FBN Filing Requirements

WHO MUST FILE:

Every person who regularly transacts business in Yolo County for profit, under a fictitious business name is required to file a FBN Statement, no later than forty (40) days from business commencement. See Who Must File for more information.

WHERE TO FILE:

The registrant shall file the FBN statement in the county where the principal place of business is located. To file in Yolo County, statements may be filed in person or by mail. A Registrant may file additional FBN statements in other counties if they choose.

If the registrant has no place of business in this state, the registrant should file with the Clerk of Sacramento County.

Once your statement has been filed with the County Clerk/Recorder and you have been issued certified copies, NO changes, additions, or corrections may be made to this statement. If any alterations need to be made, you will need to file a NEW statement and pay the filing fee.

ADDRESS REQUIREMENTS:

The street address of the principal place of business is required, and the business mailing address may be provided if different from the principal place of business address. Registrants' business mailing address is now acceptable pursuant to AB 878 effective January 1, 2024.

The address must be the same for all businesses if there are two or more business names on the same statement.

EXPIRATION INFORMATION:

The FBN statement expires 5 years from the date of filing, or 40 days after any change in facts (other than change of address of an individual, general partner, or trustee), or upon abandonment of the FBN.

  • Notice of Expiration will be sent prior to statement expiration date. It is the registrant's responsibility to renew their statement before it expires whether they receive a Notice of Expiration or not.

FILING AN FBN STATEMENT UPON EXPIRATION:

  • Registrant must refile every 5 years, paying the current fees, even if there are no changes.
  • You are not required to republish a renewal if the information remains the same.

TO FILE AN ABANDONMENT OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME:

A person, upon ceasing to transact business in this state under a fictitious name, must:

You can search our online FBN Index to get the file number of the particular Fictitious Business Name that will be abandoned.

TO FILE A WITHDRAWAL OF A GENERAL PARTNER OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME: 

  • A partner who is leaving a business, may file a statement of withdrawal with the County Clerk.
  • Publication is not required if dissolution of the partnership has been published pursuant to the Corporations Code. If published, an affidavit shall be filed with the County Clerk.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE AN FBN AS A TRADE NAME:

The registrant first to file an FBN statement shall establish a rebuttable presumption that the registrant has the exclusive right to use the FBN, or any confusingly similar trade name, as a trade name in the county in which the statement is filed

  • It is the responsibility of every person to conduct a search of the index to assure the availability of the FBN in this county. You may search the FBN index online for your convenience or view the official FBN Index in the Yolo County Clerk/Recorder office.