File for a DBA (Doing Business As)

File a DBA with your county’s Clerk of the Superior Court to do business under another name.

A DBA (“doing business as”), also known as a trade name, allows a business to operate under a name other than its registered name. Used mostly for branding purposes, a DBA is not a business structure and will not provide liability protection. A DBA must be registered with the county in which the business is located.

How Do I … File a DBA?

Get Prepared

Verify that the name you want is not already in use. You can do this by searching county trade name records from the Clerk of the Superior Court. Your name should also adhere to the State of Georgia’s business name standards .

Gather What You’ll Need

• Desired trade name
• Nature of the business
• Names and addresses of company owners
• Notarized signatures of company owners
• Required forms, such as a Trade Name Application. These forms may vary by county and can be provided by the Clerk’s Office of the Superior Court.
• Form of payment for filing fee and publishing a notice (the amount will vary by county)

File Your DBA

You will need to file your DBA with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where your business is located. Procedures vary by county, but it will likely require you to fill out an application form and pay a filing fee.

Place a Public Notice

You must publish a copy of your trade name registration in your local newspaper at least once a week for two consecutive weeks. It must be published in the newspaper the sheriff’s office uses for legal advertisements. You must submit payment to the publication for the notice to appear. Keep a copy of the Publisher’s Affidavit as proof your notice was published.

Next Steps

• Applications may take several weeks to be processed. Processing times vary by county.
• Trade names do not need to be renewed. You’ll need to fill out a new registration form with amendments and pay a fee if you want to change your trade name.