What Is a Trade Name (DBA)?

A trade name, or "doing business as" (DBA) name, is any name under which a person or organization conducts business other than the current official name on the business registration record. It may be:

• a completely different name ("BBR, Inc." doing business as “Pizza Rosa”),

• a shortened name ("Kilroy's" for "Kilroy's River Restaurant, Inc."), or

• a name which merely drops the corporate name ending ("ZZZ Sleep Systems" for "ZZZ Sleep Systems, Inc.").

Doing Business Under More Than One Business Name

A trade name, or "doing business as" (DBA) name, is any name under which a person or organization conducts business other than the current official name on the business registration record. It may be:

• a completely different name ("BBR, Inc." doing business as “Pizza Rosa”),

• a shortened name ("Kilroy's" for "Kilroy's River Restaurant, Inc."), or

• a name which merely drops the corporate name ending ("ZZZ Sleep Systems" for "ZZZ Sleep Systems, Inc.").

Important basic trade name principles:

• The term "trade name" applies to all references to true name, fictitious name, and DBA (doing business as) name.

• The law sets no limits on the number of trade names that may be registered by one person or company.

• Trade names are not "protected" from use by other companies through trade name registration. To protect a trade name that is in actual use, consider filing an application for trademark or service mark.

• Trade names may be sold or assigned to another company.

• When a company ceases to use a trade name, it should withdraw the registration (see Withdraw a Trade Name).

• When a company dissolves, terminates or withdraws, the trade names owned by that company also terminate.

• When a company is administratively dissolved or revoked by Secretary of State, and does not reinstate within two years, its trade names are also terminated.​​