What is a DBA and when must it be registered?

• A. Doing Business As.
• B. Doing Business At.
• C. Domestic Business Agreement.
• D. Doing Business As; registered when operating under a name other than the legal business name.

Answer: (D)

A DBA, or Doing Business As, is the trade name you use for your business when it isn’t the legal name of the entity. You must register that name with the appropriate government agency before you start using it publicly, so everyone and the authorities know who actually owns or operates the business. If you operate only under your legal business name, a DBA isn’t needed. Use of a different brand name for branding, signage, contracts, or banking requires the DBA filing, after which you can legally conduct business under that name. For example, a sole proprietor using the name “Sweet Crumbs Bakery” would file a DBA to operate under that brand. The other terms aren’t standard for this concept, which is why this option best fits the definition and the registration requirement.