How to File a DBA in Florida
In Florida a DBA is a Fictitious Name you register in one statewide filing with the Division of Corporations for $50, after advertising it once in a local newspaper. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
Florida makes you advertise a DBA in a newspaper before you can register it, a step most states do not require; the registration itself, called a Fictitious Name, lets a person or business use a name different from the owner's legal name and creates no separate legal entity. Unlike states that file at the county level, Florida uses one statewide registration. You file the Application for Registration of Fictitious Name (Form CR4E001) with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), part of the Department of State, and the fee is $50 (Fla. Stat. 865.09). There is no separate county filing and no county-set fee, so the $50 is the same across Florida. Before you register, at least one registrant must certify that the intention to register the fictitious name has been advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county where the principal place of business is located (Fla. Stat. 865.09(3)(a)5.). Registering a fictitious 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. A Florida fictitious name registration is valid until it expires on December 31 of the 5th calendar year after you register, and you renew it for another five years for a $50 fee (Fla. Stat. 865.09(5)(a), (6)(a)). DocDraft builds your Florida fictitious name application from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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Florida files a DBA, called a Fictitious Name, once statewide with the Division of Corporations for a $50 fee rather than county by county. It is a business name different from the owner's legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity.
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You register in one statewide filing with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) using the Application for Registration of Fictitious Name, Form CR4E001 (Fla. Stat. 865.09). Florida has no county-level DBA filing.
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The filing fee is $50, the same across Florida. There is no county-set fee, so you do not pay a different amount depending on where in the state your business is located.
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Before registering, at least one registrant must certify that the intention to register the fictitious name has been advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of the principal place of business (Fla. Stat. 865.09(3)(a)5.).
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A Florida fictitious name registration expires on December 31 of the 5th calendar year after you register. You renew it for another five years for a $50 fee, filed on or after January 1 and on or before December 31 of the expiration year (Fla. Stat. 865.09(5)(a), (6)(a)).
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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 a fictitious name is still personally responsible for the business.
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You must register a fictitious name in Florida before you engage in business under a name that is different from your legal name, because Florida law can bar an unregistered business from maintaining a court action until it registers.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Florida, 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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Florida Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)
In Florida a DBA is a fictitious name registered in one statewide filing with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), not with a county clerk (Fla. Stat. 865.09). Florida has no county-level DBA filing.
You register using the Application for Registration of Fictitious Name, Form CR4E001, and pay a 50 dollar fee. The fee is the same across Florida because there is no county-set fee, and you can file online or by mail.
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 registration is required before doing business under a name that differs from the legal name.
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 at least one registrant signs the application.
The county where the principal place of business is located. This county controls where the required newspaper advertisement of the fictitious name is published before you register.
At least one registrant must certify that the intention to register the fictitious name has been advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of the principal place of business, as required before registration (Fla. Stat. 865.09).
A Florida fictitious name registration expires on December 31 of the 5th calendar year after registration (Fla. Stat. 865.09). Renew it for another five years for a 50 dollar fee, filed on or after January 1 and on or before December 31 of the expiration year.
A Florida 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Florida a DBA is a Fictitious 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 in one statewide filing with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) using the Application for Registration of Fictitious Name (Fla. Stat. 865.09). 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 Florida a DBA (fictitious name) is only a name registration you file with the Division of Corporations; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. A Florida LLC is a separate legal entity you form by filing Articles of Organization with the Division of Corporations, and it shields the owners' personal assets. You can have both, since an existing LLC can register a fictitious name to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.
You file one statewide Application for Registration of Fictitious Name (Form CR4E001) with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), not with a county clerk (Fla. Stat. 865.09). The fee is $50, and it is the same across Florida because there is no county-level filing or county-set fee. You can file online or by mail. A certificate of status for the registration is an optional extra charged separately.
Yes. Before you register, Florida requires that the intention to register the fictitious name be advertised at least once in a newspaper located in the county where the principal place of business is located, and at least one registrant certifies on the application that this was done (Fla. Stat. 865.09(3)(a)5.). You do not have to run the notice for multiple weeks; one publication meets the rule. Keep proof, though you file the certification rather than the affidavit itself.
A Florida fictitious name registration is valid until it expires on December 31 of the 5th calendar year after you register (Fla. Stat. 865.09(5)(a)). To keep the name you file a renewal for another five years, on or after January 1 and on or before December 31 of the expiration year, for a $50 fee (Fla. Stat. 865.09(6)(a)). Track the December 31 expiration so the registration does not lapse, because an expired name is not reinstated.
You generally need to register a Florida fictitious name before you engage in business under any name that is different from your own legal name or your company's registered legal name. Registering on time matters because Florida law can bar a business that has not registered its fictitious name from maintaining a court action in the state until it registers. If you operate only under your exact legal name, you do not need a fictitious name registration.
No. A Florida fictitious name registration 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 register or use a similar name. It also creates no separate legal entity, so a sole proprietor with a fictitious 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 Florida Application for Registration of Fictitious Name lists each owner of the business that will use the name, whether the owners are individuals or entities. For a general partnership, the partners are listed as the owners. At least one registrant signs the application and certifies the newspaper advertisement. The Division of Corporations records the owners together on the one statewide registration for the fictitious name.