An assumed name is a Rhode Island DBA (doing business as). Obtaining a DBA registration in Rhode Island will not safeguard your personal assets. Forming a formal company structure, such as an LLC or corporation, can provide you with liability protection as well as a business name.
To begin with a Rhode Island DBA, choose your business entity type:
Partnership or sole proprietorship (if your business is not a formal structure)
Corporation, LLC, or LLP (if your business has a formal structure such as LLC or corporation)
Table of Contents
Create a RI DBA for your sole proprietorship or general partnership.
General partnerships and sole proprietors must register their Rhode Island DBA with the City Clerk in the city in which they do business. Estates and real estate investment trusts must also register with the city.
A general partnership is a company created by two or more persons that does not have a formal corporate structure. A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business held by a single person. In either scenario, the company name is the same as the proprietors’ names. In these circumstances, a DBA might be advantageous for altering the company name to a more marketable one.
A DBA is solely used for branding purposes. A DBA does not safeguard your personal assets in the event that your company is sued. As a result, we highly advise that a DBA be utilised exclusively by a formal company structure such as an LLC or corporation to add new brands to an existing firm.
If you operate an informal company (sole proprietorship or partnership), we highly advise you to create an LLC to keep your business and personal assets distinct. The name of the LLC might be chosen to serve as the business’s brand name.
Step 1: Conduct a Rhode Island Assumed Name Search.
Rhode Island assumed names must be distinct and fit the state’s business name criteria.
To begin, go to the Rhode Island Department of State’s website and look for your new DBA name to ensure it isn’t already in use.
Review the Rhode Island naming regulations next. In Rhode Island, assumed names shall NOT contain the following words:
Words that may cause confusion between your firm and a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
Restricted terms (for example, bank, attorney, university) that may need extra documentation and the participation of a licenced professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your transaction.
We suggest that you check to see whether your name is accessible as a web domain (URL). You may not want to launch a company website right now, but you may wish to prevent others from gaining your URL.
Step 2: File a DBA with the City Clerk in Rhode Island.
To operate under a DBA, sole proprietors and partnerships must submit a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the relevant municipal clerk’s office(s).
NOTE: In certain areas, ALL sorts of companies that operate under a name other than their legal name are required to submit an assumed name with the city (this includes corporations and LLCs).
We will walk you through the process of obtaining a City of Providence DBA. Please contact your city clerk for instructions in other cities.
The State of Rhode Island’s website has contact information for your city.
How to Register a DBA in the City of Providence
Any company with an address in Providence that operates under a name other than its legal name is required to register for an assumed business name.
It is a good idea to check the Providence City assumed name records and the state business database before beginning the DBA filing procedure.
After you’ve decided on a name, fill out the Certificate of Assumed Business Name and submit it to the Providence City Clerk. The certificate may be handed in in person.
Manage Your Providence, Rhode Island DBA
DBA Concerns
For general inquiries concerning company certificates, assumed names, and DBA rules, contact the Providence City Clerk at (401) 680-5248.
Renewal of Your DBA
Your assumed name is not going away.
Modify Your DBA
To alter your assumed name, you must withdraw your present registration and complete a new registration.
Remove Your DBA
Call (401) 680-5248 to reach the Providence City Clerk.
Create a RI DBA for your LLC, Corporation, or LLP.
The Rhode Island Department of State receives Certificates of Assumed Name from incorporated firms.
The following sorts of businesses are considered incorporated:
Corporations, both for profit and non-profit
Professional Corporations and Associations
Limited Partnerships, often known as Limited Liability Partnerships,
Companies with Limited Liability
Entities Filing from Outside the U.S.
NOTE: Some localities (including Providence) require ALL sorts of companies that operate under a name different than their legal identity to register under an assumed name. Check with your city clerk’s office to discover whether you also need to submit an assumed name.
Step 1: Conduct a business entity search in Rhode Island.
Providence, Rhode Island Fictitious names must be distinct and comply with Rhode Island’s company name standards.
To begin, go to the Rhode Island Department of State’s website and look for your new DBA name to ensure it isn’t already in use.
Review the Rhode Island naming regulations next. In Rhode Island, assumed names shall NOT contain the following words:
Words that may cause confusion between your firm and a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
Restricted terms (for example, bank, attorney, university) that may need extra documentation and the participation of a licenced professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your transaction.
Step 2: Submit Your Rhode Island Fictitious Business Name Declaration
If your company is incorporated, you must register your DBA with the Rhode Island Department of State. The Fictitious Business Name Statement will request your new DBA name as well as details about your company. There are several forms available based on your company’s structure.
Control Your Rhode Island DBA
DBA Concerns
The Rhode Island Department of State may be reached at (401) 222-3040.
Renew Your Business Name with the State
Your Fictitious Business Name Statement is not going away.
Modify Your DBA
You must complete a new registration form to update your DBA.
Remove Your DBA
By submitting a Statement of Abandonment of Use of a Fictitious Name, you may cancel your DBA. This may also be done online. The cost is $50.
Corporations Form
Form for Limited Liability Companies
Form for Limited Partnerships