How to Register a DBA in Illinois

Sole proprietorships, partnerships, and professional corporations are required to file an Assumed Business Name Application with the appropriate County Clerk’s office(s).

A sole proprietorship is a business owned by a single individual that isn't formally organized. If you run a business and file taxes under your own name, you are a sole proprietor.

A DBA doesn't offer any protection for your personal assets in the event that your business is sued. For more information on setting up a limited liability company, visit our How to Form an LLC page and select your state.

SKIP AHEAD

If you need to create a DBA for an LLC or Corporation, you can click here to skip ahead.

If you haven't already, head over to the Illinois Secretary of State website to make sure your name isn't taken by— or too similar to— another registered Illinois business.

TIP: Our business name generator tool is a great resource for entrepreneurs who are still working to create the perfect business name or website address. You can also use our free logo generator tool to make a logo yourself! No design experience necessary!

Make sure your name complies with Illinois naming rules:

• Your name cannot include words that could confuse your business with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
• Restricted words (e.g. Bank, Attorney, University) may require additional paperwork and a licensed individual, such as a doctor or lawyer, to be part of your business. Learn more about Illinois naming guidelines here.

Next, a quick search on the U.S. Trademark Electronic Search System will tell you whether someone else has already trademarked your name.

Now would be the perfect time to make sure there’s a web domain available for your DBA as well.

If you need extra guidance with naming your business, we can help.

After registering a domain name for your DBA, consider using a business phone service to improve customer satisfaction and further establish credibility. Our top pick is Nextiva because of its affordable pricing and useful features. Start calling with Nextiva.

If your business is a sole proprietorship, professional corporation, or partnership, then you are required to file an Assumed Business Name Application with the appropriate county clerk’s office(s).

Knowing which county to file in is simple: you must file in any county where your business conducts or transacts business.

We will give you step-by-step directions to get a Cook County DBA. If you need to file in a different county than Cook County, you’ll have to get in touch with the county clerk for instructions.

You can find your counties' contact information here.

A DBA does not offer any protection for your personal assets in the event that your business is sued. For more information on setting up a limited liability company, visit our How to Form an LLC page and select your state.

Publication Requirement

Sole proprietors, general partnerships, and professional corporations are required to publish a Copy of Legal Notice of Assumed Business Name in a local weekly newspaper after registering an assumed business name. Publication must occur within 15 days of registration and the notice must be published once a week for three consecutive weeks.

For more information on publication and approved newspapers, contact your county clerk.

How to File a Cook County DBA

At this point, you should have already nailed down your DBA name and completed the name searches in Step 1 above.

Cook County suggests searching their assumed name records before you start the DBA filing process.

You can file your Assumed Business Name Application by mail, in-person, or electronically.

Register Your Assumed Business Name Application online here.

Register by mail or in-person:

• Assumed Business Name Application Form for Partnerships and Sole Proprietorships

Submit Signed and Notarized Form To:

Cook County Clerk
Vital Statistics PO Box 641070
Chicago IL, 60664-1070
ATTN: Assumed Name Unit

Payment

• $50: Payable in person by cash, check, or money order; by mail please provide a check or money order payable to “Cook County Clerk.”
  
  

Manage Your Cook County DBA

DBA Questions

Call (312) 603-5652

Renew Your DBA

Your assumed name does not expire.

Change Your DBA

To make changes to your Assumed Business Name Application, file electronically on the Cook County Clerk’s office website or fill out and submit the Notification of Assumed Business Name Amendments form. The Cook County Clerk will supply the form and the fee to file is $25.

Withdraw Your DBA

File the Notification of Assumed Business Name Amendments form with the Cook County Clerk.

LLCs, Corporations, and LLPs must file their DBA with the Illinois Secretary of State. The following business types file with the Illinois Secretary of State:

• For-profit Corporations, Non-Profit Corporations
• Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships
• Limited Liability Companies
• Any Foreign Filing Entities

If you are registering a sole proprietorship, professional corporation, or partnership, go back to the DBA guide for unincorporated businesses.

