Where Register Dba In Michigan

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

This guide covers what you need to know well-nigh choosing a DBA proper noun for your Michigan pocket-sized business, how to complete and renew your causeless name equally needed, and how we tin can help make the process easy.

What is a Michigan "doing business as" (DBA) proper name?

A DBA name is just an culling proper noun for your business organization. Whatever fourth dimension you wish to exercise business concern nether a different name — whether different from your registered business concern name or from your personal name in the case of a sole proprietorship or partnership — you must annals it to remain in compliance and avoid legal consequences. This is truthful even if the only departure between your DBA proper name and business name is leaving off a designator or something similar.

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

Sole proprietorships or partnerships: To do business as a sole proprietor or a partnership, you are not by and large required to register with the state at all. However, if you want to carry business organization under a name other than your personal proper name or the names of yourself and your partners, you demand a DBA name to practice so. In Michigan, these forms are filed at the county level, and yous must file in every county in which you will do concern.
LLCs, corporations, and other business types: These entities found a business organization name when they annals their business with the country. Nevertheless, there are times when these businesses may wish to operate under a dissimilar 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 proper noun they apply. They might also wish to use one or more than 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 notation that registering a DBA proper name is not the aforementioned as registering a concern. When you register a business concern, you file the Articles of Organisation or Incorporation or a similar certificate with the state and, at that fourth dimension, designate an official business name, which includes a designator. All of the laws that pertain to your concern are adamant by this registration and not your DBA name.

DBA names are non a type of business concern. DBA filing does not plant your business or change your business'due south taxation structure in any style. It also does not establish copyright or trademark and does not offer yous any legal protection from liability. In fact, in Michigan, registering a DBA name doesn't fifty-fifty prevent anyone else from using the same proper name. Those protections can be had by filing other paperwork.

Benefits of using a DBA

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

Beingness able to open a banking concern business relationship nether your causeless name. Many banks require that the concern name on your bank account be registered as your business organization's legal proper name or DBA name.
Being able to practice business under a shorter or catchier proper noun for better marketing success. Many businesses like the ability to driblet their designator or shorten their total proper noun in other ways. For example, a concern with the legal name "Simon & Jones Business Directorate, LLC" might wish to use the name "Simon & Jones" or "Southward & J Business Advisers" when conducting business organisation.
Avoiding potential legal complications resulting from the confusion of the business name. For example, if your concern is an LLC, but you comport business under an unregistered assumed name, this may void whatever express liability. However, if yous accept that assumed name legally registered as a DBA name for your LLC, all of the LLC's protections even so apply.

How do I choose a Michigan DBA name?

Coming upwardly with a business name is no like shooting fish in a barrel chore. 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 nigh important factors to consider equally you lot choose your Michigan assumed name:

Memorability:Yous desire information technology to stick in the minds of potential clients or customers and so that they'll caput your way when the time comes.
Suitability: Consider spending some time brainstorming or making discussion clouds to narrow down your options. You demand to land on a name that clearly indicates what your business is almost.
Uniqueness: While Michigan police does not require that your DBA name exist 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 causeless name cannot advise it is a business type or is conducting business of a nature other than what is stated on the initial business registration.

Notation that just because you register a DBA name with the state, this does not hateful information technology is protected or that some other business cannot also use information technology. If you would like additional protection of your business organization proper name, you should look into trademark and copyright laws.

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

How do I register a Michigan DBA proper name?

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

If y'all are registering a DBA proper 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 yous volition conduct business. Contact your local County Clerk for more information as to how to proceed.

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

The data 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:

From the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Diplomacy website, select "Online Services" from the upper-right menu.
Nether "Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau," select "Corporations Online Filing System (COFS)."
You should then sign in with the CID and Pin used when you registered your business. From there, you tin access the Certificate of Causeless Name form, complete information technology online, submit it, and pay the associated fee by credit card ($ten for corporations or limited partnerships and $25 for LLCs).

To file by post instead, do the following:

Find the Document of Assumed Proper name form and make full it out in its entirety.
Print the form and sign it.
Make a check payable to the Land of Michigan in the corporeality of $10 for corporations and limited partnerships or $25 if you are an LLC.
Mail the completed class and check to:

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

How practice I manage ongoing DBA name compliance in Michigan?

