An assumed name is a Tennessee DBA (doing business as). Obtaining a Tennessee DBA registration 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 Tennessee DBA, choose your company 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)
Create a Tennessee DBA for your sole proprietorship or general partnership.
General partnerships and sole proprietors must register their Tennessee DBA with the County Clerk in the county in which their business is situated. Estates and real estate investment trusts must also register with the county.
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 Tennessee Business Name Search.
Tennessee assumed names must be distinct and fit Tennessee’s company name standards.
To begin, go to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website and look for your new DBA name to ensure it isn’t already in use.
Review the Tennessee naming criteria next. In Tennessee, assumed names should NOT contain the following:
Words that may cause confusion between your firm and a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
Words that falsely indicate that your firm is linked with, sponsored by, or organised as a fraternal, veterans’, service, religious, charity, or professional organisation.
Words implying that the firm was formed for any illegal purpose
Restricted terms (for example, bank, attorney, university) may need extra documentation and the participation of a licenced professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your operation.
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 County Clerk in Tennessee.
To operate under a DBA, sole proprietors and partnerships must submit a Business Tax License Application with the proper county clerk’s office(s).
Sole proprietors, partnerships, and other forms of businesses must register in every county where they do or transact business.
We will walk you through the process of obtaining a Knox County DBA (Knoxville). Please contact your county clerk for guidance in other counties.
The Tennessee Department of Revenue has contact information for your county.
How to Register a DBA in Knox County
It is a good idea to check the Knox County business database before beginning the DBA filing procedure.
After you’ve decided on a name, fill out the Business Tax License Application and return it to the Knox County Clerk. The certificate may be mailed or filed online.
Control Your Knox County DBA
DBA Concerns
For general inquiries concerning company licences, assumed names, and DBA regulations, contact Knox County at (865) 215-2392.
Renewal of Your DBA
When you submit your tax return, your ordinary business licence is immediately renewed. If you applied for a minimum activity licence, you must complete the Application for Renewal.
Modify Your DBA
To alter the name on your business licence, you must complete a new registration.
Remove Your DBA
By filing a final tax return to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, you may revoke your company licence.
Create a Tennessee DBA for an LLC, Corporation, or LLP.
Incorporated firms must register their assumed names with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
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.
Step 1: Conduct a search for Tennessee business entities.
Tennessee assumed names must be distinct and fit Tennessee’s company name standards.
To begin, go to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website and look for your new DBA name to ensure it isn’t already in use.
Review the Tennessee naming criteria next. In Tennessee, assumed names should NOT contain the following:
Words that may cause confusion between your firm and a government agency (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.)
Words that falsely indicate that your firm is linked with, sponsored by, or organised as a fraternal, veterans’, service, religious, charity, or professional organisation.
Words implying that the firm was formed for any illegal purpose
Restricted terms (for example, bank, attorney, university) may need extra documentation and the participation of a licenced professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your operation.
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: Registering Your Assumed Name
If your company is incorporated, you must register your DBA with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
The assumed name registration form will request your new DBA name as well as company details. Depending on the structure of your firm, multiple registration forms are available.
Control Your Tennessee DBA
DBA Concerns
Call the Tennessee Secretary of State at (615) 741-2286 for further information.
Renew Your Business Name with the State
Every five years, your assumed name must be renewed. The filing cost is twenty dollars. You may renew online or by mail or in person using one of the following renewal forms:
Corporation
LLC
LLP
Modify Your DBA
Fill out a name change application to alter your assumed name. The filing cost is twenty dollars. Depending on the nature of your firm, submit one of the following forms by mail or in person:
Corporation
LLC
LLP
Remove Your DBA
Fill out the relevant cancellation form and pay the $20 filing fee to cancel your assumed name. Depending on the nature of your firm, submit one of the following forms by mail or in person:
Corporation
LLC
LLP