Register a DBA in Nevada

What the law requires

Nevada requires every person doing business under an assumed or fictitious name different from the legal name of each owner to file a certificate with the county clerk of each county where the business is conducted - a county-level filing, not a Secretary of State filing. The certificate must be filed no later than 1 month after business commences under the name.

"Every person doing business in this State under an assumed or fictitious name that is in any way different from the legal name of each person who owns an interest in the business must file with the county clerk of each county in which the business is being conducted a certificate containing the information required by NRS 602.020." — NRS 602.010(1)

Where filings go

The county clerk of each county in which the business is being conducted (or is intended to be conducted). Each county clerk keeps an alphabetical public register of the assumed or fictitious names filed.

"Every county clerk shall keep, in alphabetical order, in a book or other suitable index provided for that purpose, a register of all the assumed or fictitious names as shown in the certificates filed pursuant to this chapter" — NRS 602.010(1); NRS 602.050

How long it lasts

Duration varies by county: a board of county commissioners may provide by ordinance that certificates expire 5 years after filing. Where such an ordinance exists, a renewal certificate must be filed on or before expiration, and each renewal certificate itself expires 5 years after it is filed. Without an ordinance the statute states no expiration. Renewal: Renewal certificate with the NRS 602.020 contents due on or before expiration where a county ordinance applies (NRS 602.035(2)); the renewal expires 5 years after filing and must state that expiration (NRS 602.035(3))

"The board of county commissioners of a county may provide, by ordinance, that a certificate filed with the county clerk pursuant to NRS 602.010 expires 5 years after it is filed." — NRS 602.035

Name restrictions

NRS 602.017 bars fictitious names containing entity indicators the filer is not entitled to ('Corporation'/'Corp.'/'Inc.' unless a Nevada-organized or qualified corporation; 'LLC'/'L.C.' unless an LLC; 'Business Trust'/'B.T.'; 'Professional Corporation'/'P.C.'/'Chartered'; 'Professional Association'; 'Limited'/'Ltd.'), names imitating a government or tribal entity, and - for natural persons - fictitious names that appear to be a natural person's name without a distinguishing word. County clerks may not accept violative certificates.

"No person may adopt any fictitious name which includes "Corporation," "Corp.," "Incorporated" or "Inc." in its title, unless that person is a corporation organized or qualified to do business pursuant to the laws of this State. ... No person may adopt any fictitious name which imitates or reasonably causes another person to believe the fictitious name is the name of, or a name associated with, a government, governmental agency, political subdivision of a government, federally recognized Indian tribe or nation or any other governmental entity ... No county clerk may accept for filing a certificate which violates any provision of this chapter." — NRS 602.017

Entities and assumed names

Nevada has no separate SOS-level assumed-name mechanism for registered entities in this chapter - corporations, LLCs and other artificial persons operating under a name different from their legal name file the same county-clerk certificate (the certificate contents for an 'artificial person' are its name and mailing address, NRS 602.020(1)(b)), and an LLC series is deemed a fictitious name unless it identifies itself as a series of the authorizing LLC (NRS 602.010(3)). Only registered limited partnerships are exempt.

"Limited partnerships formed and foreign limited partnerships registered pursuant to chapter 87A or 88 of NRS are not required to comply with the provisions of this chapter." — NRS 602.020(1)(b); NRS 602.010(3); NRS 602.080