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 District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

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 District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs then you have to Register a DBA Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

In District of Columbia a DBA Name is called a Trade Name.

We can Register a Trade Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for you as quickly as possible.

In District of Columbia a DBA Name is called a Trade Name. Other names for a District of Columbia Trade Name include:

• District of Columbia Alternate Name
• District of Columbia Assumed Business Name
• District of Columbia Assumed Name
• District of Columbia Business Name
• District of Columbia Fictitious Name

Yes. You can Register a Trade Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

Yes. You can register a District of Columbia Trade Name with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for a District of Columbia Corporation or a District of Columbia LLC.

Before a District of Columbia Corporation or LLC can register a DBA Name, the DC Corporation or DC LLC must be in good standing with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

Yes. You can register a District of Columbia Trade Name even if you have not formed a District of Columbia 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.

Registering a DBA Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and Reserving a Company Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs are NOT the same.

You Register a DBA Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for an existing District of Columbia business.  You Reserve a Company Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for use with a District of Columbia business that will be formed and legally registered with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs sometime in the future.

Registering a DBA Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs is NOT the same as legally Registering a Corporation or LLC with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

When you legally Register a Corporation or LLC with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs 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 District of Columbia company by the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

The District of Columbia state fees for Registering a DBA Name are less than the fees for Registering a Corporation or LLC and there are no tax or reporting obligation for a Registered District of Columbia DBA Name.

Register a Corporation in DC

Register a LLC in DC

Reserve a Company Name in DC

No. The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will not issue a good standing certificate (Certificate of Existence) for a registered District of Columbia Trade Name. District of Columbia good standing certificates are issued only for companies which have registered with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs as a Corporation, LLC or LP.

You can renew the District of Columbia Trade Name before the expiration date if you want to retain ownership of the District of Columbia Trade Name.

If your Corporation or LLC was formed in a state other than the state of District of Columbia and your company name is being used by another District of Columbia Corporation or LLC then you are required to register a Trade Name with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs which is different from the company name in your home state.

If you are ready to Register a District of Columbia DBA Name now, simply fill in the DBA Name Registration Order Form below and press the Place Order button. If you have any questions you can call us at 855-771-2477 or email us.