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 New York 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 New York Secretary of State then you have to Register a DBA Name with the New York Secretary of State.

Other names for a New York DBA Name include:

• New York Alternate Name
• New York Assumed Business Name
• New York Assumed Name
• New York Business Name
• New York Fictitious Name
• New York Trade Name

Yes. You can Register a DBA Name with the New York Secretary of State.

Yes. You can register a New York DBA Name with the NY Secretary of State for a New York Corporation or a New York LLC.

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

Yes. You can register a New York DBA Name even if you have not formed a New York 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 New York Secretary of State for an existing New York business.

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


When you Register a Corporation or LLC with the New York 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 New York company by the New York Secretary of State.

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

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

You can renew the New York DBA Name before the expiration date if you want to retain ownership of the New York DBA Name.