California fictitious business names are filed with the county where the principal place of business is located, not with the Secretary of State. Confirm local filing fees, publication requirements, exemptions and proof of publication with that county’s clerk. The lookup supplies county-specific confirmation prompts, not unverified county prices or deadlines.
Official source: California Secretary of StateOfficial source: California Secretary of StateVerified against the California Secretary of State and FTB on Oct 21, 2026
Corp USA is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Private information and filing service; not a government agency.
Start with the right question.
Identify the principal business location
The SOS FAQ directs FBN filings to the county of the principal place of business. Do not select a county based only on convenience or assume a statewide SOS name search is the county FBN registry.
Official source: California Secretary of StateAsk the county for its current process
Confirm its official FBN record search, accepted form, signer requirements, identity or notarization rules, filing fee, renewal and change procedures. Those details vary locally and were not independently verified under the SOS/FTB/IRS-only source restriction.
Official source: California Secretary of StateConfirm publication before placing an order
Ask the clerk whether publication applies, which newspapers qualify, the schedule and deadline, and who submits the affidavit. No universal publication price or deadline is asserted here. A fictitious name filing is separate from forming an LLC or corporation.
Official source: California Secretary of StateYour preparation checklist
- Determine the principal-place-of-business county
- Find the official county clerk’s current FBN process
- Confirm fees, signer and search requirements
- Confirm publication, exemptions and affidavit requirements
- Keep the filed statement and any publication evidence
County confirmation lookup
County confirmation lookup
Los Angeles County · confirmation notes
Confirm directly with your county clerk.The SOS identifies the county of principal business location as the filing office. County-specific fees, procedures, publication schedules and exemptions are not verified here; no unofficial clerk links are supplied.
0 of 5 local confirmations recorded for Los Angeles County.
Official source: California Secretary of StateKeep the requirements separate.
| Requirement | Verified detail / confirmation needed | Official authority |
|---|---|---|
| Filing office | County of principal place of business | Official source: California Secretary of State |
| County fees | Confirm with your clerk; no statewide amount asserted | Official source: California Secretary of State |
| Publication | Confirm applicability, newspaper, timing and affidavit locally | Official source: California Secretary of State |
| SOS business-name search | Does not check county fictitious business names | Official source: California Secretary of State |
Carry the decision forward.
Corp USA is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. State fees are pass-through. Service fees and taxes are separate. Review the order price before payment.
Before your next step
No. Those were not verified from permitted sources. Contact the selected county clerk before filing.
Official source: California Secretary of StateNo. An LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization with the SOS; fictitious names follow the county process.
Official source: California Secretary of State