If you’re a business owner in Illinois, chances are that sooner or later your company will have to file for a DBA. This guide is going to break down the whole process step by step. So whether you want a different business name or looking for a unique name for branding purposes, this guide will help- read on!
Important! Please keep in mind that DBA is not a business structure, so it won’t protect you from liabilities, lawsuits, or any other unforeseen situations. DBA stands for Doing Business As. – often precedes the name under which a business operates, which is not the legal name of the business.
Therefore, before starting, make sure you understand the difference between informal business structures such as sole proprietorship and formal ones like corporations and LLCs.
To register or renew the trademark, trade name, or service mark for your company in Illinois you need to file the application to the Secretary of State. Here is what you need to do:
Illinois Business Entity Search
Your company’s trade name should be unique and have not been acquired by any other entity in Illinois. Moreover, this name must also meet the business name requirements of Illinois.
First, you have to search the Illinois Secretary of State’s Business Search portal for the DBA, Business, & Fictitious names. Check the portal thoroughly to know whether the name that you wish to have for your business has already been taken by someone or not. Make sure, this name isn’t already in use.
Note: You can also find a complete guide on business name search here.
Once you are done searching, the next step is to review the naming requirements of the state of Illinois. Professional corporation and LLC naming guidelines help you learn about Illinois naming guidelines. In general, your DBA should not include:
- Any term or abbrevation that is ristricted to government bodies only
- Term that confuse your business with government institutions such as state department, FBI, treasury, etc
- Any word or term indicating that your company is in the business of a corporate fiduciary such as such as trust, trustee, fiduciary unless permitted by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation.
- Terms indicating the business is some kind of financial institution, such as bank, insurance, or corporate fiduciary without authorization from the state Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate.
Register Your Illinois DBA
Businesses That Register DBA With County’s Clerk
Illinois sole proprietors, professional corporations, and partnerships are required to file an assumed business name application with the county clerk’s office(s) where the business is conducted or business orders are transacted.
Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders helps you find your county clerk’s contact information.
Businesses that Register DBA with the Secretary Of State
The following businesses need to register their trade names with the Illinois Secretary of State:
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- For-profit Corporations
- Nonprofit Corporations
- Any Foreign Filing Entities
- Limited Partnerships (LPs)
- Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
For LLCs: File an Illinois DBA Online With Cyberdrive Illinois or download the LLC Assumed Name Application and send it to
LLC Filing Address:
Department of Business Services
Limited Liability Division
501 S. Second St., Rm. 351
Springfield, IL 62756
For Corporations: File an Illinois DBA Online With Cyberdrive Illinois or download the Corporation Assumed Name Application and send it to
- $150 for each year or part thereof ending in 0 or 5
- $120 for each year or part thereof ending in 1 or 6
- $90 for each year or part thereof ending in 2 or 7
- $60 for each year or part thereof ending in 3 or 8
- $30 for each year or part thereof ending in 4 or 9
Corporation Filing Address:
Secretary of State
Department of Business Services
501 S. Second St., Rm. 350
Springfield, IL 62756
Top Tip:
Instead of doing it yourself, save some time by hiring a reliable formation service like ZenBusiness. You can see editors’ Review on ZenBusiness to decide if it’s the best choice for your company.
The following information must include in the Illinois trade name form:
- Your business name and adress
- Owners/partners of the business and addresses
- Entity type (eg; LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
- Trade name’s description
Renew, Change or Withdraw Your Illinois DBA
Renew Your Fictitious Name With the State ($150)
After five years of registration, your Certificate of Illinois Assumed Business Name expires. To renew your assumed name in Illinois you have to pay $150. In case you renew your DBA after the first day of your company’s anniversary month, a penalty of $100 will be applied.
Change Your Fictitious Name ($25)
If you wish to make changes in your Illinois assumed business name, you can do it by filling the respective application for LLC or a corporation.
