Alabama Assumed Business Name (DBA): Trade Name Registration for $30 (2026)

An assumed business name, commonly called a DBA ("doing business as"), is a name under which a business operates that differs from its legal entity name. In Alabama, that name is registered as a trade name with the Secretary of State. A sole proprietor who trades under a name other than their own, or an LLC or corporation that sells under a second brand, uses this registration to put the name on the public record. This page covers what Alabama charges, what the application requires, and how long the registration lasts.

What Alabama calls it, and what it is not

Alabama's trade name instructions define the terms precisely. A word, symbol, logo, slogan, or combination of those, adopted and used to identify the business, vocation, occupation, or profession, is a trade name. A mark identifying goods made or sold is a trademark, and a mark identifying services rendered is a service mark. All three are registered at the state level in the Office of the Secretary of State, using the same application form.

A trade name registration is not a separate business entity. It does not create a company, it does not shield personal assets, and it does not change the tax treatment of the business behind it. Only forming an entity such as an Alabama LLC or corporation does those things. The trade name simply records that a particular business is using a particular name in Alabama.

The instructions also state a point founders sometimes miss: rights of ownership in a mark are achieved through the common laws of adoption and usage, not through registration. Registration puts the claim on record and produces a certificate, but it does not create ownership out of nothing. The applicant is responsible for making sure the mark does not infringe on another person's mark and is not being used in a fraudulent manner.

What it costs and what the application requires

The registration fee is $30, payable to the Alabama Secretary of State at the time of filing. That figure comes from the Secretary of State's published fee schedule and from the trade name application instructions. The state fee is paid by you at cost, with zero markup, and you see the full total before you pay anything. Sams Business package fees sit on top of the state fee: Basic at $0, Standard at $199, and Premium at $299.

The application requires three specimens displaying the mark in use. Specimens are samples that verify usage of the mark: business cards, brochures, flyers, labels, decals, tags, and newspaper advertisements are all acceptable examples, and clear copies are generally accepted. Altered, defaced, or illegible specimens are not accepted, so the samples should be checked for clarity before filing. The application also requires a classification number for the goods, services, or business involved; where an application covers goods or services in multiple classes, the Secretary of State requires an additional application and an additional registration fee for each class.

The application must be signed before a Notary Public. If the applicant received permission to use the mark from its owner, a notarized written consent and disclaimer from the owner must be submitted with the application. If a federal registration has been granted for the mark, a copy is included with the application. The application also asks for the date the mark was first used, and the date it was first used in Alabama. Applications are filed with the Secretary of State's Trademarks Division in Montgomery.

How long it lasts, and what renewal and transfer cost

The effective term for a mark registration is five years. A mark may be renewed for successive periods of five years, with the renewal filed six months prior to the expiration date. The renewal fee is $30, the same as the registration fee, and the renewal uses the same application form. If the registration is not renewed, the name is no longer registered with the state.

Transferring a trade name to another owner is recorded with the Secretary of State for a $30 fee. That recording step matters when a business is sold or a brand changes hands, because the certificate on record should match the business actually using the name. Dissolution assistance is a separate service with a custom quote, and it is never part of a formation package. Standard includes compliance alerts, which help keep the five-year renewal date from slipping.

Sams Business pricing with a trade name registration

Basic ($0 plus the state fee) covers the filing and state registration, with registered agent service free for the first year and virtual mail free for the first month. Standard ($199 plus the state fee) adds EIN assistance, an operating agreement or bylaws, S-corp election filing where applicable, and compliance alerts. Premium ($299 plus the state fee) adds expedited filing where the state offers it, ready-to-use business contracts, a domain name and business email, and a US business phone number free for the first year.

Start from the contact page to register an Alabama assumed business name.

Related Alabama pages

Sams Business is an independent private service and is not affiliated with any government agency, including the Alabama Secretary of State's office.

Not legal or tax advice.