Register a DBA in North Carolina

What the law requires

North Carolina requires any person - individuals, partnerships, LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs, trusts, and other entities - to file an assumed business name certificate with the register of deeds of a county where the person engages in business before doing business under an assumed name. Filing in one county suffices even if business is conducted in multiple counties, and the Secretary of State maintains a statewide searchable database of the county filings.

"Before any person engages in business in this State under an assumed business name, the person must file an assumed business name certificate in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the person is or will be engaged in business. If the person is or will be engaged in business in multiple counties, filing is required in only one of those counties." — N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-71.4(a)

Where filings go

The register of deeds of the county where the person is or will be engaged in business (one county filing covers multi-county operations). The register of deeds transmits a scanned image and index data to the Secretary of State, which maintains a centralized, statewide searchable online database.

"The Secretary of State shall develop, implement, and maintain a searchable online database of assumed business name information reported under G.S. 66‑71.10. The system must allow information to be entered and retrieved from the system by the registers of deeds and must be available for searches by the public." — N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 66-71.4(a), 66-71.9(a), 66-71.10

How long it lasts

The certificate has no expiration: it is effective upon filing and remains in effect until withdrawn. A certificate of amendment must be filed within 60 days after any change in the required information. Certificates filed under the former Article 14 expired December 1, 2022. Renewal: None; effective until withdrawn under G.S. 66-71.8; amendments due within 60 days of a change (G.S. 66-71.7)

"An assumed business name certificate filed under this Article is effective upon filing and remains in effect until withdrawn under G.S. 66‑71.8." — N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 66-71.12(a), 66-71.7, 66-71.15(a)

Name restrictions

An assumed business name may not include entity-indicator terms the filer is not entitled to: 'corporation,' 'incorporated,' 'corp.,' or 'inc.' unless a Chapter 55/55A corporation; 'limited liability company,' 'L.L.C.,' or 'LLC' unless an LLC organized under Chapter 55D; 'limited partnership,' 'L.P.,' or 'LP' unless a Chapter 59 limited partnership; and LLP/RLLLP designators unless organized or registered as such under Chapter 59.

"A person may not include in an assumed business name any of the following terms: (1) "Corporation," "incorporated," "corp.," or "inc.," unless the entity is a corporation organized under Chapter 55 or Chapter 55A of the General Statutes. (2) "Limited liability company," "L.L.C." or "LLC," or any other similar abbreviation or form of "limited liability company," unless the entity is a limited liability company organized under Chapter 55D of the General Statutes." — N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-71.5(b)

Entities and assumed names

Registered entities adopt assumed names through the same county register-of-deeds certificate under Article 14A, which Chapter 55D leaves undisturbed. Separately, a foreign corporation, nonprofit, LLC, LP, or LLP whose real name is unavailable in North Carolina may use a fictitious name to obtain its certificate of authority by delivering to the Secretary of State a copy of the resolution adopting the fictitious name; the fictitious name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records, and a fictitious name for a foreign entity may also be reserved under G.S. 55D-23.

"Use a fictitious name, which includes one or more of the words, abbreviations, or combinations in subdivisions (1) through (5) of this subsection if applicable, to transact business or conduct affairs in this State if its real name is unavailable and it delivers to the Secretary of State for filing a copy of the resolution adopting the fictitious name." — N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55D-22(a)(6); see also §§ 55D-20(d), 55D-21(b)(3), 55D-23(a)