Florida DBA newspaper requirement
Florida requires your fictitious name to be advertised at least once in a qualifying newspaper in the county of your principal place of business, before you file. You certify this when you sign the application; you don't send proof to the state.
What Florida law requires
Under section 865.09, Florida Statutes, the fictitious name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper, as defined in Chapter 50 of the Florida Statutes, in the county where the applicant's principal place of business is or will be located. When you sign the registration, you certify that this has been done.
When to publish
Before you file. The certification on the application says the name has already been advertised, so the notice should run first and the registration should be filed after. Filing first and publishing later is a common mistake.
Which newspaper qualifies
It has to be a newspaper that meets the Chapter 50 definition for legal notices and is located in the county of your principal place of business. Most counties have at least one paper that regularly publishes legal notices. Their legal notices department can confirm they qualify and tell you the price and next run date.
If your business is run from home, the county of your home address is usually your principal place of business. If you have locations in several counties, the application asks for the county of the principal place of business.
What the notice says
Fictitious name notices are short. They typically state the fictitious name, the business address and county, and the owner's name. Newspapers that handle legal notices usually have a standard template.
Proof of publication
You don't file proof with the state. Newspapers usually provide a proof of publication or affidavit on request; keep it with your business records in case anyone asks later.
How FLDBA.com handles it
Our $249 price includes the newspaper's charge. We place the notice in a qualifying newspaper in your county, wait for it to run, then file your registration. If your county or situation would involve an unusual publication charge, we contact you before going ahead.
Common questions
Do I have to publish my DBA in a newspaper in Florida?
Yes. Every Florida fictitious name must be advertised at least once in a qualifying newspaper in the county of the principal place of business.
How many times does the notice have to run?
At least once.
Do I need to send the newspaper notice to Sunbiz?
No. You certify on the application that the notice ran. The Division of Corporations doesn't collect proof.
Do I need a new newspaper notice when I renew?
Florida's renewal instructions don't call for a new notice. If a registration expires, though, you file a brand-new registration, which needs a new notice.
Want us to handle it?
We place the notice in your county and file after it runs. $249 total.