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Step 1
Check your state's particular requirements. Registering a business name is an operation of state government. See Resources below for a link to a government listing of all 50 states and a summary of their particular requirements. Some states, such as Alabama, do not require that a business name be registered for a sole proprietorship. Most states, do, however. Scroll down the list to find your state.
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Step 2
Contact your Secretary of State's office, or visit their website, to obtain the proper form for filing a fictitious (DBA) name. Going through the process online is usually the quickest. In some cases, you will have to download and fax in the form; many states now have Internet options for filing a business name, however, and the whole process can be completed in a few minutes.
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Step 3
Contact your county clerk or local government (city or county) in states such as Mississippi and New Jersey, which require that business names be filed through local, rather than state, government entities.
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Step 4
Fill out the form with the appropriate information, and submit it, as suits you best, along with the correct fee required for filing a business name. Filing a business name does not give you exclusive rights to use it; someone else may also be doing business under the same name, and that's legal. Try to come up with a name that is unique enough to stand out, but short and easy to remember. You don't want people getting so confused on how to spell your business name that they forget what your business is about.
