Your business may have both a corporate name and a trade name also known as a fictitious name or a DBA (doing business as) name.
Typically, a corporate name includes the business type such as an LLC or LP. A “DBA” is more about branding.
It’s important to register your trade name to protect your logo, website, etc.
Go back to the Main Menu and this time, click on the Trade Name Registration Services button.
Next, choose whether you want to register your trade name for the first time or renew, cancel, or amend it.
For a new filing entity,
- Enter the owner’s name,
- The trade name you’ve selected,
- Your name and address,
- Your Registered Agent (Refer back to Corporate Registration section)
- Choose payment options (expedited or regular). The basic fee is $55, expedited is $100.
For filing a trade name for an existing business,
- Type in your legal name, enter search and click on your name which is hyperlinked,
- Type in your selected trade name
- Your name and address,
- Your Registered Agent
- Upload your Trade Name Consent Letter (Refer back to Corporate Registration section)
- Choose payment options (expedited or regular). The basic fee is $55, expedited is $100.
For renewing a trade name,
- A trade name must be renewed for two years from original registration date or last renewal date.
- Renewal deadline is by April 1st of every second year from the year of initial registration or last renewal.
- Renewal final deadline is by September 1st of the regular renewal deadline. Late fee equal to the renewal fee will be added to all renewals received after the initial renewal deadline of April 1st.
- Certain trade names can not be renewed due to the requirement that trade names must be distinguishable on record from other trade names or filing entity names. In that case, you will need to register a new trade name and modify the name for final approval.