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Business Name Desk

Independent guide. Not a government website; official links always come first.

Search and file a DBA, county by county.

Check a business name against the state register, the county DBA index, federal trademarks and the .com in one place. Every guide links to the official office and lists the sources it was checked against.

Check a business name

Who will use the name

State and county guides

Guides are being verified and will appear here soon.

What a DBA does, and what it doesn't

A DBA (doing business as) registers a name you trade under. Depending on the state it is called a fictitious business name, an assumed name or a trade name, and it is often filed with the county rather than the state.

It does not reserve the name, does not create a company and does not protect your personal assets. For those you need an LLC or corporation, and for exclusive rights to a brand, a trademark.