---
title: "Pennsylvania DBA: How to File, $70 Fee, Renewal | MCC"
description: "To file a DBA in Pennsylvania, register the fictitious name with the state ($70). Plus the newspaper notice. Steps, renewal dates, official links."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/dba-pennsylvania"
---

Business names · Pennsylvania

# Registering a DBA in Pennsylvania

Where the fictitious 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 Pennsylvania Department of State, for any individual, partnership, corporation, LLC or association using a name other than its real one. Cost: $70 to register; each later transaction on the registration is also $70.

## At a glance

Called

fictitious name

Where to file

State office

Filing fee

$70 to register; each later transaction on the registration is also $70.

Local fees vary

No local filing

Newspaper notice

Yes, if an individual is listed

## Renewal, with dates

For a registration filed on Sunday, November 15, 2026:

Setting up the books for the new name? [A free bookkeeping health check](/bookkeeping/health-check).

- **Sole proprietor or partnership:** not confirmed

## The newspaper notice

Only when an individual is listed on the form: advertise in two newspapers of general circulation in the county, one of them a legal newspaper (one is enough if the county has only one). The notice says you have filed or intend to file.

Your own date: [open the calculator set to Pennsylvania](/bookkeeping/dba-renewal-date-calculator?state=pa).

**Not stated on the pages we read:** how long it lasts and online filing.

## Official sources

- [Pennsylvania Department of State: Fictitious names](https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dos/programs/business/types-of-filings-and-registrations/fictitious-names.html) (checked November 2026)
- [Pennsylvania Department of State: Fees and payments](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business/fees-and-payments) (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 Pennsylvania?**

It's called a fictitious name. The Pennsylvania Department of State, for any individual, partnership, corporation, LLC or association using a name other than its real one.

**What does it cost to register a business name in Pennsylvania?**

$70 to register; each later transaction on the registration is also $70.

**Does Pennsylvania require a newspaper notice?**

Yes. Only when an individual is listed on the form: advertise in two newspapers of general circulation in the county, one of them a legal newspaper (one is enough if the county has only one). The notice says you have filed or intend to file.

All states: [DBA registration by state](/bookkeeping/dba-registration-by-state) · [Oregon](/bookkeeping/dba-oregon) · [Rhode Island](/bookkeeping/dba-rhode-island)

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)