To file a DBA in Missouri, you register the fictitious name with the Secretary of State on Form Corp. 56, pay a $7 filing fee, and do it within five days of starting to use the name.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.210 – Registration, When and How The registration lasts five years and covers you statewide; no county filing is required.
Who Has to File, and By When
Any individual, partnership, corporation, or other business organization operating in Missouri under a name different from its true legal name must register that name with the Secretary of State.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.200 – Fictitious Names to Be Registered That includes sole proprietors trading under a business name instead of their own, and LLCs or corporations marketing under a brand name that differs from the registered entity name.
The window is short. You have five days after you begin doing business under the fictitious name to file.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.210 – Registration, When and How Because operating without a registration is a misdemeanor, filing before you start using the name publicly is the safer move.
What Goes on Form Corp. 56
Form Corp. 56 is available on the Secretary of State’s website.3Missouri Secretary of State. Fees and Forms Have this information ready before you start:
- The exact fictitious name you plan to use.
- The full legal name and residential or business street address of every person or entity with an ownership interest.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.210 – Registration, When and How
- The physical Missouri street address where the business operates. A P.O. box will not satisfy this requirement.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.210 – Registration, When and How
- Ownership percentages, but only in one situation: if any owner wants to limit personal liability for the business’s debts, the form must list the exact percentage held by each owner. Otherwise, disclosing specific percentages is optional.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.210 – Registration, When and How
Every owner listed must sign. For paper filings, the Secretary of State requires original signatures, not photocopies or electronic reproductions.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ
One naming rule to keep in mind: you cannot put “LLC,” “Inc.,” “Corp.,” or similar entity-type labels into a fictitious name unless the business is actually organized as that type of entity.
How to Submit and Pay
The fee is $7 no matter which method you use.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ
Online
The fastest route is the Secretary of State’s online portal at bsd.sos.mo.gov.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ The system walks you through each field, lets you review before submitting, and takes payment by credit card or electronic check. You get a confirmation when the filing is complete.
Mail or In Person
You can also print Form Corp. 56 and mail it or deliver it to the Secretary of State’s office in Jefferson City or a Corporations Division branch office.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ Paper filings need a check or money order for $7 payable to the Secretary of State. The office mails back your official registration proof once it processes the filing. There is no separate county-level filing.
What the Registration Does Not Do
Registering a fictitious name in Missouri does not give you exclusive rights to use it. The Secretary of State places no limit on how many businesses can register the same fictitious name.5Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions – Corporations If you want exclusive rights, that is a trademark question, handled through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or a separate state trademark registration.
Renewal, Changes, and Cancellation
A Missouri fictitious name registration lasts five years from the date of filing and does not renew automatically.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 417.210 – Registration, When and How You file the renewal during the six-month window before the expiration date.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ
Miss that window and there is no late-renewal option. You have to file a brand-new registration and will be assigned a new charter number.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ Any gap between expiration and the new filing is time spent operating under an unregistered name, which carries the misdemeanor penalty below.
For changes during the five-year term:
- Address updates for the business or an owner can be made at renewal or through an amendment to the registration.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ
- Ownership changes cannot be amended in. If a partner leaves or joins, you cancel the existing registration and file a new one that reflects the updated ownership.4Missouri Secretary of State. Fictitious Name Registration FAQ
- To stop using the fictitious name entirely, file Form Corp. 14, Cancellation of Registration of Fictitious Name.3Missouri Secretary of State. Fees and Forms
Penalties for Skipping the Filing or Lying on It
Operating under a fictitious name without registering it is a misdemeanor in Missouri.6Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 417.230 – Penalty for Failure to Register
Lying on the form is its own offense. Form Corp. 56 is signed under the penalties of making a false declaration, a class B misdemeanor under Missouri law.7Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 575.060 – Making a False Declaration Check every name, address, and ownership figure before you submit.
Does Filing a DBA Affect Your Taxes or EIN?
No. A fictitious name registration does not create a new legal entity. Your underlying structure, whether sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation, is unchanged, and you generally do not need a new Employer Identification Number from the IRS just because you have begun operating under a different name.8Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN The IRS treats a name change as an account update, not a trigger for a new number.
One practical note: if you are a sole proprietor using your Social Security number and you want a bank account in the fictitious name, many banks will ask for an EIN anyway. Applying is free through the IRS. Your tax filings and obligations continue to run through whatever entity you already have.