To add a DBA to your LLC in California, file a Fictitious Business Name (FBN) statement with the county clerk where your LLC has its principal place of business, then publish the statement in a local newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks. Filing fees run roughly $26 to $40 depending on the county, and the newspaper bills separately. Your LLC keeps its legal name, EIN, and structure; the DBA is just a registered alias you can use publicly.
Understand What a DBA Is (and Isn’t)
Under California law, any name an LLC uses that differs from the name in its Articles of Organization is a “fictitious business name.”1California Legislative Information. California Code BPC – Fictitious Business Names Filing a DBA does not create a new entity. Your LLC still owns the contracts, still signs the leases, still files the taxes. The DBA is a public notice that a specific trade name is being used by your LLC.
One thing an FBN filing does not do: protect the name. Another business can register the same DBA in a different county, and neither of you has a claim against the other based on the FBN alone. If exclusive rights to the name matter to you, that is a trademark question, handled through the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and separate from the county process described here.2United States Patent and Trademark Office. How Trademarks and Trade Names Differ
A note on the name itself: California prohibits using “Corporation,” “Corp.,” “Incorporated,” or “Inc.” in a fictitious business name unless the business is actually a corporation.3California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17910.5 – Fictitious Business Names An LLC filing a DBA should keep those designators out.
Gather What You Need Before Filing
The FBN statement is short, but it asks for specific information you should have ready:4California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17913 – Fictitious Business Names
- Your LLC’s legal name and state of organization, matching your Articles of Organization exactly.
- Principal place of business: a street address and county in California. P.O. boxes and private mailboxes are not accepted.
- The DBA name or names. Multiple names can go on one statement if they operate from the same address under the same ownership.
- Business entity type. For your filing, this is “limited liability company.”
- The date you started using the DBA. Enter “N/A” if you have not started yet.
Some counties also ask for a short business description such as “retail sales” or “consulting,” even though that field is not part of the statutory form.5County of Sacramento Department of Finance. Fictitious Business Name Statement A few counties require a notarized Affidavit of Identity. Check your county clerk’s form before you head in.
If your LLC has no physical location in California, file with the Sacramento County Clerk.6Sacramento County Department of Finance. Fictitious Business Name
File With the County Clerk
Bring your completed form to the county clerk in the county where your LLC’s principal place of business is located. Most counties accept filings in person and by mail; some have online portals. Los Angeles County, for instance, offers online filing, appointments, and mailed submissions.7Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. File a Fictitious Business Name
Fees vary. Los Angeles County charges $26 for one name and one registrant, with a $10.75 online processing fee if you use the portal.8Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Fictitious Business Name Fees San Mateo County charges $34 for the first name and owner, plus $5 for each additional name on the same statement.9San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections. Fictitious Business Names (FBN) Fees Alameda County charges $40, with $7 per additional name or owner.10Alameda County Clerk-Recorder. Fictitious Business Name Filing Fees Once the clerk processes your filing, you get a stamped copy. Keep it. You will need it to open a bank account under the DBA.
Knowingly filing false information on an FBN statement is a misdemeanor in California, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.11California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17930 – Fictitious Business Names
Publish the Statement in a Newspaper
Filing is only half the job. California requires you to publish the FBN statement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where you filed.12California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17917 – Fictitious Business Names If no such newspaper exists in that county, use one in an adjoining county. If you filed in Sacramento because your LLC has no California location, publish in a Sacramento County paper.
Two deadlines to watch. The notice must run once a week for four consecutive weeks, and the first publication must appear within 45 days of the filing date.13County of Orange Clerk-Recorder. FBN Publication Requirements After the last run, the newspaper prepares a proof-of-publication affidavit that must be filed with the county clerk within 45 days of the final publication date.12California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17917 – Fictitious Business Names Miss either window and the registration can be invalidated.
Publication costs are set by each paper. Smaller community papers tend to be cheapest. Ask the clerk’s office for a list of adjudicated newspapers in your county and get a few quotes.
Why the Deadlines Matter
If you operate under a DBA without properly filing and publishing, you cannot bring a lawsuit in any California court to enforce a contract or transaction made under that name.14California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17918 – Fictitious Business Names You can still be sued under it. You just cannot sue. A client who refuses to pay a $50,000 invoice can leave you stuck until you go back and complete the filing and publication.
The bar lifts once you finish the process, but the delay itself can be expensive. Finish the FBN steps before you start transacting under the new name.
Banking and Taxes Under the DBA
Opening a business bank account under the new name is one of the main practical reasons to file. Banks will ask for your LLC’s Articles of Organization and the stamped FBN statement from the county clerk. Bring both.
You do not need a new EIN for a DBA. The IRS ties the EIN to the entity, and adding a trade name does not change that.15Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your EIN (Publication 1635) Tax filings continue under your LLC’s legal name and original EIN.
Renew Every Five Years
A California FBN statement expires five years from the filing date.16California Public Law. California Code BPC 17920 – Fictitious Business Names To keep using the DBA, file a new statement before expiration. If nothing has changed since the original filing, a timely renewal skips the newspaper publication step.17Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Fictitious Business Name Renewals Put it on the calendar.
Miss the date and you still have a 40-day grace period to refile without republishing, as long as none of the information has changed.18San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections. How to Register or Renew a Name After 40 days, or if any details are different, the county treats it as a brand-new filing and you run through the full process again, publication included.19Solano County. Fictitious Business Name
If facts on your statement change during the five-year period (a new business address, for example), the existing statement expires 40 days after the change.16California Public Law. California Code BPC 17920 – Fictitious Business Names File a new statement with the updated details within that window. Because the details differ, publication is required again.
When You Stop Using the DBA
If your LLC stops doing business under the DBA, file a statement of abandonment with the same county clerk.20California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17922 – Fictitious Business Names Letting the statement lapse quietly leaves no public record that the name is no longer yours. The abandonment statement clears the record.
The process mirrors the original: submit the statement, publish once a week for four consecutive weeks, and file the proof-of-publication affidavit. The statement must include the DBA being abandoned, the file number and date of the original FBN filing, and your LLC’s name and address as shown in the Articles of Organization.20California Legislative Information. California Code BPC 17922 – Fictitious Business Names If your original filing listed multiple names, you can abandon one and keep the others active.