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 Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

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 Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions then you have to Register a DBA Name with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Other names for a Wisconsin DBA Name include:

• Wisconsin Alternate Name
• Wisconsin Assumed Business Name
• Wisconsin Assumed Name
• Wisconsin Business Name
• Wisconsin Fictitious Name
• Wisconsin Trade Name

Yes. You can Register a DBA Name with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Yes. You can register a Wisconsin DBA Name with the WI Department of Financial Institutions for a Wisconsin Corporation or a Wisconsin LLC.

Before a Wisconsin Corporation or LLC can register a DBA Name, the WI Corporation or WI LLC must be in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Yes. You can register a Wisconsin DBA Name even if you have not formed a Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions for an existing Wisconsin business.

You Reserve a Company Name with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions for use with a Wisconsin business that will be formed and legally registered with the WI Department of Financial Institutions sometime in the future.


When you Register a Corporation or LLC with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions 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 Wisconsin company by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

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

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

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