In our previous post, we described some of the information that can be gained from Articles of Incorporation. Some companies which are not registered as corporations with the Secretary of State may instead be registered as a Fictitious Business. Fictitious Business Registrations are most commonly used either by small businesses run by a sole proprietor, or registered corporations that wish to do business under multiple names without having separate corporate filings for each.
A Fictitious Business Name, also referred to as an Assumed Name or DBA (doing business as) allows an individual to operate a business under a name other than their own. Reviewing a Fictitious Business Registration can provide information about the name of the owner, the type of activities the business undertakes, and the primary address for the business.
Registered Fictitious Businesses are eligible to make and receive payments, advertise, open a bank account and conduct regular business operations. Fictitious Business Name registrations are most frequently filed with the county recorder/county clerk in which the business operates, but may instead be filed with the Secretary of State depending on the state.
Click below to see an example of a Fictitious Business Registration form.
