How to File a DBA With Your State

Start With Your State's Secretary of State Site

For most states, the fastest way to find your state's specific DBA process is to start at your Secretary of State's own business filings page and search using several terms, since states use different formal names for the filing: "DBA," "trade name," "fictitious name," and "assumed name" can all lead to the same page depending on your state. Many state sites have a dedicated business name search tool and a downloadable or online form once you find the right section.

Many States File Directly With the Secretary of State

A substantial number of states handle DBA registration at the state level, through the Secretary of State or a similarly named division. Ohio registers trade names directly with the Secretary of State under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1329. Oklahoma files trade names with the Secretary of State as well, which the agency notes is unlike most of its other filings that go through the county. Texas files its Assumed Name Certificate (Form 503) with the Secretary of State statewide, and since a 2019 law change, an LLC no longer also needs a separate county filing there. New York's Certificate of Assumed Name is filed with the Department of State, Division of Corporations. If your state falls into this group, you'll generally find the DBA process on the same part of the Secretary of State's website that handles LLC and corporation filings, though sometimes under a separate menu for "trade names" or "assumed names."

Other States Route the Filing to the County or City

A number of states instead require filing with a local government office rather than the state. California requires a Fictitious Business Name Statement filed with the county clerk-recorder in the county of the business's principal place of business, not with the Secretary of State at all, and most counties also require newspaper publication. Massachusetts requires a Business Certificate filed with the city or town clerk in the municipality where the business is located, with each municipality setting its own fee. Nevada handles its Fictitious Firm Name certificate through the county clerk in each county where the business operates, not the Secretary of State. If your state works this way, searching only the Secretary of State's site may turn up nothing useful; you need your specific county's or city clerk's own page instead.

A Few States Have No Statewide Registry at All

Kansas has no statewide DBA registry; the Secretary of State's own instructions state that DBA, fictitious, assumed, and trade names aren't registered with that office, and any requirement is set by the county or city instead. New Mexico's Secretary of State similarly doesn't register assumed or fictitious names for LLCs, leaving any local registration to individual counties or cities. If you're in one of these states, check with your specific county clerk or city government directly, since there's no central state resource to search.

Confirm the DBA Agency Isn't the Same Office That Formed Your Business

Don't assume the office that handled your LLC's or corporation's formation also handles its DBA. Arizona forms LLCs through the Corporation Commission but registers trade names through a different office, the Secretary of State. Checking this distinction before you start searching saves time, since the right form may be on an entirely different government website than the one you used to form your business.

Verify You Have the Current Fee and Form

Once you've identified the correct agency, confirm the current fee and the current version of the form directly on that agency's own page rather than relying on a general summary, since states update fees and forms periodically. If the agency's page doesn't list a fee or seems out of date, calling the office directly is often faster than guessing.

Bookmark the Official Page, Not a Search Result

Generic search results can surface outdated third-party pages with old fees or forms. Once you find your state's or county's own official filing page, bookmark it directly so you're working from the current source when it's time to renew.

Check Whether Your County Has Its Own Additional Step

Even in states that file DBAs at the state level, some counties or cities layer an additional local business license requirement referencing the DBA name on top of the state filing. Confirm with your local city or county clerk whether anything else is required beyond the state-level DBA.

Call the Agency If the Website Is Unclear

Some smaller county offices, especially in states with no centralized DBA registry, have limited online information. A phone call to the county clerk's office is often the fastest way to get a definitive answer on the fee, form, and process.

Not Legal Advice

Filing agencies and processes change as states update their statutes. Confirm the current agency, fee, and form directly with your state's or county's official page before filing.