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.