How to Register a DBA in New Jersey
Registering a DBA, known in New Jersey as a trade name or alternate name, will establish your business’s branding. DBAs are a simple way to start growing your business.
We’ll show you how to register a New Jersey DBA below.
Or, you can save time and use a trusted DBA service.
Recommended: Register your DBA and establish your brand with LegalZoom. Packages start at $99 (plus state filing fees).
To get started with a New Jersey DBA, choose your business entity type:
- Sole Proprietorship or Partnership (if your business is not a formal structure)
- LLC, Corporation, or LLP (if your business has a formal structure such as LLC or corporation)
File a NJ DBA for a Sole Proprietorship or General Partnership
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General partnerships and sole proprietors are required to file their Kentucky DBA with the County Clerk in the county where their business is located. Estates and real estate investment companies are also required to file with the county.
Step 1. Start With a New Jersey Trade Name Search
New Jersey trade names must be unique and must also meet New Jersey’s business name requirements.
First, visit the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services’ website and search for your new DBA name to make sure it isn’t already in use.
Next, review the New Jersey naming requirements. In New Jersey, trade names should NOT include:
- Words that could confuse your business with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
- The following restricted words without approval: bank, banker, banking, blind, cemetery, citius, con-con, dba, e-com, express mail, handicapped, little league, mail, olympiad, olympia, olympian, altius fortius, olympic, olympus, realtor, trust, United States Olympic Committee, urban renewal insurance, zip code, and USPS
Learn more about New Jersey naming guidelines by reading state statutes 42:2C-8 and 14a:2-2 related to business names.
We recommend checking if your name is available as a web domain (URL). You might not plan on starting a business website today, but you may want to prevent others from acquiring your URL.
Need Help Creating a Brand Name and Logo?
If you need help coming up with a DBA name, try our business name generator. Then, create a unique logo for your brand with our free logo generator.
Step 2. Filing a DBA in New Jersey with the County Clerk
Sole proprietors and partnerships are required to file a Trade Name Certificate with the appropriate county clerk’s office(s) in order to operate under a DBA.
Sole proprietors and partnerships must file in any county where your business conducts or transacts business.
We will give you step-by-step directions to get a Middlesex County DBA. For directions in other counties, please contact your county clerk.
You can find your counties' contact information from the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey website.
How to File a Middlesex County DBA
Before you start the DBA filing process, it is a good idea to search the Middlesex County trade name database.
Once you have selected your name, you will then complete the Trade Name Certificate and submit it to the Middlesex County Clerk. The certificate can be submitted either by mail or in-person.
Recommended: Use a reputable service. LegalZoom offers a hassle free DBA filing package starting at $99 + State Filing Fees.
File Your Middlesex County Trade Name Certificate
File the Trade Name Certificate by Mail or In-Person
Download FormCost:
$50 if filing by mail and already notarized
$58 if filing in-person and notarization is needed
Office Address:
Middlesex County Administration Building
4th floor
75 Bayard Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Mailing Address:
Middlesex County Clerk
P.O. Box 1110
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-1110
Manage Your Middlesex County DBA
DBA Questions
Call the Middlesex County Clerk's Office: (732) 745-3827
Withdraw Your DBA
You can cancel your trade name in Middlesex County by filing the Dissolution of a Business Name Certificate form. The filing fee is $25 if the form is already notarized or $31 if you get it notarized at the clerk’s office.
File a NJ DBA for an LLC, Corporation, or LLP
Incorporated businesses file their Registration of Alternate Name with the New Jersey Department of State.
The following business types are considered incorporated:
- For-profit Corporations, Nonprofit Corporations
- Professional Corporations, Professional Associations
- Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships
- Limited Liability Companies
- Any Foreign Filing Entities
You can file a DBA for your incorporated business yourself by using this guide. Or, use a professional service:
- LegalZoom ($99 + Filing Fees)
Step 1. Do a New Jersey Business Entity Search
New Jersey assumed names must be unique and must also meet New Jersey’s business name requirements.