Withdraw Your Fictitious Name
You can cancel your Illinois assumed business name by filling the Cancellation Certificate of DBA application for an LLC or a corporation.
Editor’s Insight
Filing an Illinois fictitious business name, aka an Illinois DBA (doing business as), is an easy and straightforward process. If you want to save time and effort, LLC filing companies like LegalZoom and ZenBusiness can help you get that at a fraction of the cost.
However, if you are interested in DIY, you just need to follow the above-mentioned step-by-step guide or see how to Get a DBA in any of the 50 states.
If you’re a business owner in Illinois, you may be wondering how to file a DBA. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step by step. So whether you’re just starting out or want to switch your business name, read on for all the information you need to file ID DBA.
Important! Please keep in mind that DBA is not a business structure, so it won’t protect you from liabilities, lawsuits, or any other unforeseen situations. DBA stands for Doing Business As. – often precedes the name under which a business operates, which is not the legal name of the business.
Therefore, before starting, make sure you understand the difference between informal business structures such as sole proprietorship and formal ones like corporations and LLCs.
To register or renew the trademark, trade name, or service mark for your company in Illinois you need to file the application to the Secretary of State. Here is what you need to do:
Illinois Business Entity Search
Your company’s trade name should be unique and have not been acquired by any other entity in Illinois. Moreover, this name must also meet the business name requirements of Illinois.
First, you have to search the Illinois Secretary of State’s Business Search portal for the DBA, Business, & Fictitious names. Check the portal thoroughly to know whether the name that you wish to have for your business has already been taken by someone or not. Make sure, this name isn’t already in use.
Note: You can also find a complete guide on business name search here.
Once you are done searching, the next step is to review the naming requirements of the state of Illinois. Your DBA should not include:
- Business entity suffix, such as Incorporated, LLC, Corp, etc., unless the business is actually a corporation, or LLC,etc.
- Any term that falsely indicate or imply government affiliation.
- Terms that are given to financial institutions, such as bank, banc, banque, banco, banker, savings and loan association, trust company, savings bank, credit union, or similar words.
Register Your Illinois DBA ($25-$45)
Illinois trade names are filed with the Illinois secretary of state. You can file Illinois DBA, online with the secretary of state using the SOSbiz portal or download the ID DBA application form and mail it or send it in-person at the following addresses:
New Castle County
Office of the Secretary of State
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0080.
Kent County
Office of the Secretary of State
450 N. 4th Street
Boise ID 83702.
Top Tip:
Instead of doing it yourself, save some time by hiring a reliable formation service like ZenBusiness. You can see editors’ Review on ZenBusiness to decide if it’s the best choice for your company.
The following information must include in the Illinois trade name form:
- Your business name and adress
- Owners/partners of the business and addresses
- Entity type (eg; LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
- Trade name’s description
Renew, Change or Withdraw Your Illinois DBA
Renew Your Fictitious Name With the State
The assumed business name in Illinois does not expire and remains valid until the owner withdraw his Illinois DBA. So, there is no need to renew your ID DBA.
Change Your Fictitious Name ($10-$20)
If you wish to make changes in your Illinois assumed business name, you need to file out the Cancellation or Amendment of Certificate of Ficticious Business Name. The online filing fee is $10 and $20 for filing through mail. You can mail or drop off this form at the following address:
Office of the Secretary of State
450 N 4th Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0080
Withdraw Your Fictitious Name
You can cancel your Illinois assumed business name by filling the Cancellation Certificate of DBA. The mailing address is given in the above section.
Editor’s Insight
Filing an Illinois fictitious business name, aka an Illinois DBA (doing business as), is an easy and straightforward process. If you want to save time and effort, LLC filing companies like LegalZoom and ZenBusiness can help you get that at a fraction of the cost.
However, if you are interested in DIY, you just need to follow the above-mentioned step-by-step guide or see how to Get a DBA in any of the 50 states.