If you haven't already, head over to the Illinois Secretary of State website to make sure your name isn't taken by— or too similar to— another registered Illinois business.

TIP: Our business name generator tool is a great resource for entrepreneurs who are still working to create the perfect business name or website address.

Make sure your name complies with Illinois naming rules:

• Your name cannot include words that could confuse your business with a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
• Restricted words (e.g. Bank, Attorney, University) may require additional paperwork and a licensed individual, such as a doctor or lawyer, to be part of your business. Learn more about Illinois naming guidelines here.

Next, a quick search on the U.S. Trademark Electronic Search System will tell you whether someone else has already trademarked your name.

Now would be the perfect time to make sure there’s a web domain available for your DBA as well.

If you need extra guidance with naming your business, we can help.

If your business is an LLC, LLP, or corporation, you are required to file your DBA with the Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois offers both online and mail-in DBA registrations. The forms and rules vary between LLCs and corporations.

A DBA does not offer any protection for your personal assets in the event that your business is sued. For more information on setting up a limited liability company, visit our How to Form an LLC page and select your state.

DBA Registration for an LLC

One option to register your DBA is to file your LLC online.

An LLC cannot register an assumed name online in the following situations:

• The LLC is not in good standing or has expired
• The LLC has been revoked or withdrawn, terminated or dissolved
• The LLC needs to sign the application with multiple signatures or by the power of attorney
  
  

To file by mail or in person, first, print a copy of the application. If your business is an LLC, use form LLC-1.20.

The application will ask for your new DBA name and information about your business, such as:

• Line 1: Your current legal name
• Line 2: The state or country in which your LLC was organized
• Line 3: If it is a Series of the LLC that is filing

Secretary of State
Department of Business Services
Limited Liability Division
501 S. Second St., Rm. 351
Springfield, IL 62756

DBA Registration for a Corporation

If you’d prefer to file online, you can do that here for a corporation.

To file by mail or in person, first, print a copy of the application. If your business is a corporation, use form BCA-4.15/4.20.

The application will ask for your new DBA name and information about your business, such as:

• Line 2: State or county of the corporation
• Line 3: Date incorporated or date authorized to conduct business in Illinois (if a foreign corporation)
• Line 5: Effective date of assumed name if adopting or changing
• Line 6: Old assumed name if changing or cancelling

Submit your application by mail or in-person to:

Secretary of State
Department of Business Services
Limited Liability Division
501 S. Second St., Rm. 351
Springfield, IL 62756

Payment and Fees

Initial Filing Fee:

• $150 for each year ending in 0 or 5, $120 for each year ending in 1 or 6
• $90 for each year ending in 2 or 7, $60 for each year ending in 3 or 8
• $30 for each year ending in 4 or 9

Payment:

If filing online, payment must be in the form of a credit card — Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. If filing in person or by mail, payment may be made by check payable to Secretary of State.

Manage Your Illinois State DBA

DBA Questions

Call the Illinois Department of Business Services: (217) 782-6961

Renew Your DBA with the State

Your certificate of assumed name expires after five years. The fee to renew your assumed name is $150. A penalty of $100 will apply to any assumed name renewed on or after the first day of the company's anniversary month.

Change Your DBA

To make changes to your certificate of assumed name, you must complete and submit the Application to Adopt, Change, Cancel or Renew an Assumed Name for either an LLC or a corporation. The fee to file your assumed name change is $25.

Expedite Your DBA Filing

Non-expedited service will be reviewed within 10 days of submission. Expedited service requests will be reviewed within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). The expedited fee is $50.

Withdraw Your DBA

You can find the Application to Adopt, Change, Cancel or Renew an Assumed Name for an LLC or for a corporation. The fee to cancel an assumed name is $5.

• Illinois Secretary of State Assumed Name Adoptions
• Cook County, County Clerk
• Illinois Assumed Name Statute
• What is a Sole Proprietorship?
• What is an LLC?
• Best LLC Formation Services
• Checklist for Starting an LLC