How to File a DBA in Minnesota
In Minnesota a DBA is a Certificate of Assumed Name filed with the Secretary of State, then published in a county newspaper for two issues. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
Minnesota still requires newspaper publication for a DBA, which it calls a Certificate of Assumed Name: the public filing that lets a person or business use a name different from the owner's legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity. Unlike some states, Minnesota does not register assumed names at the county level. You file the Certificate of Assumed Name statewide with the Minnesota Secretary of State, setting out the assumed name, the business address, and the true name and address of every person conducting the business (Minn. Stat. 333.01). The filing fee is $30 for each assumed name filing, and expedited or online service adds a $20 surcharge, so filing online costs $50 (Minn. Stat. 333.055 and 5.14). Filing an assumed 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. After you file, Minnesota requires you to publish the certificate in a qualified newspaper in the county where you have your principal or registered office for two successive issues (Minn. Stat. 333.01). A Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name is effective when it is filed and stays in effect as long as you file an annual renewal in each calendar year; there is no fee for the annual renewal, and the certificate expires in the year after a calendar year in which you did not renew (Minn. Stat. 333.055). DocDraft builds your Minnesota certificate of assumed name from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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Registered statewide with the Minnesota Secretary of State rather than a county, a DBA here is called a Certificate of Assumed Name: a public registration that lets you conduct business under a name that does not state the true name of every owner, and it creates no separate legal entity.
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You file the Certificate of Assumed Name statewide with the Minnesota Secretary of State, not with a county (Minn. Stat. 333.01). The certificate sets out the assumed name, the business address, and the true name and address of each person conducting the business.
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The filing fee is $30 for each assumed name filing (Minn. Stat. 333.055). Expedited or online service adds a $20 surcharge (Minn. Stat. 5.14), so filing online costs $50. There is no fee for the annual renewal.
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After filing, Minnesota requires you to publish the certificate in a qualified newspaper in the county of your principal or registered office for two successive issues (Minn. Stat. 333.01).
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A Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name is effective when filed and stays in effect as long as you file an annual renewal in each calendar year. No fee is charged for the renewal, so the name is perpetual as long as you keep renewing (Minn. Stat. 333.055).
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A DBA does not give you ownership of or an exclusive right to the name, and it does not limit your liability. A sole proprietor with an assumed name is still personally responsible for the business.
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You must file a Certificate of Assumed Name in Minnesota when you conduct a commercial business under a name that does not set forth the true name of every person interested in the business (Minn. Stat. 333.01).
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Minnesota, 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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Minnesota Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)
In Minnesota a DBA is a Certificate of Assumed Name filed statewide with the Minnesota Secretary of State, not with a county (Minn. Stat. 333.01). The certificate sets out the assumed name, the business address, and the true name and address of each person conducting the business.
The Secretary of State charges 30 dollars for each assumed name filing (Minn. Stat. 333.055). Expedited or online service adds a 20 dollar surcharge (Minn. Stat. 5.14), so filing online costs 50 dollars. No fee is charged for the annual renewal.
The exact assumed name to register. A filing is required when the name does not set forth the true name of every person interested in the business, and the name must not imply a corporation or LLC unless the filer is that type of entity.
The true legal name and complete address of each person conducting business under the assumed name. Every owner is listed, and one of the persons conducting the business signs the certificate.
The business address and the county of the principal or registered office. That county sets where the certificate must be published after it is filed with the Secretary of State.
After filing, publish the certificate in a qualified newspaper in the county of the principal or registered office for two successive issues (Minn. Stat. 333.01). Keep proof of publication with the business records.
A Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name is effective when filed and stays in effect as long as an annual renewal is filed each calendar year, with no renewal fee (Minn. Stat. 333.055). It expires the year after a year the renewal was skipped and may be reinstated with a 25 dollar fee.
A Minnesota 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 partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Minnesota a DBA is a Certificate of Assumed Name, a public filing that lets a person or company conduct business under a name that does not set forth the true name of every owner. You register it by filing the certificate with the Minnesota Secretary of State (Minn. Stat. 333.01). It connects the assumed name to the people behind it on the public record. It does not create a separate legal entity, protect the name, or limit your liability.
In Minnesota a DBA (certificate of assumed name) is only a name registration you file with the Secretary of State; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. A Minnesota LLC is a separate legal entity you form by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, and it shields the owners' personal assets. You can have both, since an existing LLC can file an assumed name to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.
You file the Certificate of Assumed Name statewide with the Minnesota Secretary of State, not with a county (Minn. Stat. 333.01). The fee is $30 for each assumed name filing (Minn. Stat. 333.055). Expedited or online filing adds a $20 surcharge under Minn. Stat. 5.14, so filing online costs $50. The annual renewal that keeps the name active carries no fee.
Yes. After filing your Certificate of Assumed Name, Minnesota requires you to publish it in a qualified newspaper in the county where you have your principal or registered office for two successive issues (Minn. Stat. 333.01). The publication puts the assumed name and the owners behind it on public notice. Keep proof of the publication with your business records.
A Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name is effective when it is filed and stays in effect as long as you file an annual renewal in each calendar year (Minn. Stat. 333.055). There is no fee for the annual renewal, so the assumed name can last indefinitely as long as you keep renewing. If you skip a year, the certificate expires in the following calendar year, and you can reinstate it by filing the renewal with a $25 reinstatement fee.
You generally need a Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name when you conduct a commercial business under a name that does not set forth the true name of every person interested in the business (Minn. Stat. 333.01). A sole proprietor using only their own full legal name usually does not need one. If your business or brand name leaves out an owner's true name, Minnesota expects the assumed name to be filed and published.
No. A Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name is a public record connecting an assumed name to the people 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 filing an assumed 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 Minnesota Certificate of Assumed Name lists the true name and address of every person conducting business under the assumed name (Minn. Stat. 333.01). For a business with several owners, each is named on the certificate. One of the persons conducting the business signs it, and the Secretary of State records the assumed name with all of the listed owners on the one certificate.