How to file a DBA / assumed name for an LLC (2026)

The LLC’s legal name is the one on the articles — “Pine Street Studio LLC,” or whatever the Secretary of State accepted. A DBA, assumed name, trade name, or fictitious business name is a public-notice filing that says the same company also operates as “Pine Street Studio,” “Northside Coffee,” or another brand that is not that exact legal name. DBA ≠ new LLC ≠ trademark. This page is the cross-state primer for operators who already have (or are forming) a domestic LLC in Georgia, Florida, California, Texas, New York, or Illinois. Formation Lane does not file assumed names for readers.

Neighbor desks: LLC name availability · Change an LLC name · First business checking · After you form an LLC · Get an EIN · Foreign LLC / certificate of authority · LLC vs sole proprietorship · Dissolve or cancel an LLC. Domestic formation walkthroughs live on the 50-state index (for example Georgia, Florida, California, Texas, New York, Illinois).

What is a DBA / assumed name for an LLC?

A DBA, assumed name, trade name, or fictitious name is public notice that an existing LLC also uses a brand that is not its exact articles name. It does not create a second company, add a liability shield, or grant trademark rights. Georgia, Florida, California, Texas, New York, and Illinois use different labels for the same public-notice job.

Six desk steps to file a DBA / assumed / trade / fictitious name for an LLC:

1. Confirm you need a DBA. Confirm the LLC already exists under its legal name and that the brand you will use is not that exact articles name. A DBA, assumed name, trade name, or fictitious name is public notice for the same company — not a new LLC and not a trademark. If you only use the full legal name, you usually do not need this filing.
2. Search existing names. Search the right index before you file: county trade-name or FBN records in Georgia and California; Sunbiz, SOSDirect, New York DOS, or ilsos.gov in the SOS states. A clear search is not a trademark clearance. Checking the LLC legal name before articles is a different desk (see Formation Lane’s LLC name availability guide).
3. File at the correct desk. File at the desk the six-state table names — county clerk in Georgia and California; state portal in Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois. Do not mail a Georgia trade name to eCorp or a California FBN to bizfile. Pay the published fee at the official desk and keep the stamped acceptance.
4. Publish if required. Run the newspaper steps where the statute requires them: Georgia once a week for two weeks; Florida at least once; California once a week for four successive weeks. Keep the publisher’s affidavit with the stamped filing. Rates are set by the paper.
5. Update bank and EIN branding consistency. Keep the stamped DBA record with the articles and the EIN letter. Update invoices, the website footer, and the bank signature card so the brand and legal name stay consistent — typically “Brand Name, a d/b/a of Legal Name LLC.” Banks often want the stamped filing before putting the brand on an account.
6. Calendar renewals. Calendar Florida’s five-year fictitious-name renewal, California’s five-year FBN, Texas’s up-to-ten-year assumed name, and Illinois’s anniversary-month assumed-name end date. Georgia.gov says a Georgia trade name does not need renewal unless ownership or the name changes.

Desks for the steps: legal-name clearance before articles — LLC name availability; renaming the articles later — Change an LLC name; EIN — Get an EIN; checking — First business checking; first-month stack — After you form an LLC. The SBA notes that entity name, trademark, DBA, and domain registrations are legally independent — clearing one desk does not clear the others.

Do I need a DBA if I only use my exact LLC legal name?

Usually no if the LLC only invoices, advertises, and banks under its exact articles name. Florida lists an active LLC not transacting under any other name as exempt from fictitious-name registration. A slight mismatch still counts — Cobb County treats any difference from the SOS name as a Georgia LLC trade name. File only when the brand differs.

• You usually do not when the company only uses its full legal name — Florida’s Division of Corporations lists an active LLC that is not transacting under any other name as exempt from fictitious-name registration.
• A slight mismatch still counts. Cobb County’s clerk page is explicit for Georgia LLCs: a trade name is any name that differs in any respect from the name registered with the Secretary of State.
• Want a different public brand: file the DBA / assumed / FBN / trade name at the desk in the six-state table, then align invoices and the bank card.

Still deciding whether to form at all? LLC vs sole proprietorship. Still clearing the articles name? LLC name availability.

Where do I file a DBA — Secretary of State or county clerk?

Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois file at the state (Sunbiz, Texas SOS, New York DOS, Illinois SOS). Georgia and California file with the county clerk — not eCorp, not bizfile. Wrong counter means a rejected filing. Confirm the desk and published fee in the six-state table on this page before you pay.

Georgia has no statewide trade-name registry — O.C.G.A. § 10-1-490 puts the statement with the clerk of superior court in the county where the business is chiefly carried on. California Business & Professions Code § 17915 puts the fictitious business name statement with the county clerk of the principal place of business (Sacramento County if there is no California place of business). Texas used to require a county copy as well; HB 3609 (effective 1 September 2019) dropped the county-level assumed-name filing for LLCs — Form 503 is SOS-only.

Cobb County, Georgia, is the local illustration this site can document: the Superior Court Clerk’s trade-name page says an LLC must register any name that differs from its SOS name, and that banks often want the trade name to match the account. The clerk’s published fee table lists Trade Names at $175, plus a $40 publication fee payable by money order or certified check to the Marietta Daily Journal. That table is labeled Rev. 12/23/2019 (effective 1 January 2020) — confirm the current Cobb total at the clerk’s window before paying. Georgia.gov says amounts vary by county; this page does not invent Fulton, DeKalb, or Gwinnett totals.

Is a DBA the same as the LLC legal name or a trademark?

