If you own a business and are using a trade name (doing business under an assumed name, commonly known as “d/b/a” or sole proprietorship) or if you are conducting business as partners, New York General Business Law Section 130 requires you to file for a Certificate of Assumed Name.

If you have a sole proprietorship or partnership and need to file for a Certificate of Assumed Name, you must file for a certificate in each county in which the business is conducted or transacted. You must provide the trade name, the name(s) of the person(s) conducting the business, along with the residence address and age of any person less than eighteen years of age.

However, if the company that uses the trade name is a corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company, you must file for the Certificate of Assumed Name with the New York Department of State. The forms for this can be found at the NYDOS website at https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/index.html.