How to File a DBA in Delaware
In Delaware a DBA is a trade name certificate filed statewide with the Division of Revenue for $25, with no newspaper publication and no fixed renewal. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
Delaware is the rare state that registers a DBA through its Division of Revenue rather than a court or the Secretary of State; filed as a trade name, it lets a person or business use a name different from the owner's legal name and creates no separate legal entity. Delaware changed how this works: as of February 2, 2026, trade names are managed by the Delaware Division of Revenue instead of the Superior Court, so you no longer file with the Prothonotary in each county. You file one trade name certificate statewide with the Division of Revenue, through the Delaware One Stop portal, when your business name does not disclose the legal name of each owner (6 Del. C. 3101). The statewide filing fee is $25 (6 Del. C. 3103), and the Division of Revenue records the certificate in the Delaware Trade Name Registry. 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. Delaware does not require you to publish a trade name notice in a newspaper, and the statute sets no fixed expiration or periodic renewal for the certificate. The person signing provides an affidavit that the facts stated are true and correct, and if the membership of the business changes you file a supplemental certificate within 10 days (6 Del. C. 3102). DocDraft builds your Delaware trade name certificate from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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Delaware registers a DBA as a trade name filed statewide through the Division of Revenue's One Stop portal since February 2026. It is a business name different from the owner's legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity.
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You file one trade name certificate with the Delaware Division of Revenue, not with a county and not with the Secretary of State (6 Del. C. 3101). As of February 2, 2026 the Division of Revenue manages trade names, which the Superior Court handled before.
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Delaware registers trade names statewide, so there is one filing and one fee. The filing fee is $25 (6 Del. C. 3103), and you file through the Delaware One Stop online portal.
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You must register a trade name when your business name does not disclose the legal name of each owner (6 Del. C. 3101). A sole proprietor using their own full legal name may not need one.
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Delaware does not require you to publish a trade name notice in a newspaper. There is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file after you register.
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The Delaware trade name statute sets no fixed expiration and no periodic renewal for the certificate. You file a supplemental certificate within 10 days if the membership of the business changes (6 Del. C. 3102).
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A trade name does not give you ownership of or an exclusive right to the name, and it does not limit your liability. A sole proprietor with a trade name is still personally responsible for the business.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Delaware, 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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Delaware Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)
In Delaware a DBA is a trade name certificate filed with the Delaware Division of Revenue, not with a county and not with the Secretary of State (6 Del. C. 3101). Since February 2, 2026 the Division of Revenue manages trade names, which the Superior Court handled before.
Delaware registers trade names statewide, so you file one certificate and pay one fee. The filing fee is 25 dollars (6 Del. C. 3103), and you file through the Delaware One Stop online portal.
The exact trade 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 registration is required when the name does not disclose the legal name of each owner.
The full legal name and address of the registrant, the type of registrant, and the legal name of each member who makes up a firm or association, since a trade name must disclose the legal name of every owner.
The Delaware street address and county of the principal place of business under the trade name, plus a mailing address if it differs. The filing itself is statewide with the Division of Revenue.
Delaware does not require you to publish a trade name notice in a newspaper. Once the Division of Revenue records the certificate in the Delaware Trade Name Registry, there is no publication step and no affidavit of publication to file.
The Delaware trade name statute sets no fixed expiration and no periodic renewal for the certificate. File a supplemental certificate with the Division of Revenue within 10 days if the membership of the business changes (6 Del. C. 3102).
A Delaware trade name 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Delaware a DBA is registered as a trade name, a public filing that lets a person or company do business under a name different from the owner's legal name. You register it by filing a trade name certificate with the Delaware Division of Revenue (6 Del. C. 3101), which records it in the Delaware Trade Name Registry. It connects the name to you on the public record. It does not create a separate legal entity, protect the name, or limit your liability.
In Delaware a DBA (trade name) is only a name registration you file with the Division of Revenue; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. A Delaware LLC is a separate legal entity you form by filing a Certificate of Formation with the Delaware Secretary of State, and it shields the owners' personal assets. You can have both, since an existing LLC can register a trade name to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.
You file a trade name certificate with the Delaware Division of Revenue, not with a county clerk and not with the Secretary of State (6 Del. C. 3101). Since February 2, 2026 the Division of Revenue manages trade names, which the Superior Court handled before. Registration is statewide, so you file once, and the filing fee is $25 (6 Del. C. 3103). You file through the Delaware One Stop online portal.
No. Delaware does not require you to publish a trade name notice in a newspaper. Once you file the certificate with the Division of Revenue and it is recorded in the Delaware Trade Name Registry, there is no separate publication step and no affidavit of publication to file. This is different from states that require a newspaper notice after filing a fictitious name.
The Delaware trade name statute sets no fixed expiration and no periodic renewal for the trade name certificate, so it does not lapse on a set schedule the way a five-year registration in some other states does. If the membership of the business changes, you file a supplemental certificate with the Division of Revenue within 10 days of the change (6 Del. C. 3102). You register and manage the related Delaware business license through the Delaware One Stop portal.
You need to register a Delaware trade name when you regularly do business under a name that does not disclose the legal name of each owner, or, for a firm or association, the legal name of each member (6 Del. C. 3101). A sole proprietor operating under their own full legal name generally does not need one. Registering puts the name and the owners on the public Delaware Trade Name Registry.
No. A Delaware trade name certificate is a public record connecting a name to the person using it, but it gives no ownership of or exclusive right to the name, so another business could use a similar name. It also creates no separate legal entity, so a sole proprietor using a trade name remains personally liable for the business. For exclusive name rights you would seek a trademark, and for liability protection you would form an LLC or corporation.
Yes. A Delaware trade name certificate can be filed by a firm or association, and it must state the legal name of each and every member who makes up the firm (6 Del. C. 3101). The person signing provides an affidavit that the facts stated are true and correct. If the membership later changes, a supplemental certificate is filed with the Division of Revenue within 10 days (6 Del. C. 3102).