--- title: "How to File a DBA in California: Where, Cost, Renewal | MCC" description: "To file a DBA in California, register the fictitious business name with the county. Lasts 5 years. Plus the newspaper notice." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/dba-california" --- Business names · California # Registering a DBA in California Where the fictitious business name is filed, what it costs, when it has to be renewed and how the newspaper notice works, from the official pages. [![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77) Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **Short answer.** The county clerk where the principal place of business is. There's no state or national registry. LLCs and corporations file with the county too; Los Angeles asks for a Secretary of State good-standing printout. Cost: No state fee. Each county sets its own: $26 in Los Angeles and $45 in Tulare for one name and one registrant. Expires five years from the filing date unless abandoned sooner. Renew by refiling; a renewal with no changes doesn't need to be published again (San Luis Obispo, Tulare). ## At a glance Called fictitious business name (FBN) statement Where to file County Filing fee No state fee. Each county sets its own: $26 in Los Angeles and $45 in Tulare for one name and one registrant. Local fees vary Yes How long it lasts 5 years Newspaper notice Yes Online filing Some counties take filings online (Los Angeles); San Luis Obispo's portal still needs an in-person visit within 30 days. ## Renewal, with dates Expires five years from the filing date unless abandoned sooner. Renew by refiling; a renewal with no changes doesn't need to be published again (San Luis Obispo, Tulare). Setting up the books for the new name? [A free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check). For a registration filed on Saturday, November 7, 2026: - **Sole proprietor or partnership:** expires Friday, November 7, 2031 ## The newspaper notice Once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the filing county. Los Angeles says to start within 30 days of filing; San Luis Obispo and Tulare say 45 days. San Luis Obispo wants the affidavit of publication within 45 days after the last run. Filed on Saturday, November 7, 2026, the dates work out as: - First notice by: Monday, December 7, 2026 - Last of the 4 weekly notices, if the first runs that day: Monday, December 28, 2026 - Proof of publication filed by (counted from that last notice): Thursday, February 11, 2027 Your own date: [open the calculator set to California](/bookkeeping/dba-renewal-date-calculator?state=ca). ## Before you file File no later than 40 days after you start doing business under the name (Business and Professions Code 17910, as quoted by Tulare County). ## Official sources - [Tulare County Clerk-Recorder: Fictitious business names FAQ](https://tularecounty.ca.gov/assessor/county-clerk-recorder/fictitious-business-names/frequently-asked-questions) (checked November 2026) - [Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: FBN FAQ](https://lavote.gov/home/county-clerk/fictitious-business-names/frequently-asked-questions) (checked November 2026) - [San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder: New FBN filing](https://slocounty.ca.gov/departments/clerk-recorder/all-services/fictitious-business-names/fictitious-business-name-new-filing) (checked November 2026) General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against the pages above. Fees and forms change, and a county or town office can add its own steps, so confirm with the filing office before you file. We don't file DBAs or trade names for anyone. ## Questions people ask **Where is a DBA filed in California?** It's called a fictitious business name (FBN) statement. The county clerk where the principal place of business is. There's no state or national registry. LLCs and corporations file with the county too; Los Angeles asks for a Secretary of State good-standing printout. **What does it cost to register a business name in California?** No state fee. Each county sets its own: $26 in Los Angeles and $45 in Tulare for one name and one registrant. Local fees differ from one office to the next. **How long does a California fictitious business name last?** Expires five years from the filing date unless abandoned sooner. Renew by refiling; a renewal with no changes doesn't need to be published again (San Luis Obispo, Tulare). **Does California require a newspaper notice?** Yes. Once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the filing county. Los Angeles says to start within 30 days of filing; San Luis Obispo and Tulare say 45 days. San Luis Obispo wants the affidavit of publication within 45 days after the last run. **Can the filing be done online in California?** Some counties take filings online (Los Angeles); San Luis Obispo's portal still needs an in-person visit within 30 days. **Anything else to know before filing in California?** File no later than 40 days after you start doing business under the name (Business and Professions Code 17910, as quoted by Tulare County). All states: [DBA registration by state](/bookkeeping/dba-registration-by-state) · [Arizona](/bookkeeping/dba-arizona) · [Connecticut](/bookkeeping/dba-connecticut) Tallyfinch ### Books you keep on your own computer Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software) ## Want the books set up for the new name? [See bookkeeping services](/bookkeeping/)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)