DBA Search: How to Look Up a Fictitious or Assumed Business Name

What a DBA is

DBA stands for “doing business as”. You’ll also see fictitious business name, assumed name and trade name. A sole proprietor named Dana Ruiz who trades as “Ruiz Plumbing” files one. So does an LLC called Harbor Holdings LLC that runs a shop called “The Tool Bench”. The filing tells the public who’s actually behind the sign.

A DBA isn’t a business entity. It creates no liability shield and no separate tax status. It’s a label with a public record attached.

State or county?

This is the part that varies. In the states we’ve checked:

• Everything with the state: Florida (Division of Corporations, $50, good for 5 years) and Pennsylvania (Department of State, $70, plus a newspaper ad). Ohio’s state business search also covers trade names and fictitious names.
• Companies with the state, individuals with the county: Texas (since September 1, 2019, LLCs and corporations file only with the Secretary of State, and sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk), New York (companies with the Department of State, individuals and partnerships with the county clerk) and Illinois (LLCs with the Secretary of State, sole proprietors and general partnerships with the county clerk). Michigan LLCs and corporations file a Certificate of Assumed Name with LARA.
• The county, with a state index: North Carolina files assumed business names with the county Register of Deeds, and filings made since December 1, 2017 are in a statewide database on the Secretary of State’s site.
• The county: California (the county clerk).

If you’re not sure, the state’s business search page usually says whether assumed names are included.

How to search

1. Start with the state business search and look for a “fictitious name”, “assumed name” or “trade name” option.
2. If the state doesn’t file DBAs for that kind of business, go to the county clerk’s or recorder’s site for the county where the business operates. Many have an online index. Some only take requests in person or by mail.
3. Search the trade name the way the public sees it, without “the” and without punctuation.
4. Note the registrant, the filing date and the expiration. DBAs don’t last forever: California’s expire after 5 years, Florida’s on December 31 of the fifth year, and a Texas certificate can run for up to 10 years.

What the record tells you

You get the registrant’s name and address, which is the real party behind the trade name. If the registrant is a person, that’s the owner. If it’s a company, you now have a legal name to look up in the state business search, and from there the registered agent and, in some states, the managers. The how to find an LLC owner guide picks up from there.

The record also shows when the name was first filed, which helps if you’re thinking about using something similar. A DBA doesn’t give the registrant exclusive rights to the name, but a long history of using it locally can.