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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico Secretary of State then you have to Register a DBA Name with the county clerks in the New Mexico counties where you want to conduct business under the DBA Name.

Other names for a New Mexico DBA Name include:

• New Mexico Alternate Name
• New Mexico Assumed Business Name
• New Mexico Assumed Name
• New Mexico Business Name
• New Mexico Fictitious Name
• New Mexico Trade Name

No.  You CANNOT Register a DBA Name with the New Mexico Secretary of State.  In New Mexico you are required to register a DBA Name with the New Mexico cities or town in which you want to conduct business under your DBA Name.

Yes. You can register a New Mexico DBA Name with the NM Secretary of State for a New Mexico Corporation or a New Mexico LLC.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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