Tallahassee Source

File a DBA (fictitious business name) in Tallahassee, FL

A DBA ("doing business as"), also called a fictitious business name or FBN, lets a business operate under a name other than its owner's legal name.

Florida requires a sole proprietor who does business under a name other than their own to file that name. The filing goes to the Florida Division of Corporations. State law requires a newspaper notice of the name.

How to file with the Florida Division of Corporations

1. Where it goes

The filing goes to the Florida Division of Corporations.

2. How the office takes it

The office's page does not say whether it takes the filing online, by form or in person.

3. What to bring

The office's own page lists the current form and what it asks for; this page does not restate them.

4. The newspaper notice

State law requires a newspaper notice of the name.

5. File it

The office's own page is the place to do it.

File with the Florida Division of Corporations

What it costs and how long it takes

No fee is recorded here for this office. How long it takes is not recorded here either; the Florida Division of Corporations publishes both on its own page.

After you file

Two things usually follow, and the Florida Division of Corporations handles neither: opening a bank account in the business name, and any city business licence. Tallahassee's own licensing page is not recorded here — ask the city clerk.

Renewal and changes

No renewal term is recorded here. The Florida Division of Corporations is the place to confirm how long a filing lasts and what to do if you move or change the name.

Questions

Do I need an LLC instead?

A DBA is a name, not a company. It does not separate your business debts from your own; that is what forming a company does.

What if someone already trades under the name?

A filed name is on the public record, so the office's own name search is the place to check before you file.

Does the notice really have to run in a newspaper?

Yes. State law requires a newspaper notice of the name, and the Florida Division of Corporations states which papers qualify and for how long it must run.

Source: leg.state.fl.us. Checked 2026-10-27.