on a calendar the same way you'd track an LLC's annual report deadline.
Filing at the county level
In states that handle DBAs locally, the process, form, and fee are set by the individual county (or town), not by any statewide office — searching "[county name] DBA filing" or "[county name] fictitious name" alongside the county clerk or recorder's website is the direct path. This also means a business operating in more than one county within the same state may need to file separately in each one, depending on that state's rule.
DBA Filing by State
| State | Filing Agency | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Secretary of State (optional) | $30 ($31.20 online) | Alabama has no mandatory DBA statute — registering a trade name with the SOS functions more like a trademark filing than a required DBA. Renews every 5 years. |
| Alaska | Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development | $25 | Filed alongside the state business license; the name registration tracks the license, which itself renews every 2 years. |
| Arizona | Secretary of State (optional) | $10 | Not legally required in Arizona, but registering establishes a public record of the name and some protection against duplicate use. |
| Arkansas | Secretary of State (entities only) | Around $25 | LLCs and corporations file an Application for Fictitious Name with the Secretary of State; Arkansas has no statewide filing requirement for sole proprietors operating under an assumed name. |
| California | County Clerk (per county) | $10–$100+, depending on county | Must also be published in a local newspaper for 4 consecutive weeks. Renews every 5 years. |
| Colorado | Secretary of State | $20 | Filed online only as a Statement of Trade Name; cancelling one costs $10. Operating unregistered can draw a fine up to $500. |
| Connecticut | Town Clerk | $20 | Filed locally with the town clerk where the business is located, not with the state. |
| Delaware | Division of Revenue (Delaware One Stop) | $25 | Moved from filing with each county Prothonotary to one statewide filing with the Division of Revenue effective February 2, 2026 — a single $25 fee now covers the whole state. |
| District of Columbia | Dept. of Licensing & Consumer Protection (DLCP) | $55 | Renews every 2 years for another $55; a $55 late fee applies to a lapsed registration. |
| Florida | Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) | $50 | Renews annually by December 31. Registering a fictitious name is a separate, optional filing from forming an LLC or corporation. |
| Georgia | County Superior Court Clerk | Varies by county (commonly $25–$175) | No statewide Secretary of State filing exists — every entity type registers its trade name locally with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business operates. |
| Hawaii | DCCA Business Registration Division (BREG) | $50 | Filed as a Trade Name application (Form T-1); expedited service adds $20. |
| Idaho | Secretary of State | $25 | Filed as a Certificate of Assumed Business Name; doesn't expire once filed, so no renewal is required. |
| Illinois | Secretary of State (LLCs/corporations) or county (sole proprietors, partnerships) | $30–$150, on a sliding 5-year scale | LLC and corporation assumed-name fees depend on the calendar year filed within the current 5-year cycle; sole proprietors and partnerships instead publish notice and register at the county level. |
| Indiana | Secretary of State (entities) or county recorder (sole proprietors, general partnerships) | $20–$30 online | Entities already on file with the Secretary of State register their assumed name there; sole proprietorships and general partnerships file locally with the county recorder instead. |
| Iowa | County Recorder | $7 (plus $5 per extra page) | Filed with the recorder in the county where the business is located; the registration doesn't expire. |
| Kansas | No general DBA registration | N/A | Kansas has no statewide DBA or fictitious-name filing system — a sole proprietor simply uses the name. There's no standalone assumed-name form. |
| Kentucky | Secretary of State (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors) | $20 (state) / around $46 (county) | Individuals and general partnerships register at the county level; corporations, LLCs, and other formal entities file a Certificate of Assumed Name directly with the Secretary of State. |
| Louisiana | Secretary of State | $75 | Renewable for successive 10-year periods once filed. |
| Maine | Secretary of State (entities) — no filing for sole proprietors | $25–$125, depending on entity type | Maine doesn't require a sole proprietor operating under an assumed name to register with the state; corporations, LLCs, and other formal entities file directly with the Secretary of State. |
