How to File a DBA in Oregon
In Oregon a DBA is an assumed business name registered statewide with the Secretary of State for a $50 fee, with no newspaper publication. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
An Oregon DBA, called an assumed business name (ABN), must be renewed every two years, and it is the public filing that lets a person or business use a name different from the owner's legal name. Oregon does not file DBAs with a county clerk. You register the assumed business name statewide with the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division, and you can file online or by mail (ORS 648.007). The fee is $50 for a new registration. Any person or business that regularly carries on business under a name that is not its real and true name must register that assumed business name. Registering an ABN 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. Unlike some states, Oregon requires no newspaper publication of an assumed business name, so there is no notice to publish and no proof of publication to file. An Oregon assumed business name registration lasts two years: you must apply to renew within 30 days before the second anniversary of the date the Secretary of State registered the name, and the renewal fee is $50 (ORS 648.017). If you do not renew on time the Secretary of State can cancel the registration, so track the two-year date. DocDraft builds your Oregon assumed business name registration from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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An Oregon assumed business name (ABN), the state's term for a DBA, must be renewed every two years. It is a public registration that lets you use a business name different from the owner's legal name, and it creates no separate legal entity.
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You register the assumed business name statewide with the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division, not with a county clerk, and you can file online or by mail (ORS 648.007).
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The Oregon fee is $50 for a new assumed business name registration. There is one statewide form and fee, unlike states where each county sets its own.
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Oregon requires no newspaper publication of an assumed business name. Chapter 648 has no publication mandate, so there is no notice to run and no affidavit to file.
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An Oregon assumed business name registration lasts two years. You must apply to renew within 30 days before the second anniversary of the registration date, and the renewal fee is $50 (ORS 648.017).
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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 an ABN is still personally responsible for the business.
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You must register an assumed business name in Oregon when you regularly carry on business under a name that is not the real and true name of the owner or the registered legal name of the entity.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Oregon, 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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Oregon Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)
In Oregon a DBA is an assumed business name registered statewide with the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division, not with a county clerk (ORS 648.007). You can file online through the Oregon Business Registry or by mail.
Oregon has one statewide assumed business name form and fee. The fee is 50 dollars for a new registration, unlike states where each county sets its own form and fee.
The exact assumed business 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 is not the real and true name of the owner.
The full real and true name and address of the registrant, the type of registrant, and the name and address of each additional owner or authorized representative. For a general partnership, the partners are listed.
The street address of the principal place of business and the Oregon counties in which the registrant conducts business, or a statement that the registrant operates in all counties. The registration itself is statewide.
Oregon requires no newspaper publication of an assumed business name. Chapter 648 has no publication mandate, so there is no notice to run in a local paper and no affidavit of publication to file after you register.
An Oregon assumed business name registration lasts two years. You must apply to renew within 30 days before the second anniversary of the registration date, and the renewal fee is 50 dollars (ORS 648.017). If you do not renew on time the Secretary of State can cancel it.
An Oregon 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 Oregon a DBA is an assumed business name (ABN), 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 with the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division, online or by mail (ORS 648.007). It connects the name to you on the statewide public record. It does not create a separate legal entity, protect the name, or limit your liability.
In Oregon a DBA (assumed business name) is only a name registration you file with the Secretary of State; it creates no new entity and gives no liability protection. An Oregon 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 register an ABN to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.
You register an assumed business name statewide with the Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division, not with a county (ORS 648.007). You can file online through the Oregon Business Registry or by mail. The fee is $50 for a new registration. Because filing is at the state level, there is one form and one fee across Oregon, so you do not deal with separate county offices or county fees.
No. Oregon does not require you to publish an assumed business name in a newspaper. Chapter 648 of the Oregon Revised Statutes contains no publication mandate, so after you register with the Secretary of State there is no notice to run in a local paper and no affidavit or proof of publication to file. The state registration itself is the public record of the name.
An Oregon assumed business name registration lasts two years. You must apply to renew within 30 days before the second anniversary of the date the Secretary of State registered the name, and the renewal fee is $50 (ORS 648.017). This two-year cycle is shorter than many states, so track the renewal date. If you do not renew on time, the Secretary of State can cancel the registration and the name becomes available to others.
You generally must register an Oregon assumed business name if you regularly carry on business under a name that is not the real and true name of the owner, or, for a company, is different from its registered legal name (ORS 648.007). A sole proprietor using only their own full legal name usually does not need one. Registering also lets you open a bank account and sign contracts under the business name.
No. An Oregon assumed business name registration is a public record connecting a name to the person or entity 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 with an ABN 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. An Oregon assumed business name registration lists each person or entity that owns the business and will use the name, called the authorized representatives or registrants. For a general partnership, the partners are listed. The registration also asks for the principal place of business and the Oregon counties where you conduct business. All owners authorize the filing, and the Secretary of State records them together under the one assumed business name.