When you register a new business, you'll need to decide on a name for that business. If you are the only one who owns the business, the legal name of your business will be your name. If you have a partner, the legal name of the business will either be the last names of all partners or the name that was agreed upon and entered into the partnership agreement when the business was registered. If the business is a LLC or Corporation, then the legal name  will be the name that was given to the state government when the business was registered. 

Why Register a Doing Business As (DBA)?

When a business decides to operate under a name that differs from its official and legal business name, the business must  register this new operating name within the jurisdiction where they plan to be conducting their business. Although those who are the sole owner of a business are the ones who are most likely to register a DBA (if they don’t then the name of the business will be their very own, personal name!), partnerships, LLC's, and Corporations also choose to register a DBA name. 

Once you decide on the DBA name, you'll need to file the appropriate paperwork. Depending on the state you'll need to register the DBA name with, will determine the appropriate government agency you will have to file the paperwork with, i.e. county clerk, state government. (Not all states require that you register a DBA name.) 

How to File a DBA Name

Simply visit the government website of the state you'll be conducting business in, and fill out the DBA registration application for that particular state. The average time it takes to process the DBA name is 2 to 4 weeks. You should file for your DBA name as soon as possible so you are able to start using it when you're ready to open for business. Although, some states allow you to start using the DBA name before officially registering it, giving you anywhere from 30 to 60 days to complete the process. 

A Few Facts

DBA aka… Fictitious Names, Assumed Names, or Trade Names. 

DBA Name Restrictions. There are a few name restrictions that restrict a business' ability to mislead the public, i.e. using Inc. or LLC at the end of the proposed name when the business hasn’t been officially registered as such. 

Limit. There is currently no limit to how many DBA names a business is able to register. 

Exclusivity.  If you want to own the rights to the DBA name you've selected, you must register the name as a trademark. 

Banks. Most banks will ask for a certified copy of the DBA name certificate before you can open a business account with them.