If you do business in Monterey County under a name other
than your own legal name, you must file a fictitious business name statement
with the Monterey
County Clerk within 40 days of your first transaction. This filing is often
called a DBA, short for “doing business as,” or an FBN, “fictitious business
name.”
After filing the FBN statement, it must be published in four
consecutive issues in a Monterey County legally adjudicated newspaper of
general circulation. The easy way to do it is to simply take a mobile phone
photo or scan and upload it to PublishMyNotice.com,
This guide summarizes the filing rules, fees and deadlines that
the Monterey County Clerk publishes on its website, current as of Nov. 2, 2026.
The County Clerk is the local authority on these rules. Fees and procedures can
change, so confirm details on the County
Clerk’s fictitious business name page before you file.
Who needs to file a DBA in Monterey County
According to the Monterey County Clerk, anyone who regularly
does business for profit under a fictitious name in Monterey County must file a
statement. That includes sole owners, partnerships and corporations or LLCs
that operate under any name other than the exact name on their articles of
incorporation or organization documents.
The Monterey County Clerk acts only as the central
depository for these names. The office does not approve or reject names, and
registration does not guarantee exclusive use. You file only in the county
where your business is located, because California has no statewide DBA
registry.
Monterey County fictitious business name fees
The Monterey County Clerk charges $50 to file a fictitious
business name statement, according to its fee
schedule revised Jan. 1, 2026.
Filing | Fee |
Fictitious business name statement, including one | $50 |
Each additional business name or registrant on the same | $7 |
Statement of abandonment | $40 |
Withdrawal from a partnership | $40 |
Name search by mail, per business or owner name | $5 |
Copies | $2 |
The County Clerk accepts checks drawn on a California bank
or money orders made payable to Monterey County Clerk.
File in person
The Monterey County Clerk strongly recommends filing in
person whenever possible. Bring your completed form, photo identification and
payment. Corporations and LLCs should also bring a copy of their articles of
incorporation or organization.
The County Clerk’s office is in Salinas. Find its current
address, phone number and hours on the County Clerk’s file
in person page.
File by mail
The Monterey County Clerk accepts mail filings but states
that it takes no responsibility for any filing attempted by mail. The County
Clerk’s file
by mail page lists these steps.
1.
Download the County Clerk’s official
fictitious business name form. Complete it in black ink or type it.
2.
If you file for a corporation or LLC, include a copy of
your articles of incorporation or organization.
3.
Enclose all copies of the completed form, a check or
money order and a legal-size self-addressed stamped envelope.
4.
Mail your packet to Monterey County Clerk, P.O. Box 29,
Salinas, CA 93902.
You can also request a blank form in writing at the same
address.
Publish your statement within 45 days
The Monterey County Clerk requires you to publish your
statement in an adjudicated newspaper of general circulation within 45 days of
your filing date.
California Business and Professions Code section 17917 sets
the publication schedule. The notice runs once a week for four consecutive
weeks, and the newspaper files an affidavit of publication with the County
Clerk.
PublishMyNotice.com places your notice in a qualified
Monterey County newspaper and tracks your run dates. [Start your Monterey
County DBA publication]
Key deadlines
The Monterey County Clerk sets four deadlines for fictitious
business name filers.
Step | Deadline |
File your statement | Within 40 days of first doing business |
Publish your statement | Within 45 days of filing |
Renew your statement | Within 40 days of expiration |
File a new statement after moving your business | Within 40 days of the move |
Renewals and changes
A Monterey County fictitious business name statement stays
in effect for five years, according to the County Clerk. Renew within 40 days
of the expiration date. If your business location changes, the County Clerk
directs you to file a new statement within 40 days.
Search Monterey County fictitious business names
Check whether a name is already registered before you file.
The Monterey County Clerk offers an online index, linked from its file
by mail page, and searches by mail.
For a mail search, provide the exact business name and, if
applicable, the owner’s name. Enclose $5 for each name, a legal-size
self-addressed stamped envelope and a check drawn on a California bank or a
money order payable to Monterey County Clerk. The County Clerk waives the
search fee if you already have the file number.
Plain copies cost $2 per page. Certified copies cost $2 per
statement.
Sources
All filing rules, fees and deadlines in this guide come from
the Monterey County Clerk, except the four-week publication schedule, which
comes from California state law. PublishMyNotice.com is not affiliated with the
County of Monterey.
•
Monterey County Clerk, Fictitious
Business Statements
•
Monterey County Clerk, File
in Person
•
Monterey County Clerk, File by Mail
•
County of Monterey, Fee
Schedule, Clerk fees revised Jan. 1, 2026
•
California Business and Professions Code section 17917