Similar Business Names
If two businesses operate in completely different industries or locations, it’s possible for them to have the same or similar names. Since they serve different markets and customer bases, there is minimal risk of confusion or competition.
Doing Business As (DBA) in Illinois
You can obtain a DBA name in Illinois to enhance your business’s visibility. Recommended: Overwhelmed by the process of obtaining a DBA name? An LLC service can guide you smoothly.
For most states, two businesses won’t be allowed the same DBA. Doing so causes confusion, especially in the same industry. To use a DBA, you must submit an application. Just ensure your name isn’t taken! You can also use your DBA in multiple states with tweaks to reflect locations.
Using a DBA for your Illinois LLC is a key decision. Learn the pros and cons.
Multiple DBAs and Legal Considerations
Yes, you can file for as few or as many DBAs in Illinois as long as the assumed business names you want to use are available. Also, make sure to renew your DBAs at least every five years.
DBAs can be costly to acquire and maintain in Illinois, depending on your business structure and the year you file for them. You need to have a registered business before you can use them. Assumed business names in Illinois need to meet certain naming standards before the state can approve them.
You must have a DBA to legally do business in Illinois under any name that is not your legal name. It is best to have more than one name preference in case your first choices are not available. The next step is to file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the county clerk in the county in which you intend to do business.
If required in your county, publication of your DBA registration must happen no more than 15 days after you file the DBA.
DBA vs. LLC
The biggest difference between a DBA and an LLC is liability protection. Before filing an assumed name application, check that your desired name is available by visiting the Secretary of State’s website to search business names.
LLCs or corporations hoping to register a DBA can do so through the Secretary of State’s office. The assumed name is effective on the date of filing by the Secretary of State.
A company can typically register more than one DBA in the same state.
How to File a DBA in Illinois and Why
You will file the DBA at the county or state level. If you need to research how to file a DBA in another U.S. state or territory, select it below.
That food company in the previous example may decide to launch a new product line of ice cream products that doesn’t fit with their existing potato chip snacks. In order to compete in the freezer space, they decide to create a brand that fits in this aisle of the grocery store. But since both products are created by the same company, managed by the same decision-makers and infused with the same capital, it makes sense to operate both brands under the same corporate structure — but with different DBA names for each brand.