Trade Names FAQs

What has changed with the Trade, Business, & Fictitious (DBA) registration and maintenance process?

As of February 2, 2026, the Division of Revenue (DOR) now administers Delaware’s statewide DBA registry through https://onestop.delaware.gov/.

What changes does the online process bring to Delaware’s DBA application?

Registration of new DBAs is now available online and is managed statewide by the DOR rather than by individual county Prothonotary Offices. The required fields for the DBA application are the same as when individual county Prothonotary Offices administered DBA registration. The process also now requires a Delaware business license.

If you registered a DBA with a Prothonotary Office before February 2, 2026, your DBA will remain registered on the list provided by the Superior Court here: Historic DBA Data .

What if I’d prefer that my DBA appear in the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry?

An entity with a DBA that was previously registered with the Courts may register such DBA in the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry via One Stop. This registration is optional and without cost if the registrant provides the appropriate file number associated with the historic DBA registration. Re-registration will require an associated business license.

I held a DBA in Delaware, but I did not receive correspondence regarding the DBA administrative transition, why and what do I do?

If you did not receive correspondence regarding the change, it is likely that the existing DBA data either had a missing or incorrect address in the Courts’ records. Please check here, Historic DBA Data, and confirm the information recorded. Change of address may be enacted by exercising the no cost re-registration option on Delaware One Stop and adding the existing DBA to the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry.

What documentation is required to register a DBA in Delaware?

To register a DBA in Delaware, you need to provide the legal name, address of the entity, the proposed DBA, names and addresses of ownership, date of formation, and nature of business. The process also now requires a Delaware business license.

If a registrant is seeking to exercise their option to register an existing DBA on the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry, the DBA’s assigned Courts’ file number will be required.

What if I need a Tradename certificate to provide validation of my DBA with a third party?

Please advise third parties that DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry (https://revenue.delaware.gov/trade-business-and-fictitious-names-search/ ) exists as the legal, electronic certification of all registered Delaware DBAs and includes the DBA and title of the person, firm or association, the date of the filing of the certificate, the date of the formation or change in the formation of the firm or association. The appearance of such information at this address ought to be sufficient to validate the identity of the associated owner(s) of a business entity using a Delaware DBA.

Should this advice prove insufficient for validation by a third party, an ad hoc certificate can be provided by following the below directions.

For administrative purposes, if an entity with a historical DBA seeks a Tradename Certificate from the DOR, such entity will first need to register their DBA in the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry via One Stop. DOR will not issue a Tradename Certificate for a DBA that has not been registered in the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry.

This registration is without cost if the registrant provides the assigned file number of the existing DBA registration with Delaware Courts. Re-registration will require an associated Delaware business license.

For any DBA that appears in the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry and is in need of validation documentation, please reach out to the contacts below and request an ad hoc Tradename Certificate from the DOR.

Phone:  302-577-8778

Email:  DOR_BusinessTax@delaware.gov

How much does DBA registration cost? The fee remains $25, but the DBA is now registered statewide, eliminating the need to pay multiple fees per county.

Is notarization required for DBA applications?

Notarization is no longer required as of February 2, 2026. All applications are processed online.

I am a Delaware LLC / Corporation, and I do not conduct business in Delaware but need a Delaware DBA, what are my options?

For such companies, a Trade Name Only Business license is available. This special license is required to register a Delaware DBA if the registrant does not intend to conduct business in Delaware. In this case, initial registration of the Trade Name Only license also requires a recent certificate of good standing from the Delaware Secretary of State.

How does the Trade Name Only business license differ from typical business licenses?

This special license is similar to a regular business license but does not require Gross Receipt and Business Income Tax filings. It costs $25 and shares the same renewal and maintenance requirements as a standard Delaware business license.

My entity is a non-profit or other association with no need for a Delaware business license; how do I register a Delaware DBA?

For administrative purposes, the DOR requires an active business license account alongside all DBA registrations. For the case of a person, firm, or association engage in non-profit business in Delaware, a Trade Name Only license is available.

In lieu of registration requests for a certificate of good standing, non-profit businesses ought to upload documentation of their non-profit status or other documents that support how the business they conduct in Delaware does not require a standard business license.

My entity is registered as part of a Political Campaign, is a Business License required?

For administrative purposes, DOR requires an active business license account alongside all DBA registrations. For the case of a person, firm, or association engaged in political campaign in Delaware, a Trade Name Only license is available.

In lieu of registration requests for a certificate of good standing, political campaigns ought to upload documentation of their campaigns formation, publicly required financial disclosures or other documents that support how the business they conduct in Delaware does not require a standard business license.

Does a Trade Name Only Business License require a Certificate of Good Standing.

Yes for Delaware LLCs or Corporations opting to register a Delaware DBA, providing a Certificate of Good Standing is a requirement to ensure that Trade Name Only licenses are in fact registered with the Delaware Division of Corporations as the law requires.

How can I get a Certificate of Good Standing.

