Almanac note · Rules and licenses
An LA County business name filing starts with the County Clerk
Los Angeles County fictitious business name filings are handled by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, separate from city business tax, seller's permits, and state business filings.
In LA County, a fictitious business name is the “doing business as” name people often call a DBA. It comes up when the public business name does not plainly show who owns it.
The County Clerk handles that filing. It is separate from a City of Los Angeles business tax account. It is also separate from a seller’s permit, a state filing, or a permit for the place where the business works.
That split matters for small shops, online sellers, home businesses, food vendors, contractors, and side businesses using a public name. A name can look ready on a sign or website. The public filing may still be its own step.
Start with the business name, owner name, business address, and main place of business. If that main place is in LA County, begin with the county FBN page.
After filing, check the county’s publication steps and renewal timing. Those details are easy to miss because they come after the form feels finished.
Where to see it
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk fictitious business name pages.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 3, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
Use the official page before you spend money, file paperwork, rely on a deadline, or change a property.
Connected places
Where it fits on the map
Open a place page for the county layer, nearby places, and other California entries tied to that local page.
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