| Maryland | Dept. of Assessments & Taxation (SDAT) | $25 (plus an optional $50 expedite fee) | Filed as a Trade Name application through Maryland Business Express; renews every 5 years. |
| Massachusetts | City or Town Clerk | Varies by city/town (commonly $40–$65) | Called a Business Certificate rather than a DBA, and filed locally rather than with the state. Generally renews every 4 years. |
| Michigan | LARA (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors, general partnerships) | $10 (corp/LP) or $25 (LLC) at the state level; county fees vary | Sole proprietors and general partnerships register a Certificate of Assumed Name with the county clerk; corporations, LLCs, and LPs file with the state instead. |
| Minnesota | Secretary of State | $30 by mail / $50 online or expedited | Filed as a Certificate of Assumed Name; state law also requires publishing notice in a qualified newspaper. |
| Mississippi | Secretary of State | $25 | Filed as a Fictitious Business Name Registration; renews every 5 years, due by December 31 of the renewal year. |
| Missouri | Secretary of State | $7 | Renews every 5 years; required for any person or entity transacting business under a name other than its true legal name. |
| Montana | Secretary of State | $20 | Filed as a Registration of Assumed Business Name; renews every 5 years. |
| Nebraska | Secretary of State | $100 online / $110 by mail or in person | Registration is technically optional in Nebraska, but state law also requires publishing notice in a legal newspaper before filing. |
| Nevada | County Clerk | Varies by county (commonly $20–$40) | Handled at the county level, not through the Secretary of State — search and file with the clerk in the county where the business operates. |
| New Hampshire | Secretary of State | $50 | Renews every 5 years. |
| New Jersey | Secretary of State (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors, partnerships) | Around $50 (state) plus a card-processing fee | LLCs and corporations file an Alternate Name registration with the state; sole proprietors and general partnerships register locally with the county clerk instead. |
| New Mexico | No state DBA registration | N/A | New Mexico has no formal DBA filing system or fee — a business can operate under an assumed name without registering it. An optional trademark/service-mark filing is available through the Secretary of State for name protection. |
| New York | County Clerk (sole proprietors, partnerships) or Dept. of State (LLCs, corporations) | $25 (state, entities) plus a separate county fee for individuals | Individuals and general partnerships file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the county clerk; LLCs and corporations file with the Department of State instead. |
| North Carolina | County Register of Deeds | Around $26 | Filed at the county level — searchable statewide since a 2017 law change, but still filed locally rather than with the Secretary of State. |
| North Dakota | Secretary of State | $25 (plus $3 per partner for partnerships) | Renews every 5 years. |
| Ohio | Secretary of State | $39 | Filed as either a Trade Name or Fictitious Name registration — a trade name grants exclusive rights to the name statewide, while a fictitious name registration doesn't. |
| Oklahoma | Secretary of State | $25 | Filed as a trade name registration; doesn't expire once filed. |
| Oregon | Secretary of State | $50 | Renews every 2 years. |
| Pennsylvania | Dept. of State | $70 | Sole proprietors and general partnerships must also publish notice of the filing in two newspapers — one of general circulation and one legal journal — in the county where the business is located. |
| Rhode Island | Secretary of State | $20 (nonprofits) or $50 (corporations, LLCs, LPs) | Filed as a Trade Name registration through the Secretary of State. |
| South Carolina | County Clerk | Varies by county (commonly $10–$25) | South Carolina doesn't register DBAs at the state level — check with the clerk's office in the county where the business operates. |
| South Dakota | Secretary of State | $10 | Renewal of the registration is also $10. |
| Tennessee | Secretary of State (entities) or county register (sole proprietors) | $20 (state) | Corporations and LLCs file an Application for Registration of Assumed Name with the Secretary of State; sole proprietors typically register locally with the county register of deeds. |
