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Filing a DBA can be intimidating, but don’t worry; we’re here to help get you started. Whether it’s your first time or just want some new information on how the trade name filing process works in Montana– all of these steps are covered in the following sections.
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 Montana you need to file the application to the Secretary of State. Here is what you need to do:
Montana Business Entity Search
Your company’s trade name should be unique and have not been acquired by any other entity in Montana. Moreover, this name must also meet the business name requirements of Montana.
First, you have to search the Montana Secretary of State’sBusiness Search website 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 Montana. In general, your DBA should not include:
- LLC, Incorporated, Corp., or any other business entity suffix unless the business is actually an LLC, or corporation.
- Any terms that are used financial institutions, including: “bank,” “banco,” “banc,” “banker,” “banque,” “savings and loan association,”“trust company,” “savings bank,” “credit union,” or other related words.
- The words implyng that the company is established for the purposes.
Register Your Montana DBA ($20)
File a Montana DBA Online through Montana ePass website. The Filing Fee for Assumed Business Name in Montana is $20.
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 Montana 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 Montana DBA
Renew Your Fictitious Name With the State ($20)
Certificate of Montana Assumed Business Name expireS every 5 years. So apply for the renewal of DBA in Montana through Montan ePAss website.
Change Your Fictitious Name ($20)
If you wish to make changes in your Montana assumed business name, you can do it by filling the respective DBA Amendment application.
Withdraw Your Fictitious Name
You can cancel your Montana assumed business name by filling the for the Cancellation of DBA online. There is DBA cancelation fee in Montana.
