If you’re planning to start a business in Oregon under a name other than your own, you will need to register for a business name. Business name registration is commonly referred to as an Oregon DBA, “Doing Business As,” or Fictitious Name, but is officially called an Assumed Business Name.
To see if you need to register for an Oregon Assumed Business Name and steps on how to register, check out our guide.
Related: Starting A Business In Oregon Checklist
Who Needs to Register for an Oregon DBA?
Oregon law, ORS 648.0071, provides the requirements for registering an assumed business name. These requirements vary depending on the type of business entity.
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are the most common business structures for registering for an Oregon DBA. By default, the name of a sole proprietorship and general partnership is the owner(s) legal name. If the small business owner wants to operate under a specific name, they will complete the Assumed Business Name registration.
The legal name of a sole proprietor or partnership can be the legal name of the owner(s), which includes their full first name, middle initial, and last name. For example, if John F. Smith starts a business repairing computers operating under John F. Smith or John F. Smith Computer Repair, he doesn’t need to register. If John decides to name his business John’s Computer Repair, he needs to register.
Related: How To Start A Sole Proprietorship In Oregon
A corporation and Limited Liability Company won’t typically register for an Oregon DBA since a unique entity name is created during the entity formation process. However, some will want to register for a DBA if they have another business or brand name they want to operate in addition to the legal name of the business. This can allow multiple businesses to operate with the liability protection of an Oregon corporation or Limited Liability Company without forming another entity.
Steps to Register for an Oregon Assumed Business Name?
Step 1: Verify Name Availability
A business may not register a name that is the same or similar to another business in Oregon. To find out if the name you want is available, you can do an Oregon business name search on the Oregon Secretary of State business registry.
A business name is considered unique if it does not exactly copy a registered name. One word, the order of keywords, the addition of numbers, creative spelling, or even a letter’s difference in a name is enough to make it unique.
Step 2: Fill out the Assumed Business Name Form
The Assumed Business Name Registration Form is available to download or print on the Oregon Secretary of State’s website.
Information requested on the form includes:
- Name being registered
- Description of the business activity
- Principal address of the business
- Contact information of the owners
- Counties the name is being registered to be used in
Step 3: Submit the Form
Submit the filing fee and form. If filing by mail, send to:
Secretary of State – Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327
Oregon DBA FAQs
How much does an Oregon Assumed Business Name cost?
The filing fee to register an Assumed Business Name in Oregon is $50.
Name filings need to be renewed every two years.
How long does it take to get an Oregon Assumed Business Name?
It normally takes 5-7 business days for the Secretary of State to process the Assumed Name registration.
Are there any restricted words in an Oregon Assumed Name?
DBAs can’t be registered using words related to banking or a financial institution without approval from the Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities.
A name can’t include a business entity suffix (LLC, corp, etc.) unless the entity is registered as such.
Names must also be written in the English language but can include numbers or special characters such as @, *, /, $, +, %, and others.
After registering the Assumed Business Name, can someone use my business name?
While registering your Assumed Business Name will keep someone else from registering the same name in Oregon, it does very little to stop someone else from operating that business name in other states. If stopping others from using your business name is important, you can protect it through a trademark.
Related: How to trademark a business name
Does a DBA need an EIN?
An EIN or Employer Identification Number (sometimes referred to as a tax ID) is a unique nine-digit number that some businesses will register for through the Internal Revenue Department (IRS). An EIN is required for partnerships, corporations, multi-member LLCs, or any business that has employees.
Sole proprietorships and single-member LLCs without employees can use the owner’s social security number to identify the business.
There is no cost to get an EIN when registering directly from the IRS.
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