To register a DBA in North Carolina, file a notarized assumed business name certificate with the Register of Deeds in the county where your business has its principal office. The recording fee is $26 for the first 15 pages, and since most certificates are a single page, $26 is what most filers pay.1North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 161-10 – Uniform Fees of Registers of Deeds State law requires the filing before you conduct business under any name other than your own legal name or your entity’s registered name.2North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 66-71.4 – Filing of Certificate; Exception
Do You Actually Need to File
You need an assumed business name certificate if the name on your signs, contracts, or invoices is not your real legal name.2North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 66-71.4 – Filing of Certificate; Exception For an individual, your real name is your own. For a corporation or LLC, it’s the exact name registered with the Secretary of State. Partnerships work the same way.
A quick test. Jane Smith wants to sell cupcakes as “Sugar Lane Bakery.” She needs to file. If she had already formed “Sugar Lane Bakery LLC” through the Secretary of State and uses that full name in business, she doesn’t.
Check the Name Before You File
Your assumed name has to be distinguishable from names already on file with the state. Before you commit to anything, search the North Carolina Secretary of State’s online business registry, and check the county Register of Deeds records where you plan to file.3nc.gov. Start My Business Assumed names show up in county records before they reach the statewide database, so both searches matter.
Some words trigger extra review. “Bank,” “insurance,” and “trust” generally need approval from the relevant regulator, like the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. Names that falsely imply a government tie or a professional license you don’t hold will be rejected. Fifteen minutes of checking up front can save you the filing fee and a second trip.
What the Certificate Must Contain
The form is set out in North Carolina General Statutes § 66-71.5, and most counties post a fillable version on the Register of Deeds website. It has to include:4North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 66-71.5 – Contents of Certificate
- The assumed business name, written exactly as it will appear on signs, marketing, and contracts. You can list up to five assumed names on one form.
- Your real name. For sole proprietors, that’s your full legal name. For registered entities, it’s the entity name plus the SOS ID number. Partnerships can list up to five general partners.
- A brief description of the nature of the business.
- The street address of the principal place of business. P.O. boxes don’t qualify.
- Every county where you use or plan to use the name. The form has a single checkbox to cover all 100 North Carolina counties at once, so you don’t have to file separately in each one.5North Carolina Real Estate Commission. How to File An Assumed Business Name
Get It Notarized
The certificate has to be signed in front of a notary public. This isn’t optional. A certificate without a proper notary seal and signature will be rejected at the Register of Deeds.
North Carolina caps notary fees by statute. A standard in-person acknowledgment is up to $10 per signature. An electronic notary is up to $15. Remote online notarization, done by video call under North Carolina’s Electronic Notary Act, is up to $25 per signature.6North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 10B-31 – Fees for Notarial Acts A notary can also charge mileage at the federal business rate if you agree to it in writing beforehand. If you’re leaning toward remote notarization, confirm with your Register of Deeds first that they’ll accept it.
Where to File and What You’ll Pay
Take or mail the notarized certificate to the Register of Deeds in a county where your business has its principal office. You can go in person during business hours or mail the original. Many counties now offer electronic recording portals that accept scanned certificates and credit card or e-check payment.
The recording fee is $26 for the first 15 pages and $4 for each additional page.1North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 161-10 – Uniform Fees of Registers of Deeds Between the recording fee and notarization, most filers spend roughly $36 to $51 total, depending on whether they notarize in person or remotely.
Once the Register of Deeds records the certificate, the information is transmitted to a statewide database maintained by the North Carolina Secretary of State. Anyone can search that centralized system for assumed business names across the state, and the recording itself is your public notice that you’re operating under the name.
The Registration Does Not Expire
North Carolina overhauled its assumed business name law effective December 1, 2017. Certificates filed under the current statute do not expire and never need to be renewed. One boundary worth knowing: if you filed under the old law before December 2017, that registration expired on December 1, 2022, and you need to file a fresh certificate under the current statute to keep using the name.
Amending or Withdrawing Later
If any information on your certificate becomes outdated, whether that’s the business address, the ownership structure, or the counties where you operate, you have 60 days to file a certificate of amendment.7North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 66-71.7 – Amendment of Certificate The amendment goes to the same county where you filed the original and costs another $26. You’ll need the book and page number of the original filing plus the SOS ID number, so hold onto those.
If you stop using an assumed name entirely, file a certificate of withdrawal under North Carolina General Statutes § 66-71.8. It has to be notarized and submitted to the same county Register of Deeds as the original.
What Happens if You Skip It
Not filing costs more than $26. Under the current Assumed Business Name Act, someone who has to track down information that should have appeared on your certificate, such as your real name, address, or entity type, can recover their expenses and reasonable attorney’s fees from you. Providing false information on a certificate carries criminal liability. North Carolina’s penalty structure focuses on reimbursing people harmed by your failure to disclose, which in practice means your vendors, customers, or business partners.
Banking and Taxes After You File
A DBA doesn’t change your tax situation and doesn’t create a new legal entity. Sole proprietor income still flows through your personal return, and an LLC or corporation keeps its existing tax treatment. The IRS confirms that simply changing or adding a business name does not require a new Employer Identification Number, whether you’re a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, or corporation.8Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
Where the certificate does its real work is at the bank. To open a business checking account under your assumed name, you’ll typically need the recorded DBA certificate, a government photo ID, and either your Social Security number (sole proprietors) or your EIN. LLCs and corporations may also need articles of organization or incorporation. Bank requirements vary, so call ahead.
A DBA Does Not Protect Your Brand
One boundary that catches new business owners off guard. Filing a DBA in North Carolina gives you the legal right to do business under the name. It gives you no exclusive ownership of the name itself. Another business in a different county, or in another state, can use the same name without violating your registration. A DBA is a transparency filing, not a brand protection tool.9Patent and Trademark Office. How Trademarks and Trade Names Differ If the name is central to your brand and you plan to grow, look into a federal trademark through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for nationwide rights.