North Carolina law dictates that most types of businesses file with the Register of Deeds in the county where they will operate a document that files or puts on record a business name of an individual, partnership, or corporation other than its own name is referred to as Doing Business As, DBA, or Assumed Name.
NC General Statute § 66-68 requires that “before any person or partnership engages in business in any county in this State under an assumed name or under any designation, name or style other than the real name of the owner or owners thereof, before any limited partnership engaged in business in any county in this State other than under the name set out in the Certificate filed with the Office of the Secretary of State or before a corporation engages in business in any county other than under its corporate name, such person, partnership, limited partnership, or corporation must file in the office of the register of deeds of such county a certificate…”.
The Register of Deeds handles filings for sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations (doing business under an assumed name), and limited liability companies (LLCs) doing business under an assumed name.
Before filing the “doing business as” (dba) or assumed name certificate, you should perform a name search to determine if the proposed business name has already been filed. The Register of Deeds Office cannot perform the name search for you but is happy to assist you with the name search.
ATTENTION ALL BUSINESS OWNERS: Businesses that have assumed names and were registered before December 1, 2017 need to refile a new certificate with the Register of Deeds office before December 1, 2022. Here is more information from Business Link North Carolina.
INCORPORATIONS
If you wish to incorporate your business, please visit the Secretary of State’s website for more information or call (919) 807-2225.
QUESTIONS ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS IN DUPLIN COUNTY?
Additionally, you can obtain helpful information about starting your business in Duplin County from both the Small Business Center at James Sprunt Community College (JSCC) and the Duplin County Economic Development Commission.
The JSCC Small Business Center’s web address is: https://jamessprunt.edu/workforce-development/small-business-center/ and their phone number is (910) 659-6000, and the Duplin County Economic Development Commission’s web address is: www.duplinedc.com and their phone number is (910) 296-2180.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The North Carolina Secretary of State’s office provides the Rural RISE NC (Resources for Innovators, Start-ups and Entrepreneurs).
sosnc.gov/RISE (919)-814-5400
FORMS
To access Assumed Business Names Forms, please go to Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) Small Business Advisors, or call the state at 1-800-228-8443.