If you’re a business owner in Illinois, you may be wondering how to file a DBA. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step by step. So whether you’re just starting out or want to switch your business name, read on for all the information you need to file ID DBA.
Important! Please keep in mind that DBA is not a business structure, so it won’t protect you from liabilities, lawsuits, or any other unforeseen situations. DBA stands for Doing Business As. – often precedes the name under which a business operates, which is not the legal name of the business.
Therefore, before starting, make sure you understand the difference between informal business structures such as sole proprietorship and formal ones like corporations and LLCs.
To register or renew the trademark, trade name, or service mark for your company in Illinois you need to file the application to the Secretary of State. Here is what you need to do:
Illinois Business Entity Search
Your company’s trade name should be unique and have not been acquired by any other entity in Illinois. Moreover, this name must also meet the business name requirements of Illinois.
First, you have to search the Illinois Secretary of State’s Business Search portal for the DBA, Business, & Fictitious names. Check the portal thoroughly to know whether the name that you wish to have for your business has already been taken by someone or not. Make sure, this name isn’t already in use.
Note: You can also find a complete guide on business name search here.
Once you are done searching, the next step is to review the naming requirements of the state of Illinois. Professional corporation and LLC naming guidelines help you learn about Illinois naming guidelines. In general, your DBA should not include:
- Any term or abbrevation that is ristricted to government bodies only
- Term that confuse your business with government institutions such as state department, FBI, treasury, etc
- Any word or term indicating that your company is in the business of a corporate fiduciary such as such as trust, trustee, fiduciary unless permitted by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation.
- Terms indicating the business is some kind of financial institution, such as bank, insurance, or corporate fiduciary without authorization from the state Commissioner of Banks and Real Estate.
Register Your Illinois DBA
Businesses That Register DBA With County’s Clerk
Illinois sole proprietors, professional corporations, and partnerships are required to file an assumed business name application with the county clerk’s office(s) where the business is conducted or business orders are transacted.
Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders helps you find your county clerk’s contact information.
Businesses that Register DBA with the Secretary Of State
The following businesses need to register their trade names with the Illinois Secretary of State:
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- For-profit Corporations
- Nonprofit Corporations
- Any Foreign Filing Entities
- Limited Partnerships (LPs)
- Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
For LLCs: File an Illinois DBA Online With Cyberdrive Illinois or download the LLC Assumed Name Application and send it to
LLC Filing Address:
Department of Business Services
Limited Liability Division
501 S. Second St., Rm. 351
Springfield, IL 62756
For Corporations: File an Illinois DBA Online With Cyberdrive Illinois or download the Corporation Assumed Name Application and send it to
- $150 for each year or part thereof ending in 0 or 5
- $120 for each year or part thereof ending in 1 or 6
- $90 for each year or part thereof ending in 2 or 7
- $60 for each year or part thereof ending in 3 or 8
- $30 for each year or part thereof ending in 4 or 9
Corporation Filing Address:
Secretary of State
Department of Business Services
501 S. Second St., Rm. 350
Springfield, IL 62756
Top Tip:
Instead of doing it yourself, save some time by hiring a reliable formation service like ZenBusiness. You can see editors’ Review on ZenBusiness to decide if it’s the best choice for your company.
The following information must include in the Illinois trade name form:
- Your business name and adress
- Owners/partners of the business and addresses
- Entity type (eg; LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
- Trade name’s description
Renew, Change or Withdraw Your Illinois DBA
Renew Your Fictitious Name With the State ($150)
After five years of registration, your Certificate of Illinois Assumed Business Name expires. To renew your assumed name in Illinois you have to pay $150. In case you renew your DBA after the first day of your company’s anniversary month, a penalty of $100 will be applied.
Change Your Fictitious Name ($25)
If you wish to make changes in your Illinois assumed business name, you can do it by filling the respective application for LLC or a corporation.