| Texas | Secretary of State (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors, general partnerships) | $25 (state) | LLCs, corporations, and other formal entities file an Assumed Name Certificate (Form 503) with the Secretary of State; sole proprietors and general partnerships file locally with the county clerk instead. Renews every 10 years. |
| Utah | Dept. of Commerce, Division of Corporations | $22 (initial) / $18 (renewal) | Filed online as an Assumed Name (DBA) registration; renews annually. |
| Vermont | Secretary of State | $70 (initial) / $65 (renewal) | No extra charge for filing online. |
| Virginia | State Corporation Commission (SCC) | $6–$10, depending on filer type | Filed as a Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name; individuals and business entities use separate forms. |
| Washington | Dept. of Revenue | $5 per trade name (plus the business license processing fee) | Filed as part of the state Business License Application; cancelling a trade name is free. |
| West Virginia | Secretary of State | No fee (sole proprietorship, general partnership) / $25 (corporation, LLC) | Filed as a Trade Name (DBA) registration. |
| Wisconsin | Dept. of Financial Institutions (DFI) | $15 | Filed as a trademark-style Trade Name registration through DFI, separate from any county-level filing. |
| Wyoming | Secretary of State | $100 | Filed as an Application for Registration of Trade Name; the application must be notarized. |
Alabama
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (optional)
- Fee
- $30 ($31.20 online)
- Notes
- Alabama has no mandatory DBA statute — registering a trade name with the SOS functions more like a trademark filing than a required DBA. Renews every 5 years.
Alaska
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
- Fee
- $25
- Notes
- Filed alongside the state business license; the name registration tracks the license, which itself renews every 2 years.
Arizona
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (optional)
- Fee
- $10
- Notes
- Not legally required in Arizona, but registering establishes a public record of the name and some protection against duplicate use.
Arkansas
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities only)
- Fee
- Around $25
- Notes
- LLCs and corporations file an Application for Fictitious Name with the Secretary of State; Arkansas has no statewide filing requirement for sole proprietors operating under an assumed name.
California
- Filing Agency
- County Clerk (per county)
- Fee
- $10–$100+, depending on county
- Notes
- Must also be published in a local newspaper for 4 consecutive weeks. Renews every 5 years.
Colorado
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $20
- Notes
- Filed online only as a Statement of Trade Name; cancelling one costs $10. Operating unregistered can draw a fine up to $500.
Connecticut
- Filing Agency
- Town Clerk
- Fee
- $20
- Notes
- Filed locally with the town clerk where the business is located, not with the state.
Delaware
- Filing Agency
- Division of Revenue (Delaware One Stop)
- Fee
- $25
- Notes
- Moved from filing with each county Prothonotary to one statewide filing with the Division of Revenue effective February 2, 2026 — a single $25 fee now covers the whole state.
District of Columbia
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of Licensing & Consumer Protection (DLCP)
- Fee
- $55
- Notes
- Renews every 2 years for another $55; a $55 late fee applies to a lapsed registration.
Florida
- Filing Agency
- Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)
- Fee
- $50
- Notes
- Renews annually by December 31. Registering a fictitious name is a separate, optional filing from forming an LLC or corporation.
Georgia
- Filing Agency
- County Superior Court Clerk
- Fee
- Varies by county (commonly $25–$175)
- Notes
- No statewide Secretary of State filing exists — every entity type registers its trade name locally with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the business operates.
Hawaii
- Filing Agency
- DCCA Business Registration Division (BREG)
- Fee
- $50
- Notes
- Filed as a Trade Name application (Form T-1); expedited service adds $20.
Idaho
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $25
- Notes
- Filed as a Certificate of Assumed Business Name; doesn't expire once filed, so no renewal is required.
Illinois
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (LLCs/corporations) or county (sole proprietors, partnerships)
- Fee
- $30–$150, on a sliding 5-year scale
- Notes
- LLC and corporation assumed-name fees depend on the calendar year filed within the current 5-year cycle; sole proprietors and partnerships instead publish notice and register at the county level.
