Why Register a Trade Name in Delaware?

Registering a trade name in Delaware is done to operate a business under a name other than your own. A trade name is the same as a fictitious name or "doing business as" name.

Delaware Law

• The basic reason you need to register a trade name in Delaware, if your business is located in Delaware, is because it is state law. Title 6 within the Delaware Code dictates that "no person, firm, or association" can use a trade name to conduct business transactions within the state, without first filing a certificate. This certificate allows the real name of the business owner to be known, as it discloses "the Christian and surname of such person." In basic terms, it allows the real owners of a business to be accessible.

How To Register

• A "Registration of Trade, Business & Fictitious Name Supplemental Certificate" must be filed in each Delaware county that the business will be operating in. The certificate must be filed in the office of the Prothonotary each particular county.

Benefits

• Registering a trade name in Delaware allows you to be the only business operating under that name in the particular county in which you register. It also allows you to accept payments on behalf of the business, such as a check made out to the business name and not your own name.