As a business owner, it is vital that y'all stay on top of state laws and filings and make sure your business is ever compliant. In Michigan, if you lot want to do business nether a name other than your official concern proper noun, you lot are required to file a DBA grade before doing then.

Once yous file, the filing is proficient until December of the fifth yr from the initial filing appointment. At that fourth dimension, yous may file again (inside 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 whatever information in your filing, you can exercise and then online or by post using the "Document of Correction" class. A fee of $10 applies for corporations and limited partnerships and $25 applies for LLCs.

To terminate your utilise of an assumed proper name, you lot should file a "Certificate of Termination," which can likewise exist done online or through the mail service. The same fees apply.

How we can aid

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

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

The content on this page is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions almost whatever of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional person.

Michigan DBA FAQs

How much does it cost to annals a Michigan DBA name?

Registering a DBA name in Michigan requires a filing fee, which depends on your business type. If yous are a sole proprietor or your business is a partnership, different filing fees at the canton level will utilise. Additional fees may be incurred when securing a website domain name to go along with your new DBA name. Yous may also opt to pay fees to expedite the process. $100 is charged for 24-hour service, and college prices may be paid for same-day, ane-hour, or two-hour service.

Every 5 years, Michigan requires that yous renew your DBA proper name registration. Irresolute or updating your registration incurs fees, likewise. Check the country's website for a current fee schedule.
What is the processing time to annals a Michigan DBA?

The processing time can vary and depends on whether you lot file by mail or online. Online filing is mostly faster equally a rule. Paperwork submitted via postal service is commencement delivered to a remote location for receipts processing before making its way to the Corporations Division for review. So, you must business relationship for both mailing fourth dimension and processing time.

You may choose to deliver documents in person and/or pay for expedited service, notwithstanding, if needed, every bit described in a higher place.
Practice I need a DBA proper name for my Michigan business organisation?

No business is required to take a DBA name. With the exception of partnerships or sole proprietorships, when you register your business organisation with the state, you will indicate a chosen name at that time. However, business names are often required to include type-designators, such as "LLC" for limited liability companies or "Corp." for corporations. These designators are a legal function of your official concern proper name. If you lot want to exercise business under a shorter version of your official proper noun with the designator dropped, you are required to annals a DBA name for the modified version of the proper name.

Sole proprietorships or partnerships are not required to register, just if i of these is your business type and you'd similar to do business organization under a name other than your personal proper name, you will need to file a DBA name.
If I annals a DBA proper name in Michigan, tin another business use the same name?
Yes, unfortunately, registering a DBA name does not secure it or brand it your ain. Any business may also annals and use the same DBA name. If y'all would like to protect the name you wish to use, you will need to wait into trademark protection.
Tin a business in Michigan have multiple DBA names?
Aye, businesses tin can typically utilize multiple DBA names to differentiate singled-out areas of their operations. Consider, for example, an IT company that has a shop offering home computer repair, merely it also does consulting for businesses. They may wish to exercise business under a distinct name for each blazon of service.
Is a DBA name the same matter as a fictitious business organisation proper noun in Michigan?
In Michigan, a DBA name is the same thing equally a fictitious proper noun, although the official terminology is "assumed proper noun."
Do I need a DBA name in Michigan if I use my own name for a sole proprietorship?
If you accept a sole proprietorship, you are only legally permitted to acquit business under your ain legal proper noun. However, if you lot want to utilise a proper noun other than the 1 on your Social Security menu, you will need to register information technology as a DBA name to remain in compliance.
Will using a DBA name affect how my business concern is taxed in Michigan?
No. A DBA proper noun is nothing more than an alternative name for your business organisation. It does not plant a business type or entity. As such, it has no effect on how your business concern is taxed at the state, local, or federal level. That is adamant by your registered business type and associated laws.

If you still have questions or would like boosted guidance on business germination in Michigan, contact ZenBusiness today. Not just can we help expedite the procedure, just our experts can have the stress out of running and growing your Michigan business.