Filing for D/B/A in NYC

Filing legal forms with the city of New York can be an opaque and frustrating process.  Services like LegalZoom will do some of the work for you, but it can be pricy. Here’s a step-by-step guide on filling out and filing Form x201, Certificate of Conducting Business Under An Assumed Name For An Individual.

If you’re not sure whether or not you need a D/B/A, check out this article.

1. CHOOSE A UNIQUE NAME FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Here’s a great article from Entrepreneur about what to consider when choosing a name for your business.  Next, you want to make sure it’s not taken: run a search on the Corporation and Business Entity Database for New York State.

2. PURCHASE OR DOWNLOAD THE FORM

Unless you anticipate filing multiple D/B/A forms, the cheapest and fastest way to get the form is here from Blumberg Legal Forms.  You can fill it out and print on their website for $9.00.  Blumberg’s software for is not completely intuitive; detailed instructions on purchasing, creating, and printing forms can be found here.  You will probably need to change the PDF viewer in your browser, and instructions to do that can be found here.

If you don’t feel like dealing with all that, you can use LegalZoom, who will charge you around $100 for walking your through the entire D/B/A process as well as creating your form for you, and that doesn’t cover the $120+ filing fees you’ll incur at the courthouse.  You can also purchase the form from stationary and court supply stores.

3. FILLING OUT THE FORM

Blank by blank instructions:

I HEREBY CERTIFY that I am conducting or transacting business under the name or designation of: your new business name goes here at your business address goes here (cannot be PO box).

City or town of New York County of New York State of New York.

My full name is your name goes here and I reside at your home address goes here.

I FURTHER CERTIFY that I am the successor in interest to only use this box if you are buying or inheriting a business!, the person or persons heretofore using such name or names to carry on or conduct or transact business.

Type of business Don’t fill this out, they will do it for you at the courthouse.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed this certificate on do not sign!  you must sign in front of a notary at the courthouse.

Leave all boxes for notary blank.

4. FILING YOUR FORM
The clerk’s office for Manhattan is 60 Center Street, Rm 109B. You will go through a metal detector, then take the elevators to the right down to the basement.  You then need to wait in line for the notary. You need at least 3 copies of the form notarized (they will keep one for filing, you will need one to open a bank account, and one to display at your office or store).  The fees are $100 for filing and $10 for each extra copy for a total of $120.00  You can pay with cash, money order, or debit card.