Withdraw Your Fictitious Name
You can cancel your Illinois assumed business name by filling the Cancellation Certificate of DBA application for an LLC or a corporation.
Editor’s Insight
Filing an Illinois fictitious business name, aka an Illinois DBA (doing business as), is an easy and straightforward process. If you want to save time and effort, LLC filing companies like LegalZoom and ZenBusiness can help you get that at a fraction of the cost.
However, if you are interested in DIY, you just need to follow the above-mentioned step-by-step guide or see how to Get a DBA in any of the 50 states.
If you’re a business owner in Illinois, you may be wondering how to file a DBA. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process step by step. So whether you’re just starting out or want to switch your business name, read on for all the information you need to file ID DBA.
Important! Please keep in mind that DBA is not a business structure, so it won’t protect you from liabilities, lawsuits, or any other unforeseen situations. DBA stands for Doing Business As. – often precedes the name under which a business operates, which is not the legal name of the business.
Therefore, before starting, make sure you understand the difference between informal business structures such as sole proprietorship and formal ones like corporations and LLCs.
To register or renew the trademark, trade name, or service mark for your company in Illinois you need to file the application to the Secretary of State. Here is what you need to do:
Illinois Business Entity Search
Your company’s trade name should be unique and have not been acquired by any other entity in Illinois. Moreover, this name must also meet the business name requirements of Illinois.
First, you have to search the Illinois Secretary of State’s Business Search portal for the DBA, Business, & Fictitious names. Check the portal thoroughly to know whether the name that you wish to have for your business has already been taken by someone or not. Make sure, this name isn’t already in use.
Note: You can also find a complete guide on business name search here.
Once you are done searching, the next step is to review the naming requirements of the state of Illinois. Your DBA should not include:
- Business entity suffix, such as Incorporated, LLC, Corp, etc., unless the business is actually a corporation, or LLC,etc.
- Any term that falsely indicate or imply government affiliation.
- Terms that are given to financial institutions, such as bank, banc, banque, banco, banker, savings and loan association, trust company, savings bank, credit union, or similar words.
Register Your Illinois DBA ($25-$45)
Illinois trade names are filed with the Illinois secretary of state. You can file Illinois DBA, online with the secretary of state using the SOSbiz portal or download the ID DBA application form and mail it or send it in-person at the following addresses:
New Castle County
Office of the Secretary of State
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0080.
Kent County
Office of the Secretary of State
450 N. 4th Street
Boise ID 83702.
Top Tip:
Instead of doing it yourself, save some time by hiring a reliable formation service like ZenBusiness. You can see editors’ Review on ZenBusiness to decide if it’s the best choice for your company.
The following information must include in the Illinois trade name form:
- Your business name and adress
- Owners/partners of the business and addresses
- Entity type (eg; LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
- Trade name’s description
Renew, Change or Withdraw Your Illinois DBA
Renew Your Fictitious Name With the State
The assumed business name in Illinois does not expire and remains valid until the owner withdraw his Illinois DBA. So, there is no need to renew your ID DBA.
Change Your Fictitious Name ($10-$20)
If you wish to make changes in your Illinois assumed business name, you need to file out the Cancellation or Amendment of Certificate of Ficticious Business Name. The online filing fee is $10 and $20 for filing through mail. You can mail or drop off this form at the following address:
Office of the Secretary of State
450 N 4th Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0080
Withdraw Your Fictitious Name
You can cancel your Illinois assumed business name by filling the Cancellation Certificate of DBA. The mailing address is given in the above section.
Editor’s Insight
Filing an Illinois fictitious business name, aka an Illinois DBA (doing business as), is an easy and straightforward process. If you want to save time and effort, LLC filing companies like LegalZoom and ZenBusiness can help you get that at a fraction of the cost.
However, if you are interested in DIY, you just need to follow the above-mentioned step-by-step guide or see how to Get a DBA in any of the 50 states.
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