Indiana
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities) or county recorder (sole proprietors, general partnerships)
- Fee
- $20–$30 online
- Notes
- Entities already on file with the Secretary of State register their assumed name there; sole proprietorships and general partnerships file locally with the county recorder instead.
Iowa
- Filing Agency
- County Recorder
- Fee
- $7 (plus $5 per extra page)
- Notes
- Filed with the recorder in the county where the business is located; the registration doesn't expire.
Kansas
- Filing Agency
- No general DBA registration
- Fee
- N/A
- Notes
- Kansas has no statewide DBA or fictitious-name filing system — a sole proprietor simply uses the name. There's no standalone assumed-name form.
Kentucky
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors)
- Fee
- $20 (state) / around $46 (county)
- Notes
- Individuals and general partnerships register at the county level; corporations, LLCs, and other formal entities file a Certificate of Assumed Name directly with the Secretary of State.
Louisiana
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $75
- Notes
- Renewable for successive 10-year periods once filed.
Maine
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities) — no filing for sole proprietors
- Fee
- $25–$125, depending on entity type
- Notes
- Maine doesn't require a sole proprietor operating under an assumed name to register with the state; corporations, LLCs, and other formal entities file directly with the Secretary of State.
Maryland
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of Assessments & Taxation (SDAT)
- Fee
- $25 (plus an optional $50 expedite fee)
- Notes
- Filed as a Trade Name application through Maryland Business Express; renews every 5 years.
Massachusetts
- Filing Agency
- City or Town Clerk
- Fee
- Varies by city/town (commonly $40–$65)
- Notes
- Called a Business Certificate rather than a DBA, and filed locally rather than with the state. Generally renews every 4 years.
Michigan
- Filing Agency
- LARA (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors, general partnerships)
- Fee
- $10 (corp/LP) or $25 (LLC) at the state level; county fees vary
- Notes
- Sole proprietors and general partnerships register a Certificate of Assumed Name with the county clerk; corporations, LLCs, and LPs file with the state instead.
Minnesota
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $30 by mail / $50 online or expedited
- Notes
- Filed as a Certificate of Assumed Name; state law also requires publishing notice in a qualified newspaper.
Mississippi
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $25
- Notes
- Filed as a Fictitious Business Name Registration; renews every 5 years, due by December 31 of the renewal year.
Missouri
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $7
- Notes
- Renews every 5 years; required for any person or entity transacting business under a name other than its true legal name.
Montana
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $20
- Notes
- Filed as a Registration of Assumed Business Name; renews every 5 years.
Nebraska
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $100 online / $110 by mail or in person
- Notes
- Registration is technically optional in Nebraska, but state law also requires publishing notice in a legal newspaper before filing.
Nevada
- Filing Agency
- County Clerk
- Fee
- Varies by county (commonly $20–$40)
- Notes
- Handled at the county level, not through the Secretary of State — search and file with the clerk in the county where the business operates.
New Hampshire
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $50
- Notes
- Renews every 5 years.
New Jersey
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors, partnerships)
- Fee
- Around $50 (state) plus a card-processing fee
- Notes
- LLCs and corporations file an Alternate Name registration with the state; sole proprietors and general partnerships register locally with the county clerk instead.
New Mexico
- Filing Agency
- No state DBA registration
- Fee
- N/A
- Notes
- New Mexico has no formal DBA filing system or fee — a business can operate under an assumed name without registering it. An optional trademark/service-mark filing is available through the Secretary of State for name protection.
New York
- Filing Agency
- County Clerk (sole proprietors, partnerships) or Dept. of State (LLCs, corporations)
- Fee
- $25 (state, entities) plus a separate county fee for individuals
- Notes
- Individuals and general partnerships file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the county clerk; LLCs and corporations file with the Department of State instead.
North Carolina
- Filing Agency
- County Register of Deeds
- Fee
- Around $26
- Notes
- Filed at the county level — searchable statewide since a 2017 law change, but still filed locally rather than with the Secretary of State.
