Register a Trade Name (DBA)

File online at the West Virginia One Stop Business Portal for the fastest, most convenient filing method. Complete the two-step process below to register a trade name (DBA).

1. Check Name Availability

   • Individual, sole proprietorship or general partnership
     To conduct a name search for these entity types, contact:
     
     West Virginia State Tax Department
     1124 Smith Street
     Charleston, WV 25301
     Toll free: 1-800-982-8297
     Phone: 304-558-3333
     https://tax.wv.gov/

   • Corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, voluntary association or business trust
     To conduct a name search for these entity types, search the Secretary of State’s Business Organizations Search database. Then call the Secretary of State Business Division at (304) 558-8000 for an informal name availability check.

     Note: For the name to be available, a trade name must: (1) be "distinguishable" from any other active registered name in the Secretary of State's organizations database, and (2) exhibit no “likelihood of confusion” between the proposed name and previously registered name.

     The following criteria do not make the name distinguishable by one-word:
     • corporate name endings (Company, Corporation, Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.)
     • word separators such as "The," "A," "And," "&," “-“, etc.
     • singular vs. plural words ("Food" vs. "Foods")
     • use of apostrophe(s) (“Farmer’s” vs. “Farmers”)
     • separated vs. combined words of the same name ("Cut Above" vs. "CutAbove")
     • singular vs. plural words ("Food" vs. "Foods")



2. File the registration.

   The fastest, most convenient way to register a trade name (DBA) is to file online at the West Virginia One Stop Business Portal.