DBA means "Doing Business As".  If you are an Individual Sole Proprietor and want to do business under a name which is different from your legal name then you have to Register a DBA Name with the Florida Secretary of State.

If you are a Corporation or LLC and want to do business under a name which is different from the name which is registered with the Florida Secretary of State then you have to Register a DBA Name with the Florida Secretary of State.

In Florida a DBA Name is called a Fictitious Name.

In Florida a DBA Name is called a Fictitious Name. Other names for a Florida Fictitious Name include:

• Florida Alternate Name
• Florida Assumed Business Name
• Florida Assumed Name
• Florida Business Name
• Florida Trade Name

Yes. You can Register a Fictitious Name with the Florida Secretary of State.

Yes. You can register a Florida Fictitious Name with the FL Secretary of State for a Florida Corporation or a Florida LLC.

Before a Florida Corporation or LLC can register a DBA Name, the FL Corporation or FL LLC must be in good standing with the Florida Secretary of State.

Yes. You can register a Florida Fictitious Name even if you have not formed a Florida Corporation or LLC. In fact that's what most skilled craftsman and professionals do when they want to use a business name other their own name.

You Register a DBA Name with the Florida Secretary of State for an existing Florida business.

You Reserve a Company Name with the Florida Secretary of State for use with a Florida business that will be formed and legally registered with the FL Secretary of State sometime in the future.


When you Register a Corporation or LLC with the Florida Secretary of State there are certain tax and administrative obligations which must be met to keep the company in Good Standing.  Failing to keep up with those obligations can result in the administrative dissolution of your Florida company by the Florida Secretary of State.

The Florida state fees for Registering a DBA Name are less than the fees for Registering a Corporation in Florida or Forming a LLC in Florida and there are no tax or reporting obligation for a Registered Florida DBA Name.

No. The Florida Secretary of State will not issue a good standing certificate (Certificate of Existence) for a registered Florida Fictitious Name. Florida good standing certificates are issued only for companies which have registered with the Florida Secretary of State as a Corporation, LLC or LP.

You can renew the Florida Fictitious Name before the expiration date if you want to retain ownership of the Florida Fictitious Name.