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How to File a DBA in Nebraska

In Nebraska a DBA is a trade name you register statewide with the Secretary of State, publish once in a legal newspaper, and renew every 10 years. Attorney review available.

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Introduction

Nebraska gives a DBA an unusually long ten-year life, registering what it calls a trade name: the public filing that lets a person or business use a name different from its true legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-208). Unlike some states, Nebraska registers trade names statewide: you file an Application for Registration of Trade Name with the Nebraska Secretary of State, not with a county clerk (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210). The state fee is $100 for an electronic filing and $110 for a written filing, so one fee applies wherever in Nebraska you operate. Registering 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. After you register, Nebraska requires you to publish a notice of the trade name once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or village where the business is located, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the county if there is none locally, and then file proof of publication with the Secretary of State within 45 days of registration; if you miss that 45-day deadline, the registration is canceled (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-219). A Nebraska trade name registration is effective for ten years from the date of registration and may be renewed for successive ten-year terms by filing within the six months before it expires (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-211). DocDraft builds your Nebraska trade name application from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.

Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Registered statewide with the Nebraska Secretary of State rather than a county, a DBA here is called a trade name: a public registration that lets you do business under a name different from your true legal name (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-208), and it creates no separate legal entity.

  2. 2

    You register a Nebraska trade name statewide with the Nebraska Secretary of State, not with a county. You file an Application for Registration of Trade Name (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210).

  3. 3

    The state fee is $100 for an electronic filing and $110 for a written filing (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210). Because the filing is statewide, one fee applies no matter where in Nebraska you operate.

  4. 4

    After registration, Nebraska requires you to publish a notice of the trade name once in a legal newspaper of general circulation where the business is located, then file proof of publication with the Secretary of State within 45 days (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-219).

  5. 5

    If you do not file proof of publication within 45 days of registration, the Secretary of State cancels the registration (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-219). Track that deadline closely.

  6. 6

    A Nebraska trade name registration is effective for ten years from the date of registration and may be renewed for successive ten-year terms by filing within the six months before it expires (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-211).

  7. 7

    A trade name gives you no ownership of or 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 Nebraska, 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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TRADE NAME REGISTRATION (NEBRASKA DBA) (Filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State under Nebraska Revised Statutes sections 87-208 to 87-219.01)

This form registers a trade name, commonly called a DBA, under which the applicant named below will transact business in Nebraska. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-208, a trade name is every name under which a person does business other than the true name of that person. It is filed statewide with the Nebraska Secretary of State, not with a county.

  1. Trade Name. The trade name being registered is [TRADE NAME]. The name may not already be registered and may not be immoral, deceptive, or scandalous, and it should not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the applicant is in fact that type of entity.

  2. Applicant. The full legal name of the applicant is [APPLICANT LEGAL NAME]. The applicant is [an individual / a general partnership / a limited liability company / a corporation / other]. If the applicant is an entity, its state of organization is [STATE].

  3. Applicant Address. The mailing address of the applicant is [STREET ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP].

  4. Principal Place of Business. The business is located in [CITY OR VILLAGE], [COUNTY] County, Nebraska, at [STREET ADDRESS]. This location sets the newspaper used for the required publication.

  5. Nature of Business. The general nature of the business conducted under the trade name is [DESCRIBE THE BUSINESS].

  6. Date of First Use. The applicant first used or will first use the trade name in Nebraska on [DATE].

  7. Filing and Fee. The applicant files this application with the Nebraska Secretary of State and pays the state fee, which is $100 for an electronic filing and $110 for a written filing (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210). Nebraska registers trade names statewide, so there is no county filing and one fee applies wherever the business operates.

  8. Publication. After registration, the applicant publishes a notice of the trade name once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or village where the business is located, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the county if there is none locally, and files proof of publication with the Secretary of State within 45 days of registration. If proof is not filed within 45 days, the registration is canceled (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-219).

  9. Term and Declaration. This registration is effective for ten years from the date of registration and may be renewed for successive ten-year terms by an application filed within the six months before it expires (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-211). The applicant declares that the information in this application is true. Registering a trade name does not create a 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.

Dated: ____________

[APPLICANT SIGNATURE] [PRINTED NAME AND TITLE]

Note: This Nebraska statement follows Nebraska Revised Statutes sections 87-208 to 87-219.01. The Secretary of State sets the form and fee, and the publication rule and ten-year term are set by state law. For other states and the generic template, see the DBA (Doing Business As) hub.

Nebraska Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)

Register With the Secretary of State

In Nebraska a DBA is a trade name registered statewide with the Nebraska Secretary of State, not with a county (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210). You file an Application for Registration of Trade Name.

State Filing Fee

The state fee is 100 dollars for an electronic filing and 110 dollars for a written filing (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210). One statewide fee applies wherever in Nebraska the business operates.

The Trade Name

The exact trade name to register. It may not already be registered and may not be immoral, deceptive, or scandalous, and it should not imply a corporation or LLC unless the applicant is that type of entity.

Applicant and Business Type

The full legal name of the applicant and whether the applicant is an individual, a general partnership, a limited liability company, or a corporation. For an entity, list the state of organization.

Principal Place of Business

The city or village and county where the business is located. This location sets the newspaper used for the required publication of the trade name.

Newspaper Publication

After registration, publish a notice of the trade name once in a legal newspaper of general circulation where the business is located, then file proof of publication with the Secretary of State within 45 days (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-219).

Ten-Year Term and Renewal

A Nebraska trade name registration is effective for ten years from the date of registration and may be renewed for successive ten-year terms by filing within the six months before it expires (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-211).

No Entity, No Trademark, No Liability Shield

A Nebraska 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 partner.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Nebraska a DBA is a trade name, a public filing that lets a person or company do business under a name different from its true legal name (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-208). You register it by filing an Application for Registration of Trade Name with the Nebraska Secretary of State. 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 Nebraska a DBA (trade name) is only a name registration you file with the Secretary of State; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. A Nebraska LLC is a separate legal entity you form by filing a certificate of organization with the 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 register a Nebraska trade name statewide with the Nebraska Secretary of State, not with a county (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-210). You file an Application for Registration of Trade Name. The state fee is $100 for an electronic filing and $110 for a written filing. Because the filing is statewide, one fee applies no matter where in Nebraska your business operates.

Yes. After you register the trade name, Nebraska requires you to publish a notice of it once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or village where the business is located, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the county if there is none locally (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-219). You then file proof of publication with the Secretary of State within 45 days of registration, or the registration is canceled.

A Nebraska trade name registration is effective for a term of ten years from the date of registration (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-211). To keep the name you renew it by filing an application within the six months before the term expires, and it may be renewed for successive ten-year terms. Track the ten-year expiration so your registration does not lapse and the name does not become available to others.

You register a Nebraska trade name when you regularly transact business under a name that is different from your true legal name, such as a sole proprietor operating under a brand or a company using a name other than its registered name (Neb. Rev. Stat. 87-208). Registering puts the name on the public record with the Secretary of State and lets you use it consistently, for example to bank and contract under the trade name.

No. A Nebraska trade 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 use a similar name. It also creates no separate legal entity, so a sole proprietor who registers 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 Nebraska Application for Registration of Trade Name identifies the applicant that owns the business and will use the name, and a general partnership registers in the name of the partnership with the partners as the applicant. The applicant signs the application filed with the Secretary of State. If ownership or the name later changes, you file a statement of change so the public record stays accurate.