In Sonoma County, if your business name does not include the surnames of the owner, or if a business begins operating under a name not included in the Articles of Incorporation, you need to file for an FBN.
Filling an FBN will make the name of the business owner publicly available. The purpose of filing an FBN is to inform the public who is behind your business operations if it does not already include your surname(s). This applies to both sole proprietorships and partnerships.
FBNs are sometimes referred to as "Doing Business As" (DBAs).
🗃️ Who Needs to File an FBN?
A business needs to obtain a Fictitious Business Name Statement (FBN) if it is headquartered in Sonoma County and does not include the owner's surname(s) in the business name. A limited liability partnership (LLP) or corporation (LLC) must file an FBA if they will be doing business under a name not stated in the Articles of Incorporation/Articles of Organization as filed with the California Secretary of State.
For more information and examples, the California Franchise Tax Board has a great guide on who needs an FBN.
📝 Apply for an FBN
You can file an FBN through the Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder's Office. They are valid for 5 years.
Before filing with the Clerk-Recorder's Office, you can do an online FBN search for Sonoma County here:
You can search for current FBN's with an Online Records Search from the County's Clerk-Recorder's Office.
If you have any questions related to filing an FBN, please contact the Clerk-Recorder Office:
ClerkRecorder@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3800