First, visit the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services' website and search for your new DBA name to make sure it isn’t already in use.
Next, review the New Jersey naming requirements. In New Jersey, assumed names should NOT include:
- Words that could confuse your business with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
- The following restricted words without approval: bank, banker, banking, blind, cemetery, citius, con-con, dba, e-com, express mail, handicapped, little league, mail, olympiad, olympia, olympian, altius fortius, olympic, olympus, realtor, trust, United States Olympic Committee, urban renewal insurance, zip code, and USPS
We recommend checking if your name is available as a web domain (URL). You might not plan on starting a business website today, but you may want to prevent others from acquiring your URL.
Need Help Creating a Brand Name and Logo?
If you need help coming up with a DBA name, try our business name generator. Then, create a unique logo for your brand with our free logo generator.
Step 2: Filing Your New Jersey Registration of Alternate Name
You are required to set up your DBA with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services if your business is incorporated.
The Registration of Alternate Name form will ask for your new DBA name and information about your business. You can file a hard copy or submit it online.
Recommended: Use a reputable service. LegalZoom offers a hassle free DBA filing package starting at $99 + State Filing Fees.
Submit Your Registration of Alternate Name Form
File Online With the New Jersey Business Charter Amendment Service
File OnlineCost:
$50 Filing Fee
Office Address:
NJ Division of Revenue
Corporate Unit
33 West State Street, 5th Fl.
Trenton, NJ 08608
Mailing Address:
NJ Division of Revenue
Corporate Unit
P.O. Box 308
Trenton, NJ 08646
Manage Your NJ DBA
DBA Questions
Call the New Jersey Department of Treasury’s Division of Revenue: (609) 292-9292
Renew Your DBA with the State
Your New Jersey alternate name needs to be renewed every five years. That can be done online or by filing the Renewal of Registration of Alternate Name form. The renewal fee is $25 for corporations and $50 for other entities.
Withdraw Your DBA
You can cancel your New Jersey alternate name by filing the Certificate of Termination of Corporate Alternate Name form. The filing fee is $75.
After Filing Your New Jersey DBA
If filing a DBA marks the beginning of your business journey, then there are a few more steps that you should take before getting started:
- Create your Business’s Website - Every business needs a website. Luckily, drag-and-drop builders like GoDaddy and Wix make the job quick and easy. Check out our Best Website Builder article to find the tool that’s best for you.
- Get your Business Finances in Order - You’ll need to separate your business finances from your personal ones. This is accomplished by opening a business bank account. If your business has long lead times or other cash flow irregularities, you can also look into a business credit card.
- Protect Your Business - While an LLC will help to protect your personal assets in the case of a lawsuit, your business’s assets also need protection. Having the right business insurance will ensure that you’re covered if the worst happens. Most businesses start with general liability insurance as their base coverage.
DBA New Jersey FAQ
You can have as many DBAs as you can afford to create and are able to keep track of. Each one comes with additional incremental expenses and paperwork, meaning more is not necessarily better.
DBAs aren’t required to have 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 about EINs and when you need one for your business, read our What is an EIN guide.
No. An LLC is a business entity, while a DBA is just a name for a business.
Sole proprietorships are often confused with DBAs, but they are not the same: a sole proprietorship is a business entity, therefore it can choose to become an LLC.
To learn how to form an LLC, visit our Form an LLC state guides.
A DBA can only have Inc. in the name if the business entity the DBA is attached to is a corporation.
Holding a rental property in your name and with a DBA will not afford you any protection. The best option is to form an LLC to protect your personal assets in the event of an issue with the rental property. In any case, it is always best to consult an attorney.
Getting a DBA is often a better choice than changing your business’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.
Some state-level laws prevent DBAs that are too similar to existing ones from being used, but this varies from state to state. It is possible to trademark a DBA, which would offer stronger protection across state lines.