Short answer. The State Corporation Commission Clerk's Office is now the central filing office for all certificates of assumed or fictitious names, sole proprietorships included. Circuit courts accept only a release of a certificate that was originally recorded with the court (Culpeper County Circuit Court). Cost: $10 at the State Corporation Commission. Code of Virginia Title 59.1, Chapter 5 sets no expiration or renewal term for the certificate. When the name is no longer used, a release can be filed (59.1-70.1). File online through the SCC Clerk's Information System (CIS); releases of SCC filings can be filed there too.
At a glance
- Called
- assumed or fictitious name certificate
- Where to file
- State office
- Filing fee
- $10 at the State Corporation Commission.
- Local fees vary
- No local filing
- How long it lasts
- No expiry
- Newspaper notice
- Not required
- Online filing
- File online through the SCC Clerk's Information System (CIS); releases of SCC filings can be filed there too.
Renewal, with dates
Code of Virginia Title 59.1, Chapter 5 sets no expiration or renewal term for the certificate. When the name is no longer used, a release can be filed (59.1-70.1).
Setting up the books for the new name? A free bookkeeping health check.
For a registration filed on Monday, November 16, 2026:
- Sole proprietor or partnership: no expiry date
No newspaper notice
Code of Virginia 59.1-69 to 59.1-76 require filing the certificate with the clerk of the State Corporation Commission; none of these sections requires newspaper publication.
Your own date: open the calculator set to Virginia.
Official sources
- Virginia SCC: Fictitious names FAQ (checked November 2026)
- Henrico County: Assumed and fictitious names (checked November 2026)
- Virginia SCC: Fictitious names business FAQ (checked November 2026)
- Culpeper County Circuit Court: Certificate of assumed or fictitious name (checked November 2026)
- Code of Virginia Title 59.1, Chapter 5: Transacting Business under Assumed Name (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 Virginia?
It's called a assumed or fictitious name certificate. The State Corporation Commission Clerk's Office is now the central filing office for all certificates of assumed or fictitious names, sole proprietorships included. Circuit courts accept only a release of a certificate that was originally recorded with the court (Culpeper County Circuit Court).
What does it cost to register a business name in Virginia?
$10 at the State Corporation Commission.
How long does a Virginia assumed or fictitious name certificate last?
Code of Virginia Title 59.1, Chapter 5 sets no expiration or renewal term for the certificate. When the name is no longer used, a release can be filed (59.1-70.1).
Is a newspaper notice part of filing in Virginia?
No. Code of Virginia 59.1-69 to 59.1-76 require filing the certificate with the clerk of the State Corporation Commission; none of these sections requires newspaper publication.
Can the filing be done online in Virginia?
File online through the SCC Clerk's Information System (CIS); releases of SCC filings can be filed there too.
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