For Corporations, LLCs, LLPs and LPs that have officially registered a company name with the state, a Ficticious Name is a business name that is different from the officially registered business name.

For unregistered sole proprietorships and partnerships, a Ficticious Name is a business name that does not include the surname of the individual owner or each of the partners.

A Ficticious Name may also be called an Assumed Name, Trade Name or DBA (Doing Business As) Name.

In most cases Ficticious Names are registered with the county clerk of the county in which the entity does business. Some states require that a Ficticious Name be filed with the Secretary of State.

The use of a registered Fictitious Name allows individuals, partnerships or businesses to use trade names without having to go to the expense of creating a separate legal entity in order to conduct business. The entity can accept payments, advertise, and perform other business activities under the Ficticious Name.

Once a Ficticious Name is registered, the registering entity has the exclusive right to use that specific name.