DBA · Iowa

How to File a Fictitious Name for an LLC in Iowa

By Edmond Hui · Last updated October 6, 2026

Short answer

Iowa requires an LLC that does business under a name other than its own to register a fictitious name. An LLC files the Fictitious Name Resolution with the Secretary of State. The filing fee is $5.00. We found no publication step for an LLC's fictitious name filing in Iowa.

Iowa Fictitious Name at a Glance

Requirement: Required
Where to file: Secretary of State
Fee: $5.00
How long it lasts: Not confirmed
Newspaper notice: None found
File online: Yes

How an LLC Files

An LLC files the Fictitious Name Resolution with the Secretary of State.

Filing needs a certified copy of the members' or managers' resolution adopting the name.

You can file online.

Open the filing office's site · Open the filing page

Cost and Renewal

The filing fee is $5.00.

Publication

We found no publication step for an LLC's fictitious name filing in Iowa.

Sole proprietors

Iowa requires a sole proprietor whose business name leaves out their surname to register a trade name. An individual or partnership must record a statement only when the business name is something other than the true surname of each person who owns or has an interest in the business. It is recorded with the county recorder of the county where the business is to be conducted.

Record the statement before starting to do business under the name.

A sole proprietor registers a trade name with the county recorder.

Filing needs a sworn (verified) statement.

The filing fee is $5.00. The county recorder charges the state recording fee of $5 for each page. Iowa law adds $1 for records management and $1 for the electronic transaction fund for each recorded transaction.

We found no publication step for a sole proprietor's trade name filing in Iowa.

Doing business under a trade name without first recording the statement is a simple misdemeanor. Each day of violation is a separate offense.

Requirement	Required
Where to file	County office (county recorder)
Fee	See Cost and renewal
How long it lasts	Not confirmed
Newspaper notice	None found
File online	Not confirmed

Next steps

Frequently Asked Questions

: Iowa requires an LLC that does business under a name other than its own to register a fictitious name.
: An LLC files the Fictitious Name Resolution with the Secretary of State. Filing needs a certified copy of the members' or managers' resolution adopting the name.
: The filing fee is $5.00.
: We found no publication step for an LLC's fictitious name filing in Iowa.
: Iowa requires a sole proprietor whose business name leaves out their surname to register a trade name. An individual or partnership must record a statement only when the business name is something other than the true surname of each person who owns or has an interest in the business. It is recorded with the county recorder of the county where the business is to be conducted. A sole proprietor registers a trade name with the county recorder.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about registering a business name, with the sources this page cites. A filing here does not register a federal trademark, and fees and forms change between our reviews. Confirm with the office named on this page before you file.

Sources

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Iowa sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/547.pdfIowa Code chapter 547, Trade Names (2026)
legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.pdfIowa Code chapter 489, 489.112 (Permitted names) and 489.122 (Fees) (2026)
legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/331.604.pdfIowa Code 331.604, Recording and filing fees (2026)
sos.iowa.gov/businesses/business-entity-forms-and-feesIowa Secretary of State, Business Entity Forms and Fees
sos.iowa.gov/business/pdf/635_9999.pdfIowa Secretary of State, Fictitious Name Resolution (Form 635_9999)

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.