A fictitious business name, sometimes referred to as a trade name or DBA (doing business as), may need to be registered if you intend to launch a business in Missouri. A business that operates under a name other than its legal name or the names of its proprietors is said to be using a fake name. We’ll explain how to register a fictitious business name in Missouri in this article and address some associated queries. What Does a Fictitious Name in Business Mean?
A business may operate under a name that differs from its legal name or the names of its proprietors, which is known as a fake name. If John Smith owns a company called “John Smith LLC,” but he wishes to use the name “Smith’s Accounting Services,” for instance, he would need to register that name as a fake business name. In addition to corporations and LLCs, fictitious names are frequently utilized by single proprietorships and partnerships.
In Missouri, creating a fictitious business name is a rather straightforward process. The steps you must follow are as follows:
1. Pick a name for your company. The name shouldn’t be too similar to other Missouri-based companies’ names, and it shouldn’t contain words like “bank” or “insurance” unless you’re authorized to offer those services.
2. Find people by name. You must confirm that your fictional name is accessible before registering it. Using the internet database maintained by the Missouri Secretary of State, you can look up existing company names. 3. Submit a Fictitious Name Registration to the Secretary of State of Missouri. You have two options for registering: online or by mail. A fictitious name registration costs $7 to file. 4. Post an announcement in a newspaper. You must publish a notice of your fictitious name in a newspaper in the county where your business is located after your registration is authorized. When you renew your registration, you must present proof of publication.
The price will be higher if you elect to create an LLC rather than conducting business as a sole proprietor or partnership. In Missouri, an LLC must pay a filing fee of $105. Additionally, you must submit an annual report, which costs $45 to do. What Is the Use of a Fictitious Name?
There are numerous uses for a fictional name. It can aid in the development of a distinctive brand identity, the promotion of your company, and the facilitation of customer discovery. You can utilize it to run several businesses under one roof or divide your operations into various departments or product lines.
To sum up, registering a fake business name in Missouri is a simple procedure that may be finished online or by mail. A fictitious name registration costs $7 to file. The price will be higher if you want to create an LLC. A fake name can be a helpful branding and marketing tool for your company as well as a way to distinguish distinct parts of it.
Yes, if a firm intends to conduct its operations under a name other than the legal name of the entity or the name of the individual owner, Missouri requires that it file a fake name registration, sometimes referred to as a Doing firm As (DBA) registration.