DBA Filing in Pennsylvania: Who Issues It, Cost & Steps
A DBA filing is a local permit. In Pennsylvania, as everywhere else in the US, it comes from a city or county office rather than a state agency — so the first job is working out which local office covers your address.
Pennsylvania calls DBA filings 'assumed or fictitious name' registrations and handles them through the Department of State, not a separate business bureau.
If you want to operate a business under a name other than your legal name in Pennsylvania, you file with the Department of State's Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. The state government website explains what types of business filings exist and how to search for name availability, but does not use the term 'DBA.'
- Pennsylvania requires individuals and corporations conducting business under an assumed or fictitious name to register with the Department of State's Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations.
“Other businesses registering with the bureau include: professional corporations, municipal authorities, limited partnerships, foreign corporations qualifying to do business in the Commonwealth and individuals and corporations conducting business under an assumed or fictitious name.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business - You can search whether your desired business name is available through the state's online name search tool before filing.
“The bureau typically receives in excess of 6,000 telephone calls per week, most of which are from persons either requesting information on companies or checking on the availability of entity names.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business - The Department of State does not charge a fee for telephone inquiries about business name availability.
“The bureau does not assess a fee for telephone information. Information may also be acquired in person or by mail.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business - You can file business registrations online through Pennsylvania's Business Filing Services portal, though applications still require human review.
“Business Filing Services allows you to submit your filings electronically, but your application still requires human review. Submissions are processed in the date they are received unless expedited services are requested.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business - The Department of State's Bureau of Corporations maintains records for more than 2.4 million companies currently authorized to do business in Pennsylvania.
“The bureau is the repository for the records of more than 2,400,000 companies authorized to do business in Pennsylvania.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business - Processing times for filings vary depending on the type of filing, and the state's website displays the expected processing time for each filing type.
“Processing times may vary and are noted on the search page for every filing type.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business - Pennsylvania's goal is to make the state the easiest place to start a business, and businesses can access resources through the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop at business.pa.gov.
“Our goal is to make Pennsylvania the easiest place in the nation to start a business. Through the Pennsylvania Open for Business Web site, we are doing just that - giving entrepreneurs a one-stop shop to start, sustain and expand their businesses.”
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business
Sources (each one opened and read on 2026-09-15)
- Pennsylvania Department of State — Business Programs: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business
Who issues a DBA Filing in Pennsylvania
This is a local permit. It is issued by your city or county, not by the state of Pennsylvania. The state office listed underneath handles a related filing — it does not issue this permit.
- Pennsylvania — the state business-filing office (Secretary of State in most states) (registers business entities)
https://www.dos.pa.gov
https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business
Where a DBA is filed varies more than almost any other filing on this site — county clerk in many states, the state business-filing office in others.
Finding your local office
Start with the city your address sits in — the relevant department is usually called Planning, Building, Community Development, or Business Licensing. If your address is unincorporated, the county performs that role instead. Calling the main switchboard and asking who handles this is usually faster than searching.
Starting point for anything else in Pennsylvania: the state business portal, https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/business. It is a starting point, not the issuer of this permit.
The general US process
This sequence is the shape the process takes across the US. It is not a list of Pennsylvania requirements, and no step here should be read as one — the issuing office named above sets the actual requirements.
- Step 1: Find out where a DBA is filed where you are. County clerk in many states, the state business-filing office in others, and both in a few.
- Step 2: Search that register for the name you want.
- Step 3: File the statement — often called a fictitious business name or assumed name filing — and pay the fee.
- Step 4: Publish the filing in a newspaper if that jurisdiction requires publication. Several do; most do not.
- Step 5: File the proof of publication where publication was required.
- Step 6: Use the name consistently on marketing, invoices and the bank account.
What varies: county versus state filing, whether publication is required, the fee, and whether the filing expires.
Documents usually asked for
A typical list, not a Pennsylvania checklist.
- Government-issued ID
- Legal business name (if an entity, not sole prop)
- Business address
Related permits in Pennsylvania
DBA Filing in states bordering Pennsylvania
Rules stop at the state line — same permit, each state bordering Pennsylvania:
See DBA Filing in all 50 states & DC →
Frequently asked questions
Who issues a DBA filing in Pennsylvania?
Your city or county — not the state.
How much does a DBA filing cost in Pennsylvania?
We don't publish a Pennsylvania figure we haven't verified. The typical US range is $10–$150. The office named above has the real number for your address.
How long does it take to get a DBA filing in Pennsylvania?
Typical US processing is 1–30 days, and expedited handling is often available for a fee. The issuing office publishes its own turnaround, and that is the number to trust.
What is Pennsylvania-specific on this page: the issuing office, 7 Pennsylvania facts, each quoted off the government page beside it. Everything else — the numbered process, the document list, the cost and timeline — is the general US pattern, not a Pennsylvania rule, and is labelled that way above. Requirements, fees and deadlines are set by the issuing office; confirm with it before you file or pay.