To file a DBA in Louisiana, you file an assumed-name certificate with the clerk of court in each parish where you do business, as required by Louisiana Revised Statutes 51:281. If you also want your business name protected on the state register, you file a separate trade name registration with the Louisiana Secretary of State for $75, good for ten years. Most owners end up doing both, because the parish filing is legally required before a tax collector can issue a business license, and the state registration is what banks and other businesses recognize.
The Parish DBA Filing
Louisiana law requires anyone transacting business under an assumed name to file a certificate with the clerk of court in each parish where they conduct or intend to conduct business. In Orleans Parish, the filing goes to the register of conveyances instead. The certificate must show the assumed name, the owner’s real full name, and a post office address, and it must be notarized.1Justia Law. Louisiana Code RS 51-281
This parish filing is the one that satisfies the statutory DBA requirement. A tax collector cannot issue a business license to someone operating under an assumed name until the certificate is on file. The Secretary of State’s office confirms that traditional DBAs are filed at the parish level, not with the state.2Louisiana Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions – File Business Documents
Forms, fees, and filing procedures vary by parish, so contact your local clerk of court directly. If you operate in more than one parish, you file in each.
The State Trade Name Registration
The second filing goes to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Commercial Division. It’s technically a trade name registration rather than a DBA, but it’s what most people mean when they talk about “registering a business name” in Louisiana. The registration places your name on the state register, making it distinguishable from other registered names, and it lasts ten years. The fee is $75.3Justia Law. Louisiana Code RS 49-222
Sole proprietors and general partnerships are the most common filers. If your name is John Smith and you want to sell furniture as “Bayou Home Furnishings,” a trade name registration gives you a state-level record of that name. Corporations and LLCs already have a legal name on file, but they can register a trade name too if they want to operate under an additional brand, such as a restaurant group using a different name for each location.
Check Availability First
The Secretary of State will only register a trade name that is distinguishable from existing trade names, LLC names, and corporate names already on file. You can search the state’s business database through the geauxBIZ website before submitting.4Louisiana Secretary of State. Application to Register Trade Name, Trademark or Service Mark
Louisiana also prohibits certain names outright:
- Names that imply a connection to a state, local, or federal government agency.
- Names that falsely suggest a charitable or nonprofit purpose when the business is for-profit.
- Names containing immoral or scandalous content.
- Names that falsely suggest a connection to a living or dead person, an institution, or a national symbol.
- Names so close to an existing registered name that they would likely cause confusion.
These rules go to the content of the name, not just its format.5Justia Law. Louisiana Code RS 51-212 – Registrability If you want to lock in a name before filing the full registration, you can reserve it for 120 days for $25.3Justia Law. Louisiana Code RS 49-222
Complete the Application
The form is the “Application to Register Trade Name, Trademark or Service Mark,” available from the Secretary of State’s website or through geauxBIZ. You’ll provide the proposed trade name, your legal name or entity name, your principal business address, your entity type, a brief description of the business, and ownership details. Sole proprietors and partners list all owners; LLCs and corporations provide registered agent information.4Louisiana Secretary of State. Application to Register Trade Name, Trademark or Service Mark
How to File
You can submit online through geauxBIZ, by mail, or in person. Online filing is required if your business is located in one of fourteen parishes: Ascension, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Livingston, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Terrebonne.4Louisiana Secretary of State. Application to Register Trade Name, Trademark or Service Mark Mail filings go to P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125, and walk-ins are at 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge.
The base fee is $75. Expedited processing runs an additional $30 for 24-hour turnaround, or $50 for 2 to 4-hour priority turnaround.6Louisiana Secretary of State. Application to Register Trade Name, Trademark or Service Mark A filing is not final until the Secretary of State verifies it meets all statutory requirements.7Louisiana Secretary of State. Trade Name, Trademark and Service Mark Filing Instructions
Renewals and Changes
A registered trade name lasts ten years. Renewal must be filed within the six months before the expiration date, and the fee is $75.8Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 51-216 – Duration and Renewal3Justia Law. Louisiana Code RS 49-222 Miss that window and another business can register the name.
If ownership or address changes, or you want to cancel a name you no longer use, you file an assignment, amendment, or cancellation with the Commercial Division. Each carries a $75 fee.3Justia Law. Louisiana Code RS 49-222
What Registering Does Not Do
A trade name registration is not a tax filing and does not create a new tax entity. If you’re a sole proprietor adopting a DBA, you do not need a new Employer Identification Number; the IRS states that changing your business name does not require a new EIN.9Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN On federal returns, use the legal name tied to your EIN or Social Security number as the primary name, not the DBA. Most forms have a separate line for the trade name.
Partnerships and LLCs still need an EIN to open a business bank account. Sole proprietors can use a Social Security number, but banks will generally want to see either the parish DBA certificate or the state trade name registration before opening an account in the business name.