How to File a DBA in California
In California a DBA is a Fictitious Business Name Statement filed with your county clerk, then published in a newspaper for four weeks. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
A California DBA carries a step most states skip: after you register a Fictitious Business Name (FBN), a business name different from the owner's legal name that creates no separate legal entity, you must publish it in a newspaper for four successive weeks. California does not file DBAs with the state. You file a Fictitious Business Name Statement with the county clerk of the county where your principal place of business is located (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17915), so there is no single statewide form or fee; each county issues its own form and sets its own fee. As an example, Los Angeles County charges $26 to register one business name and one registrant, and adds a smaller fee for each additional name or owner, so check your own county clerk for its current fee. Filing an FBN 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. After you file, California requires you to publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in that county once a week for four successive weeks, beginning within 30 days after the statement is filed, and then file an affidavit of publication with the county clerk (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17917). A California Fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed, and you refile to keep using the name (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17920). DocDraft builds your California fictitious business name statement from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
- 1
California registers a DBA at the county clerk rather than with the state, calling it a Fictitious Business Name (FBN). It is a business name different from the owner's legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity.
- 2
You file a Fictitious Business Name Statement with the county clerk of the county where your principal place of business is located (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17915). California has no statewide DBA filing.
- 3
There is no statewide California form or fee. Each county issues its own form and sets its own fee (for example, Los Angeles County charges $26 for one name and one registrant), so confirm the fee with your county clerk.
- 4
California requires you to publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county once a week for four successive weeks, beginning within 30 days of filing, then file an affidavit of publication (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17917).
- 5
A California Fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed. You refile before or after it expires to keep using the name (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17920).
- 6
A DBA does not give you any ownership of or exclusive right to the name, and it does not limit your liability. A sole proprietor with an FBN is still personally responsible for the business.
- 7
You must file an FBN in California when you regularly do business under a name that does not include the surname of each owner, or that suggests additional owners, or for a company under a name other than its registered name.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in California, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The DBA (Doing Business As) guide walks through them.
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California Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)
File With the County Clerk
In California a DBA is a Fictitious Business Name Statement filed with the county clerk of the county where the principal place of business is located, not with the state (Cal. Bus. and Prof. Code 17915). California has no statewide DBA filing.
County-Set Form and Fee
There is no statewide California form or fee. Each county issues its own form and sets its own fee, so confirm the amount with your county clerk. As an example, Los Angeles County charges 26 dollars for one name and one registrant.
The Fictitious Business Name
The exact fictitious name to register. It must not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the registrant is that type of entity, and a filing is required when the name omits the surname of each owner or suggests additional owners.
Registrant and Owners
The full legal name and address of the registrant, the type of registrant, and the name and address of each additional owner. For a general partnership, every partner is listed and signs the statement.
Principal Place of Business
The street address and county of the principal place of business, which sets the county where you file. A registrant with no California place of business files with the Clerk of Sacramento County.
Newspaper Publication
Within 30 days after filing, publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county once a week for four successive weeks, then file an affidavit of publication with the county clerk (Cal. Bus. and Prof. Code 17917).
Five-Year Expiration
A California Fictitious Business Name Statement expires five years from the date it was filed (Cal. Bus. and Prof. Code 17920). Refile to keep using the name, and file a new statement if an owner, address, or the name changes.
No Entity, No Trademark, No Liability Shield
A California DBA is only a name registration. It creates no separate legal entity, gives no exclusive right or trademark in the name, and does not limit the personal liability of a sole proprietor or general partner.