New Jersey trade name filing guide

New Jersey does not use the phrase "assumed name" or a single statewide DBA system; it splits the filing by entity type and uses two different official terms.

For sole proprietorships and general partnerships, the filing is a Certificate of Trade Name, sometimes called a "tradename," governed by N.J.S.A. 56:1-1 et seq.

("Business and Partnership Names") and filed with the clerk of each county where the business will be conducted.

The Middlesex County Clerk, for example, states that registration is mandatory and warns that conducting business contrary to N.J.S.A. 56:1-1 or 56:1-2 is a misdemeanor.

For registered entities — profit and non-profit corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships — the filing is a Registration of Alternate Name on Form C-150G, filed with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) in the Department of the Treasury.

The state's Business.NJ.gov guides frame the whole topic as "Trade Names, Alternate (Fictitious) Business Names, Doing Business As (DBA)," confirming that DBA is a generic label rather than an official New Jersey term.

Neither registration grants exclusive rights to the name: DORES says an alternate name registration "will not provide exclusive rights to its usage" but legally links the name to the entity for financial, advertising, and other business purposes, while county clerks describe the trade name certificate as protecting the name within the county.

If you operate a registered entity, file Form C-150G, the Registration of Alternate Name, with DORES.

The division's Alternate Names page states the fee is $50.00 per transaction, and the completed form can be filed online through the State of New Jersey Business Charter Amendments service on njportal.com, mailed to the Corporate Unit at PO Box 308, Trenton, NJ 08646, or delivered over the counter at 33 West State Street, 5th Floor, Trenton, NJ 08608.

Expedited processing within 8.5 business hours is available for fax, in-person, or courier submissions for an additional fee — $15.00 per transaction for corporations, non-profits and LPs, and $25.00 per filing for LLCs.

DORES advises registering the alternate name before using it, because late registrants are assessed the registration fee plus an additional $50.00 filing fee for each year the name was in use, with a portion of a year counted as a full year.

Sole proprietors and general partnerships instead file a Certificate of Trade Name with each county clerk where they conduct business.

The Middlesex County Clerk requires the full trade name, the character or nature of the business, the names and addresses of all persons in the business, signatures acknowledged before a notary or attorney, and — for non-residents — appointment of the county clerk as attorney for service of process.

A state-level alternate name registration is effective for five years and may be renewed for additional five-year periods.

DORES states that renewals may be submitted within three months prior to, but not later than, the expiration of the alternate name; renewals are available online, and Form C-150R is the paper renewal form.

When renewing, DORES warns filers to reproduce the name exactly as originally registered — for example, not abbreviating the word "Corporation" if it was spelled out in the original filing.

The DORES page does not describe a separate amendment or cancellation procedure for alternate name registrations, so those steps are not stated by the consulted authority.

At the county level, the Middlesex County Clerk accepts a Dissolution of a Current Trade Name Certificate for $25 by mail, notarized, with three copies bearing original signatures; the clerk's page does not state a duration, renewal, or amendment process for county trade name certificates, so filers should confirm those details with the clerk of the county where the certificate is on file.

Start with the free official source.

If you run an LLC, corporation, or limited partnership, read the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services' Alternate Names page, then file Form C-150G online through the State of New Jersey Business Charter Amendments portal or by mail, and budget the stated $50.00 fee per transaction.

If you are a sole proprietor or general partnership, contact the county clerk in each county where you will conduct business — New Jersey's Business.NJ.gov points filers to the state archives' list of county clerk offices — and follow that clerk's certificate, notarization, and fee instructions, since county requirements are set locally.

Before filing, remember that neither registration gives you exclusive rights to the name; brand protection is a separate trademark question.

Paid filing services are optional only — they are never required, and every step above can be completed directly with the state or county at no extra charge beyond the official fees.