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Arizona splits name filings between three offices. The Corporation Commission handles LLCs and corporations. The Secretary of State handles trade names. Counties record DBA names. Decide which of these you actually need before you file anything.
Which Arizona office takes a DBA?
The Commission's business services FAQ is blunt: it does not register or recognize DBAs. It says you can record a DBA name through the Maricopa County Recorder's Office and register trade names through the Arizona Secretary of State. We did not read a county recorder page, so we cannot quote a county fee or form. If your business is outside Maricopa County, ask your own county recorder.
The Secretary of State's trade name page says a trade name is similar to a "doing business as" name. It is not legally required, but it is an accepted practice.
What does an Arizona trade name protect?
Less than people expect. The Secretary of State says a trade name does not grant exclusive rights to a business name. It also says a trade name is not like a corporation or an LLC. If you want an LLC, you file with the Corporation Commission. See our Arizona LLC guide.
The office is a filing agency. It says it cannot resolve name conflicts and tells customers to get legal advice if one comes up. It also advises you to do your own research before registering. Our LLC name search guide shows how to check a name first.
How do you file and what does it cost?
Trade names are filed online. The Secretary of State says PDF applications are no longer accepted and will be returned. You can pay online by card, or send a check or money order.
The pages we read do not state the base filing fee, so we leave it out. They do give two figures:
- Expedite. An extra $25 gets a turnaround of two to three days.
- Duplicate certificate. $3 on request.
Check the fee on the filing screen before you pay. The office keeps a microfiche record of every application after it is filed, cancelled or revoked.
How long does a trade name last?
Five years from the date of receipt. You have up to six months before it expires to renew. If you miss that, someone else can register the name.
On a renewal, the owner must match the owner already on file. The owner cannot be changed on a renewal, and a renewal with a different owner is returned. If you do not remember how the filing was recorded, search the name first.
How do you search Arizona trade names?
Use the Secretary of State's trade name search. It shows the record but not images of earlier filings. Copies of applications come through a Public Record Request Form. Plain copies are 10 cents a page, and certified copies add $3 per request.
County DBA records sit with the county recorder, so a trade name search will not show them. For other states, see our DBA search guide.
Should you use a DBA or an LLC?
The Secretary of State says a trade name is not similar to a corporation or an LLC. It is a registered name, not a company. Read DBA vs LLC before you decide, and how to file a DBA for the general steps. For state tax and city licensing, see the Arizona business license guide.
This page covers the state trade name only. It does not cover city rules, county fees or the Corporation Commission's publication rules for entity filings.