How To Change Your Name In Alabama
How to Get a DBA in Alabama
An Alabama DBA (doing business as) is chosen a trade name. Alabama trade name registration allows a business organisation to operate under a proper noun that's different from its legal proper name.
DBA registration won't protect your personal assets like forming an LLC or corporation will. Larn why in our DBA vs LLC guide.
Or, employ a professional person DBA service:
MyCompanyWorks ($99 + land fee)
Swyft Filings ($99 + state fee)
Register a DBA in Alabama
Registering an Alabama trade proper name, besides known as a DBA, is easy!
Learn How to Get a DBA in Alabama yourself in three steps:
- Start with an Alabama Trade Proper noun Search
- Use Your Alabama Merchandise Proper noun
- Register Your Alabama DBA
Note: A DBA is just used for branding. Nosotros recommend forming an LLC to separate your business and personal avails.
Step ane. Start with an Alabama Merchandise Name Search
Your Alabama trade name must exist unique and must also meet Alabama's business proper name requirements.
Start, use the Alabama Secretary of State's Concern Entity Search and search for your new DBA name to make certain it isn't already in use.
Next, review the Alabama naming requirements. In Alabama, your trade name should NOT include:
- Whatsoever banking-related words without a letter of the alphabet from the Alabama Cyberbanking Commissioner'due south Office, or any insurance-related words without a letter from the Alabama Insurance Commissioner'due south Office.
- Any words that could confuse your corporation with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
- A professional designation in the proper noun (i.e., engineering, attorney) without a copy of the license of one officer/member or a letter from the governing agency allowing the utilise of the name without licensing.
- Any words that indicate or imply that the corporation is engaged in a business that is not authorized by police to pursue.
We recommend checking if your name is available as a web domain (URL). You might non programme on starting a business website today, but you may want to prevent others from acquiring your URL.
Once you reserve a domain name for your DBA, consider setting upward a business phone system to help strengthen your client service and boost credibility. We recommend Nextiva because of its affordable pricing and multifariousness of useful features. Get-go calling with Nextiva.
Need Assistance Creating a Make Proper noun and Logo?
If y'all need assistance coming up with a DBA name, try our business name generator. Then, create a unique logo for your brand with our complimentary logo generator.
Footstep 2. Utilise Your Alabama Merchandise Name
Alabama requires that you accept operated under your trade name before you tin can register it. Then, if you'd like to register and protect a trade name in Alabama, yous need to start using it correct away.
Alabama will require 3 "specimens" of trade name usage. Some examples of acceptable specimens include:
- Business concern Cards
- Brochures
- Flyers
- Labels
- Decals
Specimens must be unaltered and legible. The trade name application will ask where and when y'all used the trade proper noun for the start fourth dimension in any land and in Alabama specifically, so information technology'southward important to proceed track.
Pace three. Register Your Alabama DBA
Your Alabama merchandise proper name can be filed online or by mail with the Secretarial assistant of Country. You can file online with the Secretary of Land's website or you tin complete the Awarding to Register or Renew Trademark, Service Marking or Merchandise Name class.
Some of import sections of the grade include:
- Section 4: Description of the merchandise name
- Section 5: Description of the appurtenances or services that will exist offered nether the trade name
- Section vi: An explanation of how the trade proper name will be used
- Department 10: Any other entities authorized to utilise the trade name (if applicable)
- Section 11: Date the merchandise name was first used
A DBA does not offer any legal protection for your personal avails in the event that your business concern is sued. For more information on setting up a limited liability company, visit our How to Form an LLC folio and select your country.
