Home/Services/Business Formation & Registration/DBA (Doing Business As) Registration
The Name On Your Sign, Properly On Record
When the business trades under a name that is not its legal name, Michigan expects that assumed name to be registered. We file it in the right place and keep it current.
DBA Registration For Michigan Businesses
Plenty of Michigan businesses run under a name that is not on their formation paperwork. The LLC is registered under the owners' surname and the sign out front says something else entirely, or one corporation runs two shops under two different names. That trading name is an assumed name, usually called a DBA, and it should be on file before it goes on invoices, checks and the bank account.
Filing it matters in practical ways. Banks typically want to see the assumed name certificate before they will deposit checks made out to the trade name, and anyone dealing with the business can see who actually stands behind the name. We handle the filing as part of our business formation and registration services.
Where A Michigan Assumed Name Gets Filed
It depends on what kind of business you are. Corporations and LLCs file a certificate of assumed name with the State of Michigan. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk where the business operates. Either way, the assumed name must be renewed periodically or it lapses.
A DBA does not create a separate business, and it does not protect the name the way a trademark does. It simply connects the trade name to the entity or person behind it.
Registering Your Trade Name In The Right Place
A short process, as long as it happens in the right order.
Confirm Who Owns The Name
We identify the legal owner of the business, whether that is your LLC, your corporation or you personally, because that decides where the filing goes.
Check The Name Against Existing Records
Before filing, we check the name against the ones already on file, so a conflict is caught before the certificate goes in.
File The Certificate
The certificate of assumed name goes to the State of Michigan or the county clerk, and the filed copy goes into your permanent records.
Match The Bank And The Books
Your bank, your invoices and QuickBooks Online all show the assumed name alongside the legal name, and the renewal date goes on our calendar.
Why The Trade Name And The Tax Records Have To Agree
An assumed name never replaces the legal name on your tax filings. Your returns, your EIN and your 1099s stay in the name of the entity or the owner, with the DBA listed alongside it where the form allows. When those records drift apart, the IRS letters that follow are tedious to sort out.
That is why we treat the DBA as part of the setup rather than an afterthought. For a new business, we file it right after the LLC formation or incorporation and alongside the EIN application, so the trade name is on the federal record from the start. For existing businesses, the renewal sits on the same calendar as your Michigan annual report filing.
Assumed Name Questions From Michigan Owners
Do I need a DBA if the business uses my own name?
Usually not. A sole proprietor trading under their full legal name, or an LLC using its exact registered name, is not using an assumed name. Add something to it, such as a word describing what you do, and it generally becomes one that should be registered.
Can one LLC have more than one DBA?
Yes. A single LLC or corporation can register several assumed names, which is common when one entity runs different shops or product lines. Each name is its own filing with its own renewal, and we keep track of all of them so none quietly lapses.
Is registering a DBA the same as forming an LLC?
No. A DBA is only a name. It does not create a separate business, change how you are taxed or put any distance between your personal assets and the business. If that separation is what you are after, forming an LLC or corporation is the step to talk about, and a DBA can sit on top of it.
Filings That Sit Alongside A Trade Name
The entity behind the name, filed with the State of Michigan with its tax treatment chosen on purpose.
LLC formation in detail EIN / Federal Tax ID ApplicationYour federal tax ID, with the trade name listed alongside the legal name so the records agree.
EIN and federal tax ID application in detail Annual Report FilingThe yearly state filing that keeps your LLC or corporation in good standing, submitted on time.
Annual report filing in detail Business Formation & Registration OverviewLLC, S-Corp and C-Corp formation, EINs, DBAs and Michigan annual reports on one overview page.
Return to Business Formation & RegistrationGet The Trade Name On File Properly
Tell us the name customers know you by and who owns the business. We will file it in the right place and keep the renewal on our calendar.