Register a DBA in Kentucky
Filing office depends on your entity type
A DBA (fictitious or assumed business name) lets you operate, bank, and advertise under a trade name. Below: who must file in Kentucky, where, for how long, and what happens if you don't — quoted from the statutes.
Filing office
Individuals file the certificate with the county clerk of the county of their principal place of business. Business organizations deliver the certificate to the Secretary of State with an exact or conformed copy, and a stamped 'filed' copy is then filed with the county clerk of the county of the registered agent (or principal office); if the entity maintains neither in Kentucky, the certificate is filed only with the Secretary of State.
Term & renewal
Five years from the date of filing.
Publication
Not addressed in the act.
Exclusive rights?
No — registration does not by itself grant exclusive rights to the name. A trademark does that.
Statutory fees: Secretary of State filing fee (each certificate, amendment, and renewal certificate): $20 (as printed in the statute; agencies may adjust by schedule)
Who must file in Kentucky
| Business type | Required? | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sole proprietors (individuals) | Yes | County clerk of the county where the individual maintains his or her principal place of business |
| General partnerships | Yes | Secretary of State, with a stamped copy filed with the county clerk of the county of the registered agent or principal office |
| Registered entities (LPs, corporations, LLCs, business/statutory trusts, limited cooperative associations) | Yes | Secretary of State, with a stamped copy filed with the county clerk of the registered-agent county; only with the Secretary of State if no Kentucky registered agent or principal office |
County-level filings go to the clerk or recorder of each county where you do business — requirements and fees vary by county, so confirm with the county office (we handle this as part of every Kentucky DBA order).
The law behind it
Quoted verbatim from Certificate of Assumed Name (KRS 365.015) (KRS 365.015).
What the law requires
Kentucky requires a certificate of assumed name before any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, business or statutory trust, corporation, LLC, limited cooperative association, or filed unincorporated nonprofit association transacts business under anything other than its statutorily defined 'real name.' Individuals file with the county clerk; all listed business organizations (including general partnerships) file with the Secretary of State, with a stamped copy then filed with the appropriate county clerk.
"No individual, general partnership, limited partnership, business or statutory trust, corporation, limited liability company, limited cooperative association, or unincorporated nonprofit association that has filed a certificate of association shall conduct or transact business in this Commonwealth under an assumed name or any style other than his, her, or its real name, as defined in subsection (1) of this section, unless such individual ... has filed a certificate of assumed name" — KRS 365.015(2)(a)
Where filings go
Individuals file the certificate with the county clerk of the county of their principal place of business. Business organizations deliver the certificate to the Secretary of State with an exact or conformed copy, and a stamped 'filed' copy is then filed with the county clerk of the county of the registered agent (or principal office); if the entity maintains neither in Kentucky, the certificate is filed only with the Secretary of State.
"Each certificate of assumed name for an individual shall be filed with the county clerk where the person maintains his or her principal place of business. Each certificate of assumed name for a general partnership, limited partnership, business or statutory trust, corporation, limited liability company, or limited cooperative association shall be delivered to the Secretary of State for filing, accompanied by one (1) exact or conformed copy. One (1) of the exact or conformed copies stamped as "filed" by the Secretary of State shall be filed with the county clerk of the county where the entity maintains its registered agent for service of process" — KRS 365.015(3)
How long it lasts
Five years from the date of filing. Renewal: Renewable for successive five-year terms by filing a renewal certificate within six months prior to expiration, in the same manner as the original filing.
"An assumed name shall be effective for a term of five (5) years from the date of filing and may be renewed for successive terms upon filing a renewal certificate within six (6) months prior to the expiration of the term, in the same manner of filing the original certificate as set out in subsection (3) of this section." — KRS 365.015(4)
Name restrictions
An assumed name filed with the Secretary of State must be distinguishable from every name already of record with the Secretary of State.
"No certificate to be filed with the Secretary of State shall set forth an assumed name which is not distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from any other name previously filed and on record with the Secretary of State" — KRS 365.015(2)(d)
Entities and assumed names
Kentucky's Business Entity Filing Act supplies the foreign-entity name-conflict mechanism: a foreign entity whose real name does not satisfy KRS 14A.3-010 may adopt a fictitious name (or add an entity identifier) to qualify, and any entity transacting business under other than its real or duly adopted fictitious name must comply with the assumed-name statute, KRS 365.015.
"May use a fictitious name to transact business in this Commonwealth if its real name is not distinguishable from any name of record with the Secretary of State ... Each entity and each foreign business entity that has qualified to transact business, if transacting business under other than its real or a duly adopted fictitious name, shall comply with KRS 365.015." — KRS 14A.3-040(1)(a); KRS 14A.3-050
Statutory text quoted from the official published statutes as captured on 2026-08-02. Read the full code at the Kentucky statutes. This is information, not legal advice — laws change.
Kentucky DBA FAQs
Where do I file an assumed name (DBA) in Kentucky?
How long does a Kentucky assumed name last?
Does filing a Kentucky assumed name protect the name from use by others?
What does a Kentucky assumed-name filing cost?
Related services
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