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Registered and legal
File a DBA (fictitious business name) in Orange County
If you do business under a name that is not your own surname, Orange County asks you to file a fictitious business name statement. Here is what the Clerk-Recorder says about how, what it costs, and the newspaper step that is easy to miss.
Who files, and where
Who files
The county says persons or entities doing business for profit under a fictitious name must file. It says this does not include a surname, so a business operating under the owner's own last name is treated differently.
Where to file
You file in the county of your principal place of business. The county says you may file in other counties afterward.
Search the name first
The county says it is the registrant's responsibility to search the name before filing, and points to its fictitious business name search tool.
Three ways to file
- OnlineUse the county's online application.
- In personComplete the application online before you visit. Offices are open Monday to Friday. The North County office is at 222 S. Harbor Blvd, Suite 110A, Anaheim, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central (Santa Ana) and South County (Laguna Hills) offices are also listed.
- By mailUse the online application, then mail it with an original wet signature and a self-addressed stamped envelope to 601 N. Ross St., Santa Ana, CA 92702. Pay by check or money order payable to "County of Orange."
What the county lists as fees
- $23 to file one business name with one registrant.
- $7 for each additional business name, and $7 for each registrant after the first two.
- $23 for a statement of abandonment (if you stop using the name), and $23 for a withdrawal from a partnership operating under a name.
- $2 to certify a copy.
These are from the county's fee schedule dated to take effect January 1, 2026. The schedule says all fees are subject to change without notice. The newspaper's own charge for publishing is separate and is not listed by the county.
Easy to miss
The newspaper notice
- The county says to publish once a week for 4 consecutive weeks in an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation in the filing county.
- The county says the first publication must run within 45 calendar days of the filing date.
- If you miss that, the county says the statement automatically expires, you must file a new one and pay the fees again, and no extensions are allowed.
- The county offers a downloadable list of adjudicated newspapers, described as a non-exclusive list.
Two details that do not line up
The City of Fullerton's pages say to publish within 30 days of filing, and that the name is then legal for 5 years. The county page we read says 45 calendar days and does not state how long a filing lasts. We could not reconcile these from the pages. If the deadline matters to you, use the earlier date to be safe and confirm with the Clerk-Recorder.
What the county's page does not say
- How long a statement stays valid, or how to renew it. It links to separate pages for refiling, changes, abandonment and withdrawal that we did not cover here.
- How much a newspaper charges for publication.
- How long processing takes.
Using a name that differs from your legal one? A Signals check shows which names appear for your business across public sources, so you can see if they line up.
Check a business