Who has to file a Fictitious Business Name (FBN) statement in California? Let's suppose that Ed Jones owns a pizza business and calls it "Jones Pizza." Because the name of the business contains his last name, then he doesn't have to file an FBN with the County Clerk or Recorder. But if the business doesn't have his name in the title (e.g. "Galaxy Pizza), then Ed is required to file a Fictitious Business Name statement and is required to renew the statement every five years.
Not every county in California offers FBN searches online. If you don't see your county below, contact your county clerk or recorder office and they will help you with your search.
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Alameda County This FBN database is offered online by the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office. Once you're past the disclaimer, click on SEARCH next to Fictitious Business Name to search by business or owner name, file (instrument) number, or file date. |
Butte County Butte County Recorder's Office FBN database. They say that document numbers are the most precise method of searching, but you have to have the exact number. It's well-designed, so an owner or business name should get you what you need. |
Calaveras County FBN search from the Calaveras County Clerk-Recorder. |
Contra Costa County Contra Costa County FBN search by business name, owner owner name, or file number. Basic results are free, and you may order document copies for a fee. |
El Dorado County El Dorado County Recorder/Clerk FBN search. |
Imperial County Imperial County Clerk-Recorder FBN search. |
Inyo County Inyo County, California Clerk-Recorder records of Fictitious Business Name filings. Search by file number, owner name, or business name. |
Kern County Kern County Clerk FBN records. |
Los Angeles County | Business Licenses Another way to find business registrations in Los Angeles County is to use the Treasurer and Tax Collector business license query. This covers licenses issued in unincorporated areas of the county, and the cities of Westlake Village (the L.A. County side), Malibu, Agoura Hills, Diamond Bar, Calabasas, and Santa Clarita. |
Los Angeles County | FBN Search This is a service of the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and unlike other California counties there are no search options other than by business name. They offer the option that you can search in person at their Norwalk office or by mail (not by phone), but they don't make it clear whether or not you can search by an individual's name. |
Marin County Straightforward and well designed. Search by FBN number, business name, or owner name. |
Monterey County Monterey County DBA/FBN search. |
Nevada County This is the Nevada County Recorder's Office recorded document database and it includes FBNs. Once you enter the search page, click on the button next to Document Type and you'll get a pop-up window. Scroll to the bottom and click on FBN Statement and the OK button, or just type FBN Statement in the Document Type field to start your search. |
Orange County Fictitious Business Name filing search from the This is a service of the Orange County Clerk Recorder. |
Placer County Placer County Clerk-Recorder records search, including Fictitious Business Names. |
Riverside County Riverside County Clerk-Recorder service. Search fictitious business name filings by business or owner name, file number, or file date. |
Sacramento County Sacramento County Citizen Access fictitious business name index. |
San Bernardino County FBN filings in San Bernardino County by business or owner name, FBN number, or file date. |
San Diego County Search by business or owner name, or by file number. Free basic results and you may order standard or certified copies of the filed statements online for a fee. |
San Francisco County Easy-to-use interface. Search by business or owner name, and if you want you may enter just the first characters of the business name. Results include the file number, owner name, business name and address, and file date. |
San Joaquin County To search for San Joaquin County FBNs, enter the Grantor-Grantee index and select "Fictitious Business Name" in the Document Type menu. |
San Luis Obispo County Search FBNs by owner or business name. Results include the business name, file number, status, dates, and owner name(s). |
San Mateo County County Clerk's Office database. Search, register, or renew fictitious business names. |
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder fictitious business name information and record search. |
Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office FBN database search fields: Registrant Name; Business Name; FBN Number, and you may choose to narrow your search to active or abandoned filings. |
Stanislaus County Search by owner or business name or file number. Results include document number, file date, owner name, business name and address. Copies of FBN statements may be ordered online for a fee. |
Sutter County FBN records from the Sutter County Clerk-Recorder. |
Tehama County Tehama County offers no less than 22 different fields to search for FBN filings, including business name, owner name, phone number, business type, etc. Especially good database to find recent filings as you can search by file date. |
Trinity County Don't panic. It will say 'Enter your user id and password and press submit.' You don't need either. Just enter 'fbn,' leave the password field blank and press 'Submit.' Once in, you may search by filed number, type of filing, business name, file date, or comments, but we don't recommend that you use that last option. |
Tulare County Here's a good example of the right way to design an FBN search page. Search by registrant name, business name, or FBN number, with the option of choosing active or abandoned files. |
Ventura County This is the Ventura County AiLIS Public Inquiry system and you MUST use Internet Explorer or it won't work for you. Once you're in IE, ignore the FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILING tab and go instead to the box that says ALLOWED DOCUMENT TYPES and click on the little plus sign next to CLERK. Then click the misspelled FBN box to start your search. Good grief guys, can you make it any more difficult? |
Yolo County This is a Yolo County Clerk-Recorder service. You have the choice of searching for FBNs by the Fictitious Name or the by owner name (which can be an individual or a corporation). |
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