There is a very common document that requires notarization these days. This form is called a Doing Business As. DBA, which stands for “doing business as”, is an acronym to know. It signifies that an individual or company is doing business under a pseudonym. State laws govern the creation and use of DBA.
A DBA is required in order to open a bank account and receive payments in the name of your business. The County Recorder requires this form to be notarized. The DBA has to be filled out and notarized with no errors due to the fact that it is recorded with the County.
Filing for a DBA allows you to do business under a different name. Your DBA is different from your name as the business owner, and it is different from the names of any partners you have as well. In California, a DBA is sometimes referred to as a “fictitious business name,” or FBN. Even though it is called fictitious, it’s just as real as any other name for a business, whether that name refers to an individual or an organization. However, most DBA’s are utilized by sole proprietorships, especially if the business name is different than that of the owner.
The name of your business is up to you, but it needs to be properly registered with the state of California. This can be done in person in the county where you reside or you can handle it all through the mail. It must also be notarized.
Certain businesses have to pay attention to DBA’s and take the motions to file for one because when you form a business, the legal name of the business defaults to the name of the person or entity that owns the business—unless you rename and register your business with a DBA name. As a Mobile Notary, I can assist you in the process of completing your DBA documents by notarizing them accurately.