To get a DBA in Indiana, you file a certificate of assumed business name through one of two channels depending on your business structure. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county recorder in each county where they have an office. LLCs, corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships file through the Secretary of State’s INBiz portal instead. Fees run from modest county recording charges up to $30 at the state level, and the registration stays active indefinitely with no renewal required.1Indiana Government. How Do I File an Assumed Business Name (DBA)?
Which Filing Path Applies to You
Indiana splits DBA filings by entity type, and the split is strict. If you operate as an individual sole proprietor or as a general partnership (not a limited liability partnership), you file at the county level with the recorder in every county where you have a place of business. If your business is already registered with the Secretary of State as an LLC, corporation, nonprofit, limited partnership, or LLP, you file the assumed name with the state through INBiz and do not file anything at the county recorder’s office.1Indiana Government. How Do I File an Assumed Business Name (DBA)?
Get this step right before anything else. Filing in the wrong place wastes your fee and leaves you legally unregistered.
Choosing a Name That Will Be Accepted
Your assumed name has to be distinguishable on the Secretary of State’s records from any existing domestic entity, any foreign entity authorized to do business in Indiana, any reserved name, and any other registered assumed name. The protection also extends to entities that were administratively dissolved within the past 120 days, so a recently defunct business’s name is not immediately available for reuse.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 23-0.5-3-1 – Permitted Names; Falsely Implying Government Agency Status or Connection
Check availability before you file. The INBiz Business Entity Search lets you filter by active status to see which names are currently protected.3INBiz. Public Business Search A name availability search is also on the main INBiz portal.4Indiana Secretary of State. What Would You Like to Search?
Words That Trigger Extra Restrictions
“Bank,” “banc,” “banco,” “bankcor,” and their derivatives cannot appear in your assumed name if the use would create a substantial likelihood of implying you are a chartered bank, trust company, savings bank, or savings association. Those terms are reserved for actual banks, trust companies, bank holding companies, and their subsidiaries.5Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 28-1-20-4 – Naming Conventions; Department’s Investigatory and Enforcement Powers; Penalties; Marketing Materials and Solicitations Words like “insurance” or “university” can trigger separate state statutes. If your trade name hints at a licensed profession or regulated industry, clear it with the relevant state agency before you file.
Filing at the County Recorder
Sole proprietors and general partnerships file a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the county recorder in each county where the business has an office or location. The certificate states the assumed name and the full legal name and address of the individual or partnership behind it.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 23-0.5-3-4 – Filing of Certificate of Assumed Name; Fees; Notice of Discontinuance of Use; Violation
A downloadable version is on the Secretary of State’s forms page, though some counties provide their own. The form requires a manual signature. Counties differ on submission: some accept mail, others prefer in-person filing so a clerk can verify your signature. Call the recorder’s office ahead of time to confirm the preferred method and accepted payment types. Recording fees are set locally and vary by county, so ask for the exact amount when you call.
Filing Through INBiz
Registered entities file directly with the Secretary of State through the INBiz portal. Log into your INBiz account, open “Online Services,” and scroll to “Assumed Name Filing” under the Secretary of State section. The portal prompts you for the assumed name exactly as you want it to appear commercially, your entity’s registered ID number, and the date you plan to start using the name. Confirm that your principal office address matches the state’s records before submitting, because mismatches can hold up processing.
The filing fee is $30 per name for for-profit entities and $26 per name for nonprofit corporations.7Indiana Secretary of State. Certification of Assumed Business Name (All Entities) State Form 30353 Payment is by credit card or electronic check. Card payments carry a processing fee with a $1 minimum and a 2.15% cap.8INBiz. Fee Calculator Once payment clears, the state issues a digital certificate of registration that you can download from your INBiz account.
What to Do After Your DBA Is Registered
Most banks want to see the filed certificate before they will open an account or process deposits under a trade name that differs from your legal name. Bring the recorded certificate from the county, or the digital certificate from INBiz, when you go to the bank.
You do not need a new Employer Identification Number for a DBA. The IRS treats a name change as something that does not require a new EIN, and this holds for sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, and LLCs alike.9Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN Your existing EIN, or your Social Security number if you are a sole proprietor without employees, continues to work.
Penalty for Operating Without Filing
Skipping the filing is not a technicality. Indiana treats a violation of the assumed name filing requirement as a Class B infraction, which carries a fine of up to $1,000.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 23-0.5-3-4 – Filing of Certificate of Assumed Name; Fees; Notice of Discontinuance of Use; Violation Banks may also refuse accounts, and contracts signed under an unregistered trade name can face challenges.
Canceling or Changing Your DBA
Indiana DBA registrations do not expire. Your assumed name stays on file indefinitely, with no periodic renewal.
When you stop using the name, file a notice of discontinuance. Sole proprietors and partnerships file it with the same county recorder where the original certificate was recorded. Entities registered with the Secretary of State cancel through the state using State Form 55339, and there is no filing fee. Each form covers one name, so submit a separate form for each assumed name you are canceling.10Indiana Secretary of State. Cancellation of Assumed Business Name (All Entities)
Indiana does not offer an amendment process for assumed names. To change the wording of the name itself, cancel the current DBA and file a new one.