Trade name or DBA registration allows a business in Colorado to operate under a name that differs from its official legal name (the name that was used when the company was formed).
For example, let’s say you have an LLC called Sally’s Burgers LLC that you use for your burger store, Sally’s Burgers, but you want to rebrand your offering to hotdogs? Well, you can use a DBA to trade as Sally’s Hotdogs without having to set up a new LLC.
Filing for a DBA – or ‘Doing Business As’ – gives small business owners and startups freedom to choose their business name without having the costs and complexity of registering multiple LLCs or corporations.
There are many circumstances in which you might want to use a trade name or DBA is used for branding your business.
But, please note, a DBA (also known as a fictitious business name or trade name in some states) doesn’t provide legal protection for your personal assets in the way an Limited Liability Company (LLC) does. See more here on the difference between an LLC and a DBA.
How to Get a DBA in Colorado
Here is our step-by-step guide to getting a DBA in Colorado.
The process is very easy and is explained in these three steps.
- Do a search via the Colorado Secretary of State site to see if the DBA or trade name/ficticious name you want is available.
- Check that your trade name is available as a domain name (optional)
- File your DBA/trade name application then publish the new business name
- Pay the filing fees
Want to Save the Hassle and Get Swyft Filings to Handle Your DBA Filing For Free?
Before we get into the detail instructions for filing your DBA application, it is worth noting that various companies including Swyft Filings can file it for you. It is a fast and easy option that is well worth considering.
Get Swyft Filings to take care of your DBA filing for free
- Only pay state filing fees
- Money back gaurantee
- Select DBA from 'Start Your Business' Menu
Step 1: Do a Trade Name Search in Colorado
Your trade name or Colorado DBA must be unique (ie not taken by someone else) and it must meet the state’s requirements for business names.
Once you have a name in mind, you can use check to see if it is available.
Once you’ve ensured it is not already in use, then need to check that it meets the state’s naming requirements.
Step 2: Check if your name is available as a web domain
This is a practical step rather than a legal requirement. If you are doing business today it is pretty much certain you will need a website, so it makes sense to check if your name, or a variant of it, is available as a domain for you to put a website on. You can check if your preferred domain is available here: godaddy.com/domains
Chances are the exact match of your domain may not be available, so you might have to get a bit creative.
Hints:
- Try to get the .com version of the domain if you can as .org or .net aren’t as suitable for businesses
- Don’t just insert a hyphen between words. It doesn’t look professional
- Sometimes a quirky word (“guru”, “school” or “base”) makes for a good brand/domain.
Step 3: Register your Colorado trade name (DBA)
You must register your DBA with the Colorado Secretary of State. It can be filed online on the Secretary of State’s website.
A DBA in Colorado expires after one year for sole proprietors and general partnerships. The state requires that you renew your DBA online before it expires.
Corporations and LLCs in good standing do not have to renew DBA names on a state level.
Filing fees for the DBA in Colorado total $20 and the renewal fee is $5.
Another Option: Get Bizee to file your DBA for Free
Bizee is another trusted national service that can file your DBA or assumed name for you with no hassle and no extra cost.
Get Bizee to take care of your DBA filing for free
- Only pay state filing fees
- Money back gaurantee
- Select 'Doing Business As' Name (DBA) from 'Services' Menu
After You get a DBA For Your Limited Liability Company or other entity
Once you have your DBA or trade name, your business is almost up and running. Here are a few things to consider as next steps to get fully operational.
- Create a website for your business: Pretty much all businesses need a website these days and it is often an advantage (although not essential) to have social media pages too
- Set up a bank account for your business entity: Keeping your own finances separate from your LLC’s finances is important and the only way to do that is by operating a separate bank account for the LLC. We recommend Mercury Bank as a great online banking option, although you can bank with the traditional bricks and mortar banks too.