Register a DBA in Virginia

What the law requires

Virginia prohibits any person from conducting business in the Commonwealth under an assumed or fictitious name unless a certificate of assumed or fictitious name is filed in the office of the clerk of the State Corporation Commission. Certificates were filed with circuit court clerks before January 1, 2020; the SCC is now the filing office.

"No person shall conduct or transact business in the Commonwealth under any assumed or fictitious name unless such person files in the office of the clerk of the Commission a certificate of assumed or fictitious name." — Va. Code § 59.1-69(B)

Where filings go

The clerk of the State Corporation Commission. Section 59.1-74(B) confirms the pre-2020 circuit-court-clerk filing path is historical: local revenue licenses now require evidence of an SCC filing (or a pre-January 1, 2020 court filing).

""Commission" means the State Corporation Commission. ... No license shall be issued by a commissioner of the revenue until a certificate of assumed or fictitious name has been made and filed (i) in the office of the clerk of the Commission or (ii) prior to January 1, 2020, in the office of the clerk of the court, and evidence of the filing has been provided to the commissioner of the revenue by the person conducting business under the assumed or fictitious name." — Va. Code §§ 59.1-69(A), 59.1-74(B)

How long it lasts

The chapter prescribes no fixed duration or renewal cycle. A certificate remains on file until the person stops using the name and files a certificate of release of the assumed or fictitious name ($10 fee). Renewal: None specified in the chapter; termination is by filing a certificate of release under § 59.1-70.1.

"When a person is no longer conducting business in the Commonwealth under an assumed or fictitious name on file with the clerk of the Commission, the name may be released by filing a certificate of release of an assumed or fictitious name in the office of the clerk of the Commission" — Va. Code § 59.1-70.1(A)

Name restrictions

The chapter's stated restriction is anti-deception as to geography: an assumed or fictitious name may not be used to intentionally misrepresent the geographic origin or location of the person.

"No person shall use an assumed or fictitious name in the conduct of the person's business to intentionally misrepresent the geographic origin or location of the person." — Va. Code § 59.1-69(C)

Entities and assumed names

A foreign corporation whose real name does not satisfy Virginia's corporate-name requirements may obtain or keep its certificate of authority by using a "designated name" - either its name plus an entity indicator (corp., inc., co., ltd., etc.) or, if its real name is unavailable, an available compliant name - after informing the Commission. Parallel designated-name provisions exist for foreign LLCs (§ 13.1-1054) and other entity types.

"If the corporate name of a foreign corporation does not satisfy the requirements of § 13.1-630, to obtain or maintain a certificate of authority to transact business in the Commonwealth: 1. The foreign corporation may use a designated name that adds the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or "limited," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or "ltd.," to its corporate name ... 2. If its real name is unavailable, the foreign corporation may use a designated name that is available, and that satisfies the requirements of § 13.1-630, if it informs the Commission of the designated name." — Va. Code § 13.1-762(B)