How to File a DBA in Vermont
In Vermont a DBA is an assumed business name registered with the Secretary of State for $70, valid five years with no newspaper publication required. Attorney review available.
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Introduction
In Vermont, a DBA is registered as an assumed business 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 states that file at the county level, Vermont registers an assumed business name statewide with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division. An individual doing business under an assumed business name, or a partnership or unincorporated nonprofit association of individuals doing business in the State, resident or nonresident, must submit a registration to the Secretary of State, subscribed and sworn to, not later than 10 days after the business begins (11 V.S.A. 1621). The registration fee is $70 (11 V.S.A. 1625). Registering an assumed business 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. Vermont does not require you to publish the registration in a newspaper. A registrant reregisters every five years by filing a reregistration with the Secretary of State, with a fee of $65, not sooner than 60 days before the current registration expires (11 V.S.A. 1635). Before filing, confirm the name is available, since the Secretary of State declines to register a name that is not distinguishable from a name already registered or reserved, or that would lead a reasonable person to conclude the business is a type of entity it is not (11 V.S.A. 1621). DocDraft builds your Vermont assumed business name registration from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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In Vermont a DBA is called an assumed business name. It is a public registration that lets you use a business name different from the owner's legal name; it creates no separate legal entity.
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You register an assumed business name statewide with the Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division. There is no county filing for a Vermont assumed business name.
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An individual doing business under an assumed name, or a partnership or unincorporated nonprofit association doing business in the State, must file the registration, subscribed and sworn to, not later than 10 days after the business begins (11 V.S.A. 1621).
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The Vermont registration fee is $70 (11 V.S.A. 1625). You can file online through the state business portal or by mail, and you confirm the current amount and any expedite charge with the Secretary of State.
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Vermont does not require newspaper publication of an assumed business name registration. There is no notice to publish and no affidavit of publication to file.
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A registrant reregisters every five years by filing a reregistration with the Secretary of State, with a fee of $65, not sooner than 60 days before the current registration expires (11 V.S.A. 1635).
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An assumed business name 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 assumed name is still personally responsible for the business.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a DBA (Doing Business As) in Vermont, 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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Vermont Requirements for DBA (Doing Business As)
In Vermont a DBA is an assumed business name registered statewide with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, not with a county (11 V.S.A. 1621). Vermont has one statewide assumed business name filing.
The Vermont assumed business name registration fee is 70 dollars (11 V.S.A. 1625). You can file online through the state business portal or by mail, and you confirm the current amount with the Secretary of State.
The exact assumed business name to register. It must be distinguishable from a name already registered or reserved, and it must not include a word such as Corporation, Incorporated, LLC, or Limited unless the registrant is that type of entity.
The full legal name and address of the registrant, the type of registrant, and the name and business address of each partner or member. An individual, partnership, or unincorporated nonprofit association doing business under an assumed name must register (11 V.S.A. 1621).
The principal office address and business purpose, plus an agent for service of process for any individual, partner, or member who is not a Vermont resident or gives no Vermont address for service (11 V.S.A. 1621).
Vermont does not require newspaper publication of an assumed business name registration. There is no notice to publish and no affidavit of publication to file after the Secretary of State records the name.
File the registration, subscribed and sworn to, not later than 10 days after the business begins (11 V.S.A. 1621). Reregister every five years with the Secretary of State for a 65 dollar fee, not sooner than 60 days before it expires (11 V.S.A. 1635).
A Vermont assumed business 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 Vermont a DBA is an assumed business 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 statewide with the Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division (11 V.S.A. 1621). 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 Vermont 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. A Vermont 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 assumed business name to run a brand under another name. Choose based on whether you need liability protection or just a name.
You register a Vermont assumed business name statewide with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, not with a county (11 V.S.A. 1621). You can file online through the state business portal or by mailing the registration. The registration fee is $70 (11 V.S.A. 1625). Confirm the current fee and any online or expedite charge with the Secretary of State before you submit.
No. Vermont does not require you to publish an assumed business name registration in a newspaper. There is no notice to run and no affidavit of publication to file, unlike states that require weeks of newspaper notice. Once the Vermont Secretary of State records your assumed business name, the registration is complete.
A Vermont registrant reregisters the assumed business name every five years by filing a reregistration with the Secretary of State, with a fee of $65 (11 V.S.A. 1635). You can file the reregistration not sooner than 60 days before the current registration expires. Track the five-year deadline yourself so your Vermont registration does not lapse.
You need a Vermont assumed business name registration if you are an individual doing business under an assumed name, or a partnership or unincorporated nonprofit association of individuals doing business in the State, resident or nonresident (11 V.S.A. 1621). You file it, subscribed and sworn to, not later than 10 days after the business begins. It is a name registration only and does not by itself satisfy any separate license or permit your business may need.
No. A Vermont assumed business 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 beyond the Secretary of State declining a later name that is not distinguishable from it. It also creates no separate legal entity, so a sole proprietor with 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 Vermont assumed business name registration lists the individual doing business under the name, and for a partnership or unincorporated nonprofit association it lists each partner or member and a business address. For any individual, partner, or member who is not a Vermont resident, or for whom no Vermont address for service of process is given, the registration names an agent for service of process (11 V.S.A. 1621). A person with authority to act for the registrant signs the registration.