Arizona Trade Name Application: Filing, Costs, and Renewal

An Arizona trade name application is a $10 online filing with the Arizona Secretary of State that puts your “doing business as” name on public record for five years. Paper forms are not accepted, and the process takes only a few minutes once you have your information ready.¹

Check Name Availability First

Before you open the application, confirm your proposed name is available. Arizona law requires the Secretary of State to reject any name that is not distinguishable from an existing trade name already on file or from a corporate name registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission.²

Search both databases. The Secretary of State offers a free search tool on its trade name portal, and the handbook recommends checking the ACC’s corporate database as well to catch overlaps with registered entities.³ When you file, you certify that you conducted this search yourself.⁴

What “Distinguishable” Means

Arizona applies a strict standard. Swapping an ampersand for “and,” or adding “the” in front of an existing name, will not make a name distinguishable. It has to be meaningfully different.

A few content rules also apply:

You cannot include corporate designators like Inc., Corp., LLC, or Ltd. unless your business is actually organized as that entity type.
Words suggesting government affiliation, such as Agency, Commission, Department, or Bureau, are restricted.
Financial terms like Bank, Trust, and Credit Union require proper licensing.

What You Need to Provide

The statute lists exactly what the application requires. Gather this before you start:⁴

The exact trade name you want to register.
Applicant information: full legal name, email address, and business address. A corporate applicant also discloses its state of incorporation.
A brief description of the goods or services your business provides.
The date of first use in Arizona, or an indication that you have not started using the name yet.
A certification that the name is distinguishable from existing records at both the Secretary of State and the ACC.

The application must be signed by the applicant individually, or by a member or officer of the business entity. One application covers one name, so multiple names mean multiple filings and fees.⁴

How to File and What It Costs

All trade name filings go through the Secretary of State’s online system. Paper applications mailed in are returned with instructions to file online.¹ You reach the system through the “Online Trade Name & Trademark Forms” link on the Secretary of State’s trade name page.

The fee is $10, paid by credit or debit card during the online process. If you do not have a card, the office accepts a check or money order made payable to “Arizona Secretary of State,” mailed with a copy of your completed application.¹ Expedited processing costs an additional $25.

Standard processing generally takes a few weeks and depends on current workload. Check the Secretary of State’s website for current estimates if timing matters.

What the Registration Does and Does Not Give You

A trade name registration creates a public record showing that you operate under a particular name. That record is what most banks want to see before opening a business account under your DBA.

It does not give you exclusive rights to the name.¹ Someone else can use the same or a similar name, and the Secretary of State does not resolve name disputes or check the federal trademark database before approving a filing.³ Your name can be approved by the state and still infringe on someone else’s trademark. If brand protection matters, a state or federal trademark registration is a separate filing that provides those rights.⁵

Renewing Your Registration

A trade name lasts five years from the date the Secretary of State receives it.¹ To keep it active, file the renewal in the six-month window before your expiration date. The renewal fee is $10.³

There is no grace period. Miss the window and the registration is canceled, and the name becomes available for anyone else to register.

One point worth flagging: the owner name on the renewal must match what is currently on file. You cannot update owner information through the renewal itself.¹ If anything about the owner has changed during the five-year term, file an amendment first, then renew.

Amendments, Cancellations, and Assignments

If your business address, owner name, or other registration details change, file a trade name amendment through the online system. The amendment fee is $3.

If you stop using the name, you can file a cancellation. If the name is transferring to a new owner, that takes a separate assignment form. Cancellations and assignments cannot be filed online. They must be printed, signed, dated, notarized, and mailed to the Secretary of State’s office.¹

1
Arizona Secretary of State. Trade Names and Trademarks
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 44-1460.01 – Issuance of Certificate; Restrictions
3
Arizona Secretary of State. Trade Name and Trademark Handbook
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 44-1460 – Registration of Trade Name, Title or Designation
5
United States Patent and Trademark Office. About Trademark Infringement