No. A DBA is notice only — not USPTO trademark rights and not SOS legal-name clearance. Texas SOS instructions say the filing does not determine name priority or trademark rights. Florida lets two fictitious-name registrations share the same words. If the brand needs exclusive rights, talk to trademark counsel — this form is notice only.

The SBA’s choose-your-business-name guide separates entity name (state-level), trademark (federal), DBA (public notice that may be required but does not by itself create trademark rights), and domain — each registration is legally independent. Clear the articles name on LLC name availability before you file; use a DBA only when the public brand differs; treat USPTO as a separate brand check when the mark matters in commerce.

Will my bank ask for a DBA filing?

Often yes if the account or brand is not the exact legal name on the articles. Keep the stamped DBA filing with the articles and the EIN letter before you open or retitle the account. Banks commonly want the filing that matches the brand on the signature card. See First business checking account for the usual document path.

Full first-30-days desk list: After you form an LLC. Setup map: stack. If the company later closes, the assumed name does not dissolve the LLC — that is a separate instrument on Dissolve or cancel an LLC. Working under the legal name in a second state is usually a foreign LLC / certificate of authority problem, not a DBA problem.

What you need to file a DBA for an LLC

• The LLC’s exact legal name and state file number, as on the filed articles.
• The DBA name you will use, checked against the filing office’s records (and the USPTO trademark search, separately).
• The business address where you will use the name (most offices want a street address).
• A member or manager with authority to sign for the LLC.
• The fee, plus a budget for the newspaper notice where the state requires one (Georgia, Florida, and California do).

Multiple DBAs, EINs, and liability

• More than one DBA: allowed, but each name is usually its own filing. Texas says a separate assumed name certificate ($25 each) is required for each assumed name.
• No new EIN: a DBA is another name for the same LLC. On Form SS-4, the legal name goes on line 1 and the trade name on line 2.
• No separate liability shield: every DBA belongs to the same LLC, so one brand’s debts are the LLC’s debts. A separate LLC is the tool for separating liability.
• Sign contracts with both names: for example, “Harbor Design LLC d/b/a Harbor Studio.”

LLC DBA / assumed name FAQ

Short answers on what a DBA is, when you need one, county vs state filing, DBA vs legal name vs trademark, banks, fees, newspaper publication, and DIY vs formation shop. Cross-links: name availability, change LLC name, business checking, and after you form.

What is a DBA / assumed name for an LLC?

A DBA, assumed name, trade name, or fictitious name is public notice that an existing LLC also uses a brand that is not its exact articles name. It does not create a second company, add a liability shield, or grant trademark rights. Georgia, Florida, California, Texas, New York, and Illinois use different labels for the same public-notice job.

Do I need a DBA if I only use my exact LLC legal name?

Usually no if the LLC only invoices, advertises, and banks under its exact articles name. Florida lists an active LLC not transacting under any other name as exempt from fictitious-name registration. A slight mismatch still counts — Cobb County treats any difference from the SOS name as a Georgia LLC trade name. File only when the brand differs.

Where do I file a DBA — Secretary of State or county clerk?

Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois file at the state (Sunbiz, Texas SOS, New York DOS, Illinois SOS). Georgia and California file with the county clerk — not eCorp, not bizfile. Wrong counter means a rejected filing. Confirm the desk and published fee in the six-state table on this page before you pay.

Is a DBA the same as the LLC legal name or a trademark?

No. A DBA is notice only — not USPTO trademark rights and not SOS legal-name clearance. Texas SOS instructions say the filing does not determine name priority or trademark rights. Florida lets two fictitious-name registrations share the same words. If the brand needs exclusive rights, talk to trademark counsel — this form is notice only.

Will my bank ask for a DBA filing?

Often yes if the account or brand is not the exact legal name on the articles. Keep the stamped DBA filing with the articles and the EIN letter before you open or retitle the account. Banks commonly want the filing that matches the brand on the signature card. See First business checking account for the usual document path.

How much does a DBA cost?

It varies by state and county — use the on-page table (Florida $50; Texas $25; New York $25; Illinois year-digit schedule; Georgia and California county). Cobb’s published $175 plus $40 publication is one county example, not a statewide Georgia fee. Pay the official desk; this page does not invent other county totals.

Do I still need newspaper publication?

Where the statute says so: Georgia once a week for two weeks; Florida at least once; California once a week for four successive weeks. Rates are set by the paper. Texas, New York, and Illinois follow the SOS assumed-name paths in the on-page fee table — confirm each desk before you publish.

Should I DIY the DBA or use a formation shop?

The primary path is the official desk in the six-state table — county clerk or state portal. A formation shop is convenience for ads or picky portals, not a substitute for the clerk’s stamp or newspaper affidavit where required. Keep the stamped filing next to the articles and the EIN letter.

Can an LLC have more than one DBA?

Yes. Each name is usually a separate filing; Texas, for example, requires a separate assumed name certificate ($25) for each assumed name. All of them still belong to the same LLC.

Does an LLC need a new EIN for a DBA?

No. A DBA is another name for the same company, not a new entity. When applying for an EIN, Form SS-4 has the legal name on line 1 and a trade name on line 2.

What this page does not cover

• Filing or paying anyone’s DBA, trade name, fictitious name, or assumed name. This is a publisher page, not a filing service.
• Federal or state trademark clearance, opposition, or registration.
• Every US state’s fee table. The six linked formation guides are the depth on this site.
• City business licenses, sales-tax permits, or professional-board names that happen to use the same brand.
• Sole-proprietor or general-partnership assumed names (Texas county-clerk filers, for example).
• Whether a foreign LLC must also qualify in the state — see Foreign LLC and certificate of authority.
• Acting as anyone’s lawyer, CPA, or formation agent. Formation Lane is a publisher only.