DBA registration service

I used a parallel web-search-and-extract approach (search_and_extract_tool) with a detailed hop query asking for authoritative, state-by-state information about DBA (doing business as / assumed name / fictitious business name) registration across the United States, prioritizing official government pages (Secretary of State, county clerk) and high-quality secondary resources.

I instructed the tool to gather, compress, and surface: the official term used per state; the filing authority (state vs county vs city); filing steps and required forms; typical fees; duration/renewal; publication requirements; whether LLCs/corporations must file; name search/reservation rules; online filing availability; and to collect authoritative URLs.

The searches used terms such as: 'DBA [state] filing', 'assumed name [state] filing', 'fictitious business name [state] fee', 'doing business as [state] secretary of state', and 'assumed name certificate [state]'.

Summary of key findings and patterns (actionable, state-level guidance framework):

Filing authority varies by state and by entity type - Many states require DBA/assumed-name filings at the Secretary of State (state-level) for corporations and LLCs, while sole proprietors and general partnerships often file at the county or city level. Several states use county clerks for all fictitious name filings. (See Harbor Compliance findings below.)

Three common statutory names - States use different official terms

'Assumed Name', 'Fictitious Business Name', 'Trade Name', 'Doing Business As (DBA)', or 'Assumed/Trade Name Certificate'. Expect term variation when researching a specific state. 3) Publication requirements - Some states/counties require that a newly filed fictitious name be published in a local newspaper for a set number of weeks (California is a well-known example; many counties in CA require 4 consecutive weekly notices). Publication requirements are a major compliance differentiator among states. 4) Renewal and duration - Many states that require filings use a 5-year renewal cycle, but some differ. Some registrations do not expire or must be renewed more frequently; check the specific state/county rules. 5) Fees vary widely - Filing fees range from single-digit amounts (e.g., $5–$10 in some jurisdictions) up to $150 or more depending on state, entity type, and county. Fees can also differ for corporations/LLCs vs sole proprietorships.

Name uniqueness and reservation - Some states check name uniqueness and will block duplicates; others record the name without granting exclusive rights. Certain states allow name reservation prior to filing.

LLCs/corporations - LLCs and corporations typically must register an assumed name at the state (Secretary of State) level when they intend to use a name other than their legal entity name. Sole proprietors and partnerships commonly register at county level.

City, county, and multi-jurisdiction filing - A DBA may need to be filed in multiple jurisdictions if you operate in multiple counties/cities (e.g., MA registers DBAs at city/town level). A multi-jurisdictional filing strategy may be required.

Federal considerations & trademarks - A DBA is a local/state registration only; it does not create federal trademark rights. Business owners should search the USPTO database and consider trademark registration for national protection. DBAs do not create a separate legal entity and generally do not change tax classification

an EIN is sometimes required depending on entity structure and tax status, but a DBA itself does not automatically require a separate EIN.

Practical checklist for US business owners & LLC founders (to include in blog/DBA service guidance)

- Step 1: Choose a name and run availability checks: state entity search, county fictitious name index, and USPTO trademark search. - Step 2: Determine correct filing authority (Secretary of State vs county clerk vs city) based on state and entity type. - Step 3: Prepare and complete the required form(s) and pay applicable fees (save receipts). - Step 4: Comply with publication requirements where applicable (e.g., CA counties) and obtain affidavit/proof of publication if required. - Step 5: File any amendments/renewals within statutory deadlines and track expiration/renewal dates. - Step 6: Update business bank accounts, licenses, and contracts to reflect the DBA if used for payments or public-facing operations. - Step 7: Consider trademark registration for broader protection and consult a tax advisor about EIN and reporting implications. Representative state-level differences and quick examples (illustrative, not exhaustive): - California: County-level filing (fictitious business name statements) with publication requirement (commonly 4 consecutive weekly notices); fees vary by county. - Texas: 'Assumed name'; corporations/LLCs file with Secretary of State ($25 at SOS); sole proprietors file at county level (county fees vary). - Florida: State-level 'Fictitious Name' filing (Division of Corporations) with $50 fee; publication varies by local rules. - States with limited/no filing requirement: Harbor Compliance and other resources list several states where no statewide fictitious name filing is required for some business types (e.g., Delaware, Kansas, Mississippi noted as examples in secondary sources) — but always confirm at local/county level. Limitations and next research steps - The search collected high-quality, authoritative secondary sources and some aggregated state lists, but a fully exhaustive per-state canonical table (each state's exact filing office, exact form names and fees, publication periods, renewal intervals, and live direct links to the official page for every single state and the most relevant counties) would require targeted scraping of individual Secretary of State and major county clerk pages (up to 50+ state pages and representative county pages). If you want a complete state-by-state table (50 states + DC) with exact current fees, form filenames, filing URLs, and specific publication/renewal language pulled directly from each state's official source, I can run another extraction step focused on official government URLs (limit ~5 URLs per extract_engine_tool call) in parallel batches. Conclusion and readiness to produce deliverables - Using the collected sources I can now generate: (A) a comprehensive blog post tailored to US business owners and LLC founders that covers general rules, compliance checklist, and examples; and (B) an optional appendix with state-specific guidance (either high-level patterns or a full 50-state detailed table). Please confirm whether you want a high-level blog with representative state examples or a fully detailed state-by-state appendix. If you choose the full appendix, I will run additional, targeted extractions for official Secretary of State and county clerk pages to ensure fee and procedural accuracy for each state.