Get a DBA Name for Your Michigan Business Today

To remain compliant with Michigan state laws, you are required to register any alternate business names with the state (for state-registered business entities) or with the local county clerk’s office (for sole proprietorships or partnerships). These alternate names are called “doing business as” or DBA names and can be a useful branding or marketing tool for small businesses, as well as other potential benefits.

This guide covers what you need to know about choosing a DBA name for your Michigan small business, how to complete and renew your assumed name as needed, and how we can help make the process easy.

What is a Michigan “doing business as” (DBA) name?

A DBA name is simply an alternative name for your business. Any time you wish to do business under a different name — whether different from your registered business name or from your personal name in the case of a sole proprietorship or partnership — you must register it to remain in compliance and avoid legal consequences. This is true even if the only difference between your DBA name and business name is leaving off a designator or something similar.

There are primarily two categories that businesses seeking DBA names fall into:

• Sole proprietorships or partnerships: To do business as a sole proprietor or a partnership, you are not generally required to register with the state at all. However, if you want to conduct business under a name other than your personal name or the names of yourself and your partners, you need a DBA name to do so. In Michigan, these forms are filed at the county level, and you must file in every county in which you will do business. 
• LLCs, corporations, and other business types: These entities establish a business name when they register their business with the state. However, there are times when these businesses may wish to operate under a different name. Their legal name is required to include a business-type designator (such as “LLC” or “Corp.”), and they might want to drop that from the name they use. They might also wish to use one or more DBA names to distinguish different parts of their business or product lines. In Michigan, the associated forms for DBA names for these business entities are filed at the state level.

It’s important to note that registering a DBA name is not the same as registering a business. When you register a business, you file the Articles of Organization or Incorporation or a similar document with the state and, at that time, designate an official business name, which includes a designator. All of the laws that pertain to your business are determined by this registration and not your DBA name.

DBA names are not a type of business. DBA filing does not establish your business or change your business’s tax structure in any way. It also does not establish copyright or trademark and does not offer you any legal protection from liability. In fact, in Michigan, registering a DBA name doesn’t even prevent anyone else from using the same name. Those protections can be had by filing other paperwork.

Benefits of using a DBA

That said, there is still a multitude of benefits that come with using a DBA name, such as:

• Being able to open a bank account under your assumed name. Many banks require that the business name on your bank account be registered as your business’s legal name or DBA name.
• Being able to do business under a shorter or catchier name for better marketing success. Many businesses like the ability to drop their designator or shorten their full name in other ways. For example, a business with the legal name “Simon & Jones Business Advisers, LLC” might wish to use the name “Simon & Jones” or “S & J Business Advisers” when conducting business.
• Avoiding potential legal complications resulting from the confusion of the business name. For example, if your business is an LLC, but you conduct business under an unregistered assumed name, this may void any limited liability. However, if you have that assumed name legally registered as a DBA name for your LLC, all of the LLC’s protections still apply.

How do I choose a Michigan DBA name?

Coming up with a business name is no easy task. There are many factors to consider, ranging from aesthetics and marketing to legal considerations and compliance. To break it down for you, here are some of the most important factors to consider as you choose your Michigan assumed name:

• Memorability: You want it to stick in the minds of potential clients or customers so that they’ll head your way when the time comes.
• Suitability: Consider spending some time brainstorming or making word clouds to narrow down your options. You need to land on a name that clearly indicates what your business is about.
• Uniqueness: While Michigan law does not require that your DBA name be unique from other DBA names, it must be distinguishable from the legal names of corporations, LLCs, and other business entities in the state. You can search existing business names on the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) website.
• Legalities: To comply with Michigan naming laws, your assumed name cannot suggest it is a business type or is conducting business of a nature other than what is stated on the initial business registration. 

Note that just because you register a DBA name with the state, this does not mean it is protected or that another business cannot also use it. If you would like additional protection of your business name, you should look into trademark and copyright laws.

You may also want to search business names in nearby states if you are concerned about keeping your business name unique.

How do I register a Michigan DBA name?

How you register your DBA name in Michigan depends on whether you are a registered business entity, such as a corporation or LLC, or you are a sole proprietor or partnership. 

If you are registering a DBA name (assumed name) for a sole proprietorship or partnership, this is handled at the county level, and you must file with every county in which you will conduct business. Contact your local County Clerk for more information as to how to proceed.

If you are an existing business that has filed the Articles of Incorporation or Organization with the state, you will need to file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. This can be done online or via mail.

The information you will need to fill out during the filing process includes the chosen assumed name, the legally registered name of the business, the business’s identification number that was assigned by the Bureau, and the contact information of the filer.

The process for filing online is as follows:

1. From the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs website, select “Online Services” from the upper-right menu. 
2. Under “Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau,” select “Corporations Online Filing System (COFS).” 
3. You should then sign in with the CID and PIN used when you registered your business. From there, you can access the Certificate of Assumed Name form, complete it online, submit it, and pay the associated fee by credit card ($10 for corporations or limited partnerships and $25 for LLCs).

To file by mail instead, do the following:

1. Find the Certificate of Assumed Name form and fill it out in its entirety. 
2. Print the form and sign it.
3. Make a check payable to the State of Michigan in the amount of $10 for corporations and limited partnerships or $25 if you are an LLC.
4. Mail the completed form and check to:

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau
Corporations Division
P.O. Box 30054
Lansing, MI 48909

How do I manage ongoing DBA name compliance in Michigan?

As a business owner, it is vital that you stay on top of state laws and filings and make sure your business is always compliant. In Michigan, if you want to do business under a name other than your official business name, you are required to file a DBA form before doing so.

Once you file, the filing is good until December of the fifth year from the initial filing date. At that time, you may file again (within 90 days of the expiration) to continue using the assumed name. The form and fees are the same as for the initial filing. 

If you need to correct or update any information in your filing, you can do so online or by mail using the “Certificate of Correction” form. A fee of $10 applies for corporations and limited partnerships and $25 applies for LLCs.

To terminate your use of an assumed name, you should file a “Certificate of Termination,” which can also be done online or through the mail. The same fees apply. 

How we can help

If you want to stay on top of compliance, ZenBusiness can help your Michigan business manage requirements and handle all state-specific details on your behalf.

If your Michigan business is still in the formation stage, our LLC Formation Services or Corporation Formation Services can help you get started.

If you still have questions or would like additional guidance on business formation in Michigan, contact ZenBusiness today. Not only can we help expedite the process, but our experts can take the stress out of running and growing your Michigan business.