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 Montana Secretary of State.

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 Montana Secretary of State then you have to Register a DBA Name with the Montana Secretary of State.

Other names for a Montana DBA Name include:

• Montana Alternate Name
• Montana Assumed Business Name
• Montana Assumed Name
• Montana Business Name
• Montana Fictitious Name
• Montana Trade Name

Yes. You can Register a DBA Name with the Montana Secretary of State.

Yes. You can register a Montana DBA Name with the MT Secretary of State for a Montana Corporation or a Montana LLC.

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

Yes. You can register a Montana DBA Name even if you have not formed a Montana 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 Montana Secretary of State for an existing Montana business.

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


When you Register a Corporation or LLC with the Montana 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 Montana company by the Montana Secretary of State.

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

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

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