DBA means "Doing Business As".  If you are an Individual Sole Proprietor and want to do business under a name which is different from your legal name then you have to Register a DBA Name with the county clerks in the Illinois counties where you want to conduct business under the DBA Name.

If you are a Corporation or LLC and want to do business under a name which is different from the name which is registered with the Illinois Secretary of State then you have to Register a DBA Name with the county clerks in the Illinois counties where you want to conduct business under the DBA Name.

Other names for an Illinois DBA Name include:

• Illinois Alternate Name
• Illinois Assumed Business Name
• Illinois Assumed Name
• Illinois Business Name
• Illinois Fictitious Name
• Illinois Trade Name

No.  You CANNOT Register a DBA Name with the Illinois Secretary of State.  In Illinois you are required to register a DBA Name with the Illinois counties in which you want to conduct business under your DBA Name.

Yes. You can register an Illinois DBA Name with the IL Secretary of State for an Illinois Corporation or an Illinois LLC.

Before an Illinois Corporation or LLC can register a DBA Name, the IL Corporation or IL LLC must be in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State.

Yes. You can register an Illinois DBA Name even if you have not formed an Illinois Corporation or LLC. In fact that's what most skilled craftsman and professionals do when they want to use a business name other their own name.

You Register a DBA Name with the Illinois Secretary of State for an existing Illinois business.

You Reserve a Company Name with the Illinois Secretary of State for use with an Illinois business that will be formed and legally registered with the IL Secretary of State sometime in the future.


When you Register a Corporation or LLC with the Illinois Secretary of State there are certain tax and administrative obligations which must be met to keep the company in Good Standing.  Failing to keep up with those obligations can result in the administrative dissolution of your Illinois company by the Illinois Secretary of State.

The Illinois state fees for Registering a DBA Name are less than the fees for Registering a Corporation in Illinois or Forming a LLC in Illinois and there are no tax or reporting obligation for a Registered Illinois DBA Name.

No. The Illinois Secretary of State will not issue a good standing certificate (Certificate of Existence) for a registered Illinois DBA Name. Illinois good standing certificates are issued only for companies which have registered with the Illinois Secretary of State as a Corporation, LLC or LP.

You can renew the Illinois DBA Name before the expiration date if you want to retain ownership of the Illinois DBA Name.