Option 1: File Online on the Secretary of State'southward Website
File Online
- OR -
Option 2: File the Application to Register or Renew Trademark, Service Mark or Trade Proper name By Mail or In-Person
Download Form
Cost:
$thirty Filing Fee
Function Address:
State of Alabama Part of the Secretarial assistant of Land
Trademarks Division
11 South Marriage St., Suite 224
Montgomery, AL 36130
Mailing Address:
Country of Alabama Office of the Secretary of Land
Trademarks Partition
P.O. Box 5616
Montgomery, AL 36103-5616
Manage Your Alabama Trade Proper name
General Questions
Call the Alabama Secretary of State's Trademarks Division: (334) 242-5325
Renew Your Trade Name With the State
Your Alabama DBA should exist renewed every five years. You tin can renew on the Secretary of Land'southward website or past completing and mailing the Application to Register or Renew Trademark, Service Mark or Trade Name. Mail the completed form to the address below:
State of Alabama Office of the Secretary of State
Trademarks Division
P.O. Box 5616
Montgomery, AL 36103-5616
Change Your Merchandise Proper noun
To modify your Alabama merchandise name, telephone call the Alabama Secretarial assistant of Land's Trademarks Division: (334) 242-5325
Withdraw Your Trade Name
To cancel your Alabama trade proper noun, call the Alabama Secretary of State's Trademarks Division: (334) 242-5325
Afterwards Filing Your Alabama DBA
If filing a DBA marks the beginning of your concern journeying, then at that place are a few more steps that you should take earlier getting started:
- Create your Business organization's Website - Every business organisation needs a website. Luckily, elevate-and-driblet builders similar GoDaddy and Wix brand the job quick and like shooting fish in a barrel. Check out our Best Website Builder commodity to find the tool that's best for you.
- Get your Business Finances in Social club - You'll need to separate your business finances from your personal ones. This is accomplished by opening a business depository financial institution business relationship. If your business has long lead times or other cash flow irregularities, you tin as well look into a concern credit carte.
- Protect Your Business - While an LLC volition help to protect your personal assets in the case of a lawsuit, your business concern's assets also need protection. Having the correct business organisation insurance volition ensure that you're covered if the worst happens. Most businesses beginning with general liability insurance as their base coverage.
Need Assist Filing Your Alabama DBA?
Take a Professional Service File Your Alabama DBA For You
A professional service volition handle filing your DBA on your behalf, assuasive you to focus on the other needs of your business concern.
Recommended: MyCompanyWorks ($99 + country fee)
Alabama DBA FAQ
How many DBAs can I take?
You lot can have as many DBAs as you can beget to create and are able to keep track of. Each one comes with additional incremental expenses and paperwork, meaning more is not necessarily better.
Can a DBA become an EIN or Tax ID?
DBAs aren't required to take a separate EIN because DBAs aren't a business entity. The business entity that the DBA is under would have an EIN if an EIN is required.
To learn more virtually EINs and when y'all need one for your business organization, read our What is an EIN guide.
Can a DBA become an LLC?
No. An LLC is a business organization entity, while a DBA is just a name for a business.
Sole proprietorships are oft confused with DBAs, just they are not the aforementioned: a sole proprietorship is a business entity, therefore it tin choose to become an LLC.
To learn how to course an LLC, visit our Form an LLC state guides.
Tin a DBA have Inc. in the proper noun?
A DBA tin can just have Inc. in the name if the concern entity the DBA is attached to is a corporation.
How practice I ready up a DBA for a rental belongings?
Holding a rental property in your proper name and with a DBA will not beget you whatsoever protection. The best selection is to class an LLC to protect your personal assets in the event of an consequence with the rental belongings. In any example, it is always best to consult an chaser.
When would information technology exist practiced to become a DBA versus a legal name change?
Getting a DBA is often a ameliorate choice than changing your business organisation's legal name. If you want to rebrand your company or focus on another line of business, filing for a DBA is a simpler process than filing for a legal name change.
Is my DBA protected from existence used in other places?
Some state-level laws forbid DBAs that are likewise like to existing ones from being used, but this varies from state to state. Information technology is possible to trademark a DBA, which would offering stronger protection across land lines.
Useful Links For Your Alabama DBA
- Alabama SOS Trademarks Segmentation
- Alabama SOS Business Services Website
- What is a Sole Proprietorship?
- What is an LLC?
Alabama Business Resources
Source: https://howtostartanllc.com/dba/dba-alabama
Posted by: taylorunth1976.blogspot.com
0 Response to "How To Change Your Name In Alabama"
Post a Comment