You may order a Certificate of Status or Certificate of Good Standing by submitting a request in writing to the Division of Corporations. The fee is $50.00 per certificate for a short form certificate of status.

Is a Certificate in Good Standing required for each Trade Name (DBA) under a protected series LLC.

On the Certificate of Good Standing, from the Division of Revenue prospective, the Trade Names (DBA) under the LLC would not be required to have a separate Certificate of Good Standing.

What if I have a Trade Name Only license but want to transition to a standard business license?

Registering for a standard Delaware business license will void a Trade Name Only license.

Once a standard business license is acquired, updates or transfers of DBAs between licenses can be done without a fee through the Update Trade Name flow in One Stop.

I’m trying to register a Trade Name Only license, but One Stop says my entity already exists when I provide my FEIN, what now?

Please start the registration of your Trade Name Only license in the Add License flow found at the bottom of this One Stop page: https://onestop.delaware.gov/Operate_Renew

For many reasons, such as having an existing withholding account, having filed a $0 income tax return, or having previously held a standard business license with this FEIN, the DOR has an active business account for this FEIN and cannot register a new entity alongside the DBA registration.

Once the Trade Name Only license application is complete, please allow 3-5 business days before returning to register the desired DBAs.

Can I use the same One Stop login for multiple client services?

Yes, actions in One Stop are based on knowledge of business details (i.e. license numbers and business names) rather than user accounts (i.e. login information), enabling flexible management across multiple clients

What should I do if my business details change?

Updates to key staff, ownership, or business address can be managed through Delaware One Stop in the Update Trade Name flow. Changes to the Taxpayer ID associated with a DBA will require a new registration.

Do DBAs need to be renewed?

No, DBAs in Delaware do not expire and do not require renewal.

Is there a public database where I can check the availability of a DBA before registering?

Yes, a searchable registry can be found here: Trade, Business and Fictitious Names Search

A static version of historical DBAs can be found here:  Historic DBA Data

One Stop’s DBA registration flow also checks for active DBAs during the application and will provide a notification about an existing name. This check will not prevent registration of the existing DBA.

What if the DBA I’d like to register appears on either of the existing registries?

Registering a DBA does not confer any exclusive rights to the use of that name. It does not prevent others from registering that same DBA nor from using that same name. DBA filings are for public notice and do not establish trademark protection nor legal ownership. In the event you see that the DBA you would like is already registered, you may wish to consider selecting a different DBA to avoid the possibility of trademark infringement. If you seek exclusive rights, you may wish to contact an intellectual property attorney to seek trademark registration.

Can I have multiple DBAs under a single business license?

Yes, Delaware allows businesses to register multiple DBAs under a single Delaware business license.

How do I cancel my DBA if I no longer need it?

To cancel your DBA, you must submit a request through One Stop using the termination workflow. This will remove the DBA from the active registry. There is no fee to cancel a DBA.

How do I amend my DBA?

After completing the business registration process and obtaining a DOR business license, a business, individual, or agent will be able to update an existing DBA associated with the businesses. There is no fee to update or cancel a DBA—including updating the business address or changing key individuals.

What should I do if my business details change and I need to make updates, but my DBA was registered through the Courts?

In order to make updates to key staff, ownership, or business address this DBA will now need to be managed through the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry via the One Stop system. Registrants seeking to make updates must add their DBA into the DOR’s Delaware Tradename Registry via One Stop and then make any updates needed to their DBA account.  This registration is without cost if the registrant provides the appropriate file number associated with the existing DBA registration with Delaware Courts. Please keep in mind when completing the re-registration, it will require an associated business license.

Who can I contact if I have questions when completing my Trade Name registration.

Division of Revenue, Licensing Department

Phone:  302-577-8778

Can I make an update to change or to delete the License that is associated with my Trade Name.

Yes, but not via One Stop. Changes to which licenses are associated with existing trade names can only be made by contacting the Division of Revenue using one of the following options:

Phone:  302-577-8778

Email:  DOR_BusinessTax@delaware.gov

 

How long does the status take to go from Submitted to Approved when a Trade Name Registration is entered.  Is an e-mail alert sent when the status changes.

You will not get a status update; however, the posting process of approved Trade Name’s occurs on a one-day lag.   Approved Trade Names will appear here (https://revenue.delaware.gov/trade-business-and-fictitious-names-search/

Is the confirmation page for the trade name all that we will see as “Evidence”? When the status changes to Approved, is there some sort of evidence that’s generated that looks different than the confirmation page?

All evidence generated will be the confirmation page, but it is not only available that one time. The confirmation page is always accessible to the user from their dashboard and includes the information submitted.

Trade Name Registration shows as “submitted”.  Will that ever change to “Accepted” or “Filed”? 

No, The Trade Name dashboard confirms the registration as it comes through OneStop, but the processing is completed through the Division of Revenue’s system for acceptance as Revenue is the collector of these funds and the issuer of licensing material.