An Trade Business Name Statement will allow you to legally "do business as (DBA)" in a business Name other than your legal or personal Name . (This is called an Trade Business Name statement in Illinois and a Business Certificate in Massachusetts.)
The Statement or Certificate must be filed within 30-40 days of your first business transaction.
In most counties in California, if you are doing business under a business Name that contains your legal Name as part of the Name , you will not be required to file An Trade Business Statement. For example, if your Name is John Smith and you plan to conduct all your business in California as John Smith Co., you will not need to file An Trade Business Name . If, however, you plan to refer to your business as XYZ Company or Smart Internet, you will need to file a DBA.
In Illinois, sole proprietorships and partnerships must register with the Trade Business Name s Unit. Similarly, in Boston, a Business Certificate is required for any person, partnership, or corporation conducting business under a Name other than their own or legal Name .