Sometimes, a business may find that using a DBA (Doing Business As) title is not necessary anymore. A DBA is an additional name used by a business that wants to operate under another name and protect it from someone else using it. However, if your business is no longer operational, it does not serve any purpose to remain active in your state. Therefore, you must know where to submit your notice to cancel the DBA and understand how to go about it.

Things You Will Need

  • Signatures of owner(s)

  • Tax ID number

Collect your company data. You'll need your taxpayer identification number handy and the registration number from the state, if applicable. Confirm the fee amount to cancel, if there is any. This fee will vary by state.

Obtain the form to officially cancel a DBA from your state business name registration department. The department will vary by state. For example, the Department of Commerce handles DBA cancellations in Utah, while the Department of State is the place that oversees business cancellations of a DBA in Florida.

Complete the form entirely. The guide includes four items, which are a statement letter, address of the business, name of the business owner(s), correct name of the business name to be canceled and the signature. Read the referenced section to view a guide on how to cancel a DBA. Most states have similar procedures. The state of Utah makes it simple to go about the process of dissolving a DBA. You can cancel via in person, fax or mail. It becomes effective once the paperwork is received.

Submit the form to cancel a DBA to the state's department overseeing name registrations. The Business.Gov website has listings for each state. This should be the same place you originally submitted an application to register the DBA.

Tip

Typically, the DBA will expire after five years, so you can opt to not renew and avoid doing any paperwork. For instance, Florida businesses that don't renew after five years are automatically removed from the DBA status.