Create a DBA
$99 + state fees — filed right, in any state.
A DBA ("doing business as" — fictitious or assumed business name) lets you operate, bank, and advertise under a trade name. The rules are state law and they genuinely differ: some states file at the Secretary of State, some at the county clerk, some split by entity type — and a few have no registry at all. Every state page below quotes that state's actual statute.
What a DBA is
A legal way to operate under a trade name
Sole proprietors, partnerships, and entities can all do business under a name other than their legal name — once it’s properly registered.
What your bank asks for
Banks generally require the registered DBA before opening an account in the trade name.
A fix for name conflicts in new states
Expanding into a state where your company name is taken? Most states let a foreign entity qualify under an assumed name.
Public-record transparency
The point of every DBA statute: the public can find out who is actually behind a business name.
What a DBA is not
A new legal entity
A DBA is a registered name, not a company. It creates nothing you can own shares of.
Liability protection
A sole proprietor with a DBA is still personally liable. Only an entity (LLC, corporation) shields personal assets.
Exclusive rights to the name
In most states, registering a DBA does not stop anyone else from using the name — state statutes say so explicitly. That's what trademarks are for.
A substitute for a trademark
A DBA is disclosure; a trademark is protection. Serious brands eventually want both.
DBA rules in every state
Statute-cited pages for all 50 states, D.C., and the territories — including the 4 states with no general DBA registry (we explain what to do instead) and the 9 where registration is voluntary.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Skip the county-clerk scavenger hunt.
$99 plus state fees — we prepare the filing, handle the right office (state, county, or both), and keep the renewals straight.
or call (800) 2-INCORP for a free consultation