Skip to content

How to File a DBA in Arizona

In Arizona a DBA is a trade name registered with the Secretary of State for $10. Registration is voluntary and lasts five years, with no newspaper publication. Attorney review available.

Find out where you stand in Arizona

What kind of business is registering the name?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

For a filing fee of just $10, Arizona lets a business register a trade name, its term for a DBA, meaning a name different from the business's legal name; the registration puts the name on the public record but creates no separate legal entity. Registering a trade name in Arizona is voluntary. The Arizona Secretary of State says a trade name is similar to a doing business as (DBA) name and is not legally required, but it is an acceptable business practice, so a business may choose to file to put its name on the public record. You register statewide with the Arizona Secretary of State, not with a county, under Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1460, and the filing fee is $10. Filing a trade name does not create a corporation or an LLC, does not shield the owner from liability, and does not give a trademark or an exclusive right to the name; the Secretary of State states plainly that a trade name does not grant exclusive rights to a business name. Registering does place your use of the name on the public record and gives you priority as against later filers. Arizona does not require you to publish the trade name in a newspaper. A trade name lasts five years from the date it is received, and you renew it for another five years by filing a renewal with the Secretary of State for a $10 fee. DocDraft builds your Arizona trade name application from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Arizona registers a DBA as a trade name for a $10 fee under Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1460. A trade name is a business name different from your legal name, placed on the public record, and it creates no separate legal entity.

  2. 2

    Registering a trade name in Arizona is voluntary. The Secretary of State says it is not legally required but is an acceptable business practice, so you file to put your name on the public record and establish priority, not because the law forces you to.

  3. 3

    You register statewide with the Arizona Secretary of State, not with a county clerk. The filing fee is $10, so Arizona has one statewide fee rather than fees that vary by county.

  4. 4

    Arizona does not require you to publish the trade name in a newspaper. Once the Secretary of State records your trade name there is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file.

  5. 5

    An Arizona trade name lasts five years from the date it is received by the Secretary of State. You renew it for another five years by filing a renewal with the Secretary of State for a $10 fee.

  6. 6

    A trade name does not give you an exclusive right to the name. The Secretary of State states that a trade name does not grant exclusive rights to a business name, so registering gives you a public record and priority as against later filers, not ownership of the name.

  7. 7

    A trade name does not limit your liability. A sole proprietor who registers a trade name is still personally responsible for the business, and for liability protection you would form an LLC or a corporation.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Arizona, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The DBA (Doing Business As) guide walks through them.

Open the DBA (Doing Business As) guide

Customize your DBA (Doing Business As) Template with DocDraft

Arizona Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)

  • Register With the Secretary of State

    In Arizona a DBA is a trade name registered statewide with the Arizona Secretary of State, not with a county clerk (Arizona Revised Statutes 44-1460). There is no county filing for an Arizona trade name.

  • Voluntary Registration

    Registering a trade name in Arizona is voluntary. The Secretary of State says it is not legally required but is an acceptable business practice, so you file to put the name on the public record and establish priority rather than because the law forces you to.

  • Statewide Ten Dollar Fee

    Arizona has one statewide trade name filing fee of 10 dollars, paid to the Secretary of State. The fee does not vary by county because the filing is made at the state level.

  • The Trade Name

    The exact trade name to register. It must be distinguishable on the record from other names on file, and it must not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the applicant is that type of entity.

  • Applicant and Owner of Record

    The full legal name and address of the applicant, the type of applicant, and the owner that will use the trade name. For a general partnership, the partnership is the owner of record and the partners are identified.

  • No Newspaper Publication

    Arizona does not require publication of a trade name in a newspaper. Once the Secretary of State records the trade name there is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file.

  • Five Year Term and Renewal

    An Arizona trade name lasts five years from the date it is received by the Secretary of State. File a renewal for another five years for a 10 dollar fee, and a 3 dollar amendment if the owner, address, or legal name on file changes.

  • No Entity, No Trademark, No Liability Shield

    An Arizona trade name is only a name registration. The Secretary of State states it does not grant exclusive rights to the name, it creates no separate legal entity, and it does not limit the personal liability of a sole proprietor or general partner.

Frequently Asked Questions