- [Narrator] A DBA or doing business as,
is essentially a nickname for your company.
In North Dakota a DBA is also called a trade name
or a fictitious name, depending on your business structure.
DBAs are a great way to rebrand your company name,
to add new brands to your company,
or to change your company name completely.
For sole proprietors and partnerships,
DBAs offer the ability to operate under a name
that isn't the business owner surname.
For more information on the specifics
of what a DBA is and how it can be used,
check out our other video linked below.
In this video, we will go over the steps you need to take
in order to form a DBA in North Dakota.
(relaxed music)
There are two ways to form a DBA.
You can do it yourself,
or you can hire a service to do it for you.
Let's take a look at both options and help you decide
how to go about forming your own DBA.
One, do it yourself.
If you want to save money, you can form a DBA on your own.
Let's take a look at the steps
to forming a DBA in North Dakota on your own.
One, complete name searches.
When determining what you want your DVA name to be,
you'll want to make sure you follow
North Dakota naming requirements.
For more details, check out our video,
"How to Name Your Business in North Dakota"
or our naming guides linked below.
Next you'll want to make sure the name
is available in North Dakota.
The first and most important search
is North Dakota Secretary of State website.
If the name is not available,
you'll have to adjust your name or use a different one.
We provide instructions to search
your business name in North Dakota
on howtostartanllc.com linked below.
Searching is free.
To learn more visit North Dakota Naming Guides,
linked in the description below.
After confirming your name is available in North Dakota,
we recommend doing a domain search
to see if your name is available as a URL.
Even if you don't plan on making a website today,
we recommend buying your domain in order to prevent others
from acquiring it.
Two, register your DBA.
After you've chosen an available name,
you'll want to register your DBA.
For all business structures in North Dakota,
you must register your DBA with the Secretary of State.
You can register a trade name online
at North Dakota's First Stop website,
or you can complete the trade name registration form
and file it by mail or by fax.
The following information is needed on the form,
whether or not the name is a franchise name
and the address of the franchisor if it is,
the owner's name and address,
and the owner's business structure.
Note that partnerships that want to register a trade name
must first register a fictitious name.
This form is filed in the same way
as the trade name registration.
Filing fees vary so check out our pages linked below
for more detailed information.
And with that, you'll have a DBA in North Dakota.
Keep in mind that your North Dakota DBA
needs to be renewed every five years.
The Secretary of State mails out renewal forms
at least 90 days before an expiration date.
Option two.
The second way to form a DBA
is to hire a professional service
to create your DBA for you.
Hiring a professional service to file your forms
and do name searches will cost you
an additional $50 to $150.
However, there are several benefits working with a pro.
A hired professional files you DBA for you,
keeps you up to date with renewals,
and assist with publications.
DBAs or doing business as
are also known as trade names,
assumed names or fictitious names of a business.
Informal business structures
like sole proprietorships and partnerships
can use DBAs as their business name
instead of their surnames.
Formal business structures like LLCs and corporations
can use DBAs as a means to rebrand their name,
add new brands or change the name
they're using as their business name.
DBAs are not a business structure
and are not separate legal entities.
They also do not provide asset protection
or liability protection to informal business structures.
For state specific guides on how to form a DBA,
check out the pages linked below.
And for a more detailed guide, visit StartupSavant.com.
Give the video a like if you found it useful,
and subscribe if you'd like to see more.
And if you have questions or encounter any roadblocks,
leave a comment below.
Good luck in starting your small business.