Four separate registrations that people often assume are one, and what each one does and does not give you.
1. What it is
Your legal name is the name on your state filing. A DBA (also called a trade name or assumed name) lets you trade under a different name. A trademark protects a brand name or logo for particular goods or services. A domain is a web address you rent from a registrar.
2. Why it matters
Owning one does not give you the others. A state accepting your business name does not mean nobody else has trademark rights in it, and owning the domain does not stop someone using the name. Knowing which you have tells you where the gaps are.
3. Where to look
- Legal name: your state's business search.
- DBA: your state or county filing office, depending on the state.
- Trademark: the USPTO trademark search.
- Domain: the registrar account you bought it through, or an ICANN lookup.
4. How to do it
- Write down the exact legal name, any DBAs, the domain and any trademark filings you have.
- Check the name you trade under is either the legal name or a filed DBA.
- Run an initial trademark search on the name you trade under (see the trademark search guide).
- Record each item below with where its proof lives.
5. Official sources
- Choose and register your business name (SBA) ↗. Covers entity name vs. DBA vs. trademark vs. domain: four different registrations.
- Your state's business filing office ↗. Pick your state. LLCs, corporations, DBAs and annual reports are all filed with the Secretary of State (or equivalent).
- Trademark basics (USPTO) ