Fictitious Name Renewal
What does "Fictitious Name (DBA)" mean?
In Florida, a fictitious name—often called a “Doing Business As” or DBA—is the name you choose to present to the public if it doesn’t match your personal legal name or your company’s official name on record.
For example:
- If you’re a sole proprietor using a brand name instead of your full legal name
- Or if your registered LLC or corporation operates under a different business name
Registering a fictitious name allows you to legally use that alternate name in your
operations and marketing without creating a new business entity.
How long is it valid?
In Florida, once registered, a fictitious name remains active for five years. To keep using that name legally, you’ll need to renew your registration before it expires at the end of the fifth year.
If you’re renewing online, make sure your submission reaches the Florida Division of Corporations well before December 24 of the final year. For a better process, we recommend submitting by the following internal deadlines:
Renewal Year
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Suggested Submission Date
12/21/2023
12/22/2024
12/22/2025
12/22/2026
12/22/2027
⚠ Important:
If you miss the renewal window, the registration will automatically lapse—and once that happens, Florida doesn’t allow you to reactivate it. Instead, you’d need to register the name all over again, just like starting from scratch, and that might come with extra state
fees or delays.
Service Fee
- Fictitious Name Renewal: $189.95