Delaware DBA registration is handled entirely online through the state’s One Stop portal, run by the Division of Revenue, for a one-time fee of $25 per trade name. You need an active Delaware business license before the system will let you file. Since February 2, 2026, the old county courthouse filings have been replaced by this single statewide registry, so a new filing today is fully digital with no notarization and no in-person step.
Who Has to File
Delaware law requires anyone doing business under a name that isn’t their legal name to register that name with the Division of Revenue before operating in the state.1Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 31 – Registration of Trade Names That covers sole proprietors, partnerships, LLCs, and corporations equally. A sole proprietor named Jane Smith operating as “Coastal Consulting Services” has to file. So does an LLC registered as “Smith Holdings LLC” that markets itself as “Coastal Consulting Services.”
The filing is a public record linking the trade name to the legal person or entity behind it. It doesn’t form a new business entity and doesn’t give you exclusive rights to the name.
What You Need Before You File
You need a valid Delaware business license first. The One Stop portal won’t accept a trade name registration without an active license tied to your account, which catches people used to the old courthouse system where no license was required.2Delaware One Stop. Register or Modify Your Delaware Trade Names
If your business actively operates in Delaware, you apply for a standard business license through One Stop. If your business is based outside Delaware but you still want a Delaware trade name, you apply for a “Trade Name Only” license instead. That one costs $25 per year, expires every December 31, and requires a Certificate of Good Standing from the Delaware Division of Corporations.3Division of Revenue – State of Delaware. Trade Names FAQs If you later get a standard Delaware business license, the Trade Name Only license is voided so you’re not paying twice.
Have this information ready when you start:
- The exact trade name you want to operate under
- Your full legal name (sole proprietors) or your registered entity name
- Names of all owners, members, or partners
- The date your business was organized
- A brief description of what your business does
You can search the Delaware Trade Name Registry ahead of time to see whether your preferred name is taken, and One Stop will also flag conflicts with active trade names automatically during the application.2Delaware One Stop. Register or Modify Your Delaware Trade Names
How the Online Filing Works
Everything happens at onestop.delaware.gov. No paper form, no courthouse visit, no notary.2Delaware One Stop. Register or Modify Your Delaware Trade Names Log in with your business account, select the trade name option, and complete the fields listed above. The system verifies your business license status and checks the proposed name against the active registry. Once you submit the $25 fee, the Division of Revenue assigns a filing number, records the date, and adds the name to the Delaware Trade Name Registry.4Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 3103 – Trade Name Registry; Duty of Division of Revenue; Fee for Filing Certificate
One filing covers the whole state. Under the previous county system, a business operating in New Castle, Kent, and Sussex had to file three separate times and pay $25 each. That’s no longer the case.
Cost, Updates, and Membership Changes
The $25 fee is one-time per trade name.2Delaware One Stop. Register or Modify Your Delaware Trade Names Trade names don’t expire and don’t need to be renewed. Your underlying business license does need to stay active, though. If the license lapses, the trade name registration is effectively inactive even without any formal cancellation.
Updating or terminating a trade name is done through One Stop at no charge.2Delaware One Stop. Register or Modify Your Delaware Trade Names If the membership of a partnership or association changes, Delaware law requires a supplemental certificate filed with the Division of Revenue within 10 days, listing the new members and the effective date of the change.5Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 3102 – Supplemental Certificate Upon Change in Membership The 10-day window is short, so treat membership changes as time-sensitive.
If You Filed Before February 2, 2026
Court filings from the old system are still valid. You don’t have to re-register, and the Division of Revenue hosts the historical courts registry alongside the new one, so your name stays on record.3Division of Revenue – State of Delaware. Trade Names FAQs
There’s one practical exception. The Division of Revenue will not issue a Trade Name Certificate for a name that isn’t in its own system. Banks typically ask for that certificate when opening a business account in the DBA’s name, so if you need one for banking or third-party verification, you’ll have to re-register through One Stop. Re-registration is free if you provide the file number from your original court filing, though you still need an active Delaware business license.3Division of Revenue – State of Delaware. Trade Names FAQs
Penalties for Not Registering
Operating under an unregistered trade name is a criminal offense in Delaware, not just paperwork you missed. A person who fails to register can be fined up to $100, sentenced to up to three months in jail, or both.6Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 3106 – Penalties For partnerships and associations, individual members can be held personally liable, not just the entity.
Filing a false affidavit as part of your registration is treated more seriously and is classified as false swearing, which carries its own penalties beyond the standard trade name violation.1Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 31 – Registration of Trade Names
What a Delaware DBA Does Not Do
A DBA is a transparency filing. It tells the public who’s behind a business name and nothing more. It doesn’t create a legal entity, doesn’t shield you from personal liability, and doesn’t give you exclusive rights to the name.
If you’re a sole proprietor with a DBA, your personal assets remain fully exposed to business debts and lawsuits. Actual liability protection requires forming a separate entity such as an LLC or corporation, and then filing a DBA under that entity if you want it to operate publicly under a different name.
A DBA is also not a trademark. Another Delaware business could potentially register the same trade name under a different entity, and your filing has no effect on businesses in other states. If protecting the name itself matters to you, federal trademark registration through the USPTO is a separate process.