Keep your trade name from expiring.
A DBA, or fictitious business name, is not forever. In most places it expires on a cycle, commonly every five years, and you have to renew it before that date to keep using the name. Let it lapse and someone else can claim it, or you can be forced to stop using it. We track your expiration and file the renewal in time.
Keeping a name you already registered.
A DBA, short for doing business as and also called a fictitious or trade name, lets a company operate under a name different from its legal one. In most states or counties, that registration is not permanent. It expires on a set cycle, most commonly every five years, and you renew it before the expiration date to keep the right to use the name. The renewal is not a new registration; it extends the one you already have. A few places treat DBAs as permanent and never require renewal, but where renewal applies, missing it can free the name for someone else or force you to stop using it on signage, invoices, and bank accounts.
A renewal, filed on time.
The renewal keeps your existing registration alive. We confirm where it lives, when it expires, and file the extension before the deadline.
- The renewal filing. The application that extends your fictitious or trade name for another cycle with the state or county.
- Your expiration date, tracked. A clear record of when the current registration ends, so it is renewed in time.
- Any republication, where required. In places that require a newspaper notice, we flag and handle that step as part of the renewal.
- A confirmed record. Proof the name is registered for the next period, kept with your files.
Anyone using a name that expires.
If you registered a DBA in a place that requires renewal, this is for you. Whether you have one is easy to check, and we do.
- You have a registered fictitious or trade name that is approaching its expiration
- You are in a state or county that requires periodic DBA renewal
- You still use the name on signage, invoices, or a bank account
- You want to keep the name available to your business, not open to others
- You do not have a DBA yet and want to register one, which is a DBA filing
- Your DBA is in a place that never requires renewal, where nothing is due
- You are changing the company's legal name, which is a name change
- You want broad rights to the name, which is a trademark
Not sure if your DBA needs renewing? Rules vary by state and even by county. We check where yours is registered and tell you if and when it is due.
When it is due, and what it costs.
These figures are verified against current state and county guidance. The cycle and fee vary, but they cluster around a common pattern.
DBA rules, cycles, and fees vary widely by state and county and can change. We confirm your jurisdiction's current rules before filing.
From an expiring name to a renewed one.
- 1Find your registration
We confirm where your DBA is filed and whether that jurisdiction requires renewal.
- 2Calculate the deadline
We work out your expiration date so the renewal goes in before the name lapses.
- 3File the renewal
We submit the renewal to the correct office and handle any required republication.
- 4Confirm and set the next reminder
You get confirmation the name is renewed, and we track the next cycle so it never lapses.
The date is easy to miss.
A DBA renewal is a small filing on a slow clock, which is exactly why it gets forgotten until the name has lapsed. We hold the date and file ahead of it, so the name you built stays yours.
We calculate your expiration and file the renewal before the name can lapse.
State or county, we file with the office that holds your registration.
Where a newspaper notice is required at renewal, we take care of it.
You see our price and the filing fee up front, kept separate. See pricing →
Around your business name.
Register a new trade name for your business.
Explore → Protect the brandTrademark registrationSecure broader rights to the name beyond a DBA.
Explore → Legal nameBusiness name changeChange the company's legal name on the state record.
Explore → Never miss a dateCompliance calendarEvery renewal and deadline for your business in one place.
Explore →DBA renewal, answered.
Do DBAs really expire?
In most places, yes. A fictitious or trade name usually expires on a cycle, most commonly every five years, and you renew before that date to keep it. A few places treat DBAs as permanent, but where renewal applies, letting it lapse can free the name for others. If you have not registered one yet, that is a DBA filing, not a renewal.
How often do I renew?
Five years is the most common cycle. California fictitious names expire five years from filing and Florida uses a five-year cycle, while a New York county DBA does not expire at all. We confirm your jurisdiction's rule and track the date, and our compliance calendar keeps it visible.
What happens if my DBA lapses?
The name can become available for someone else to register, and you may be required to stop using it and re-register from scratch. Renewing before the expiration date avoids that, which is why we hold the deadline for you.
How is a DBA renewal different from a trademark?
A DBA registration lets you operate under a name in one jurisdiction; a trademark protects a brand more broadly against others. Renewing a DBA keeps the local registration active; it does not create trademark rights.
Do I have to publish a notice again?
Sometimes. A few states and counties that required a newspaper notice when you first filed also require one at renewal. We flag whether yours does and handle the republication as part of the renewal.