Free DBA Guide
Our Free DBA Guide is written by Business Attorneys at CorpNet, and answers common questions for businesses considering a special name outside of their legal name, including:
- Benefits of Filing a DBA or Fictitious Business Name
- Choosing a Name for Your DBA or Fictitious Business Name
- DBA Filing Requirements
- When and Where to File Your DBA
What is a DBA?
DBA stands for “Doing Business As.” A DBA is a name that’s different from the legal name of the company. It is a name the business wants to use when marketing itself to the public and dealing with customers. A sole proprietor, LLC, or corporation is said to be “doing business as” whatever fictitious name it has filed.
You may have heard DBA referred to in a variety of ways. Some other names for DBA include:
- Fictitious business name
- Assumed business name
- Trade name
A DBA lets the public know the true owner of a business. The DBA or fictitious business name designation was created as a form of consumer protection, to prevent unscrupulous business owners from operating under a different name to avoid legal trouble. When a business files a DBA with its county or state, it must typically submit a notice to the local newspaper so that the community can see who is behind the business.
