What is a DBA?

A DBA, (Doing Business As), is an assumed name, or pseudonym, that businesses can adopt and use to conduct company affairs (signing receipts, make payments, marketing, ect.), if they do not wish to use the official business name registered with the state. In Florida, a DBA is also referred to as a Florida fictitious name, and is easily obtainable by registration process with the Florida Secretary of State. But before we get into that, let’s look at when a DBA can be beneficial and should be used.

Sole proprietorships, LLC, corporations and partnerships can all register to operate using a DBA, it depends on a business’ naming, branding and banking preferences, and its stance on limited liability protection. One thing to note is that a DBA is not a legal entity, and therefore does not provide business owners with any liability protection from business debts and losses. A DBA is simply a trade name that businesses can register for, usually for the purposes of improved branding and marketing opportunities that comes from marketing a business brand rather than an owner’s name. Yet a DBA can also offer small businesses enhanced sense of credibility and professionalism. Businesses can write cheques, make payments and issue receipts all under the DBA, instead of the owner’s name. Conducting business with a DBA, rather than in the case of sole proprietors and partnerships the owners’ name, comes across, in many ways, more professional to potential financiers as well as everyday customers. 

How to file a DBA in Florida

Filing a DBA in Florida involves three steps. Step one, start with a Sunbiz Florida Fictitious Name Search page to conduct a name search of the fictitious name you’ve decided on to determine the uniqueness of your DBA. Your DBA must be entirely distinguishable from all other Sunbiz fictitious names registered in Florida. It may also be good to conduct a trade name search and a domain name search of the DBA to ensure that no other business has the same Florida DBA. Once it’s been established that the DBA does not already exist, the next step is publishing a legal notice of your Florida fictitious name in your local newspaper. This legal notice of intent to file a Florida fictitious name must be published at least once before the DBA is registered. The last step is registering your DBA with the Florida Secretary of State, which you can file online via the Sunbiz Fictitious Name Portal or complete the application for registration of fictitious name form that you can drop off or mail to the Secretary of State office in Tallahassee. 

Using a professional service

There are professional DBA filing services available online, which comes in handy for business owners who have their hands full dealing with the business. When business owners do not have the time to dedicate to personally filing for their DBA, using a professional DBA filing service is the next best option. TRUiC nominated MyCompanyWorks and Swyft Filings as some of the top rated DBA filing services in the industry. MyCompanyWorks, known to provide a very personalized service, for $99 plus state fees to file your DBA for your, and Swyft Filings, for the exactly same cost, offer a very efficient and user-friendly service, and can provide their clients with a DBA within one to two weeks. Using a professional service can save you time and energy, and as a plus, you’ll have the reassurance that your DBA is being filed efficiently and correctly.  

TRUiC’s website offers more details on how you can file for your Florida DBA, and further weblinks to help you through the process if you decide to go at it independently.