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Pennsylvania registers fictitious names at state level. The filing office is the Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations inside the Department of State. The rule comes from the Fictitious Names Act of 1982, 54 Pa.C.S. 301 and following, and the Department explains it on its fictitious names page.
If you came looking for a county clerk, you can stop. There is no county filing. The state record is the one that counts.
Who has to register a fictitious name in Pennsylvania?
Anyone doing business under a name that is not their proper name. That covers sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations, LLCs and other groups. For an entity, the proper name is the one in its filed organizing papers.
Your own full name is the main exception. A person using only their full name does not register it. Adding words such as "& Sons" or "& Associates" turns it into a fictitious name. The Department also warns that some old county court decisions treat a bare surname as exempt, but it cautions against relying on them because they do not set precedent.
How do you file it, and what does it cost?
File the Registration of Fictitious Name, Form DSCB:54-311. The fee schedule lists the registration at $70. Each ancillary transaction is also $70.
The form needs:
- The fictitious name.
- A short statement of what the business does.
- The principal place of business, with a street address. A post office box alone does not work.
- The name and address of each person or entity with an interest in the business.
The Department's filing portal is file.dos.pa.gov. We did not confirm which fictitious name steps it handles, so check the form page first. Our how to file a DBA guide covers the general steps.
Do you have to publish a notice?
Sometimes. If the form lists an individual as an owner, you must officially publish notice that you filed or intend to file. The notice runs in two newspapers of general circulation in the county where the business will be located, and one must be a legal newspaper. A county with only one such newspaper needs just that one.
If only entities are listed, you skip this. You do not send proof of the notice to the state, but you keep it with your records. The wording rules sit in 54 Pa.C.S. 311(g).
What are the name rules?
The name must be distinguishable on the Department's records from registered entity names. Dropping a designator such as Inc. or LLC does not make a name distinguishable, and the Bureau will not take a fictitious name that is an entity's exact name without the designator.
Corporate words are restricted. You may not use "corporation," "incorporated" or "limited" unless a corporation is party to the filing. The same goes for "LLC" and "limited liability company": an LLC must be a party. "Company" is allowed for a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation.
What does the registration give you?
Less than many owners assume. The Department says it does not create an exclusive right to the name, and others can register the same one. It is not a trademark or a copyright. It gives no liability protection and creates no separate legal entity. If you want that protection, you need an LLC; see DBA vs LLC and our Pennsylvania LLC guide.
What if you skip it?
The unregistered business may not use Pennsylvania courts to enforce a contract entered into under the fictitious name. The contract stays valid. The block lifts once you register, though a court can add a $500 penalty when registration is late.
How do you look one up?
Use the state's Business Entity Search, described on the record searches page. Records are found by exact entity name or entity number. They cannot be searched by owner name. Staff can read out fictitious name owners by phone, and written record searches cost $15 per entity number. A fictitious name has no good standing status. It stays in effect until canceled.
For local sources and other states, see DBA search. To check a name before you pick it, use LLC name search.
What this page does not cover
It does not cover city or county licenses, tax accounts or professional boards. Those are on our Pennsylvania business license page. This page is a guide, not legal advice.