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Wondering how to file a DBA in Washington? You’re not alone, many new business owners get confused in the unnecessary paperwork. This guide will take away any extra steps so that you get started quickly. So read on for information about filing a DBA in WA.
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 Washington you need to file the application to the Secretary of State. Here is what you need to do:
Washington Business Entity Search
Your company’s trade name should be unique and have not been acquired by any other entity in Washington. Moreover, this name must also meet the business name requirements of Washington.
First, you have to search the Washington Department of Revenue’s Business Lookup 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 Washington. In general, your DBA should not include:
- Words such as LLC, Incorporated, Corp, or any business entity suffix unless the business is actually an LLC, corporation.
- Words or phrases such as banker, bank, banking, cooperative, trust, any combination of the words “loan, and industrial”, any combination of any two or more of the words “building,” “loan,” “savings,” “association,” “home,” and “society,” or any other words or phrases prohibited by any Washington state statute.
Register Your Washington DBA ($24)
You can file a Washington DBA online by using the Department of Revenue’s Website or by downloading the Assumed Name Application and sending it to:
DBA Filing Mail Address:
State of Washington
Business Licensing Service
P.O. Box 9034
Olympia, WA 98507-9034
Washington DBA Filing Cost:
$19 Business License Application fee + $5 trade name fee = $24 Filing Fee
Top Tip:
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The following information must include in the Washington trade name form:
- Your business name and adress
- Unified Business Identifier (UBI)
- Business opening date and place of incorporation
- Owners/partners of the business and addresses
- Entity type (eg; LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation)
- Estimated gross annual income
Renew, Change or Withdraw Your Washington DBA
Renew Your Fictitious Name With the State
The Certificate of Washington Assumed Business Name does not expire. So no need for the renewal of DBA in Washington.
Change Your Fictitious Name ($20)
If you wish to make changes in your Washington assumed business name, you can do it online or by filling the respective DBA amendment certificate application and sending it to the address given below:
Mail Address:
State of Washington
Business Licensing Service
P.O. Box 9034
Olympia, WA 98507-9034
Withdraw Your Fictitious Name ($20)
You can cancel your Washington assumed business name online or by filling the Business Information Change Form and sending it to the address mentioned in the above section.