North Dakota
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $25 (plus $3 per partner for partnerships)
- Notes
- Renews every 5 years.
Ohio
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $39
- Notes
- Filed as either a Trade Name or Fictitious Name registration — a trade name grants exclusive rights to the name statewide, while a fictitious name registration doesn't.
Oklahoma
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $25
- Notes
- Filed as a trade name registration; doesn't expire once filed.
Oregon
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $50
- Notes
- Renews every 2 years.
Pennsylvania
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of State
- Fee
- $70
- Notes
- Sole proprietors and general partnerships must also publish notice of the filing in two newspapers — one of general circulation and one legal journal — in the county where the business is located.
Rhode Island
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $20 (nonprofits) or $50 (corporations, LLCs, LPs)
- Notes
- Filed as a Trade Name registration through the Secretary of State.
South Carolina
- Filing Agency
- County Clerk
- Fee
- Varies by county (commonly $10–$25)
- Notes
- South Carolina doesn't register DBAs at the state level — check with the clerk's office in the county where the business operates.
South Dakota
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $10
- Notes
- Renewal of the registration is also $10.
Tennessee
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities) or county register (sole proprietors)
- Fee
- $20 (state)
- Notes
- Corporations and LLCs file an Application for Registration of Assumed Name with the Secretary of State; sole proprietors typically register locally with the county register of deeds.
Texas
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State (entities) or county clerk (sole proprietors, general partnerships)
- Fee
- $25 (state)
- Notes
- LLCs, corporations, and other formal entities file an Assumed Name Certificate (Form 503) with the Secretary of State; sole proprietors and general partnerships file locally with the county clerk instead. Renews every 10 years.
Utah
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of Commerce, Division of Corporations
- Fee
- $22 (initial) / $18 (renewal)
- Notes
- Filed online as an Assumed Name (DBA) registration; renews annually.
Vermont
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $70 (initial) / $65 (renewal)
- Notes
- No extra charge for filing online.
Virginia
- Filing Agency
- State Corporation Commission (SCC)
- Fee
- $6–$10, depending on filer type
- Notes
- Filed as a Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name; individuals and business entities use separate forms.
Washington
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of Revenue
- Fee
- $5 per trade name (plus the business license processing fee)
- Notes
- Filed as part of the state Business License Application; cancelling a trade name is free.
West Virginia
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- No fee (sole proprietorship, general partnership) / $25 (corporation, LLC)
- Notes
- Filed as a Trade Name (DBA) registration.
Wisconsin
- Filing Agency
- Dept. of Financial Institutions (DFI)
- Fee
- $15
- Notes
- Filed as a trademark-style Trade Name registration through DFI, separate from any county-level filing.
Wyoming
- Filing Agency
- Secretary of State
- Fee
- $100
- Notes
- Filed as an Application for Registration of Trade Name; the application must be notarized.
No states match your search.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does filing a DBA protect my business name from being used by someone else?
Not the way a trademark does. A DBA filing is a public record of who's using a name, not an exclusive right to it — a similar or identical name can sometimes still be registered elsewhere in the same state, especially in states that file DBAs at the county rather than state level. Trademark registration is the separate step for actual name protection.
Do I need an LLC before I can file a DBA?
No — a sole proprietor with no formal entity at all can file a DBA in most states, and it's one of the most common reasons people file one: operating a side business or storefront under a name other than their own legal name, without forming an LLC first.
What happens if I don't renew my DBA on time?
It varies by state, but a lapsed DBA generally means the name is no longer legally reserved to you and can become available for someone else to register — plus, in states that require it, continuing to use the name without a current registration can carry a fine.
Is a DBA the same thing as a trade name or fictitious business name?
Yes — DBA, trade name, fictitious business name, and assumed name all describe the same filing; the state you're in just determines which term shows up on the actual form.
This guide is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees vary by state — verify specifics on your state's Secretary of State office page. Last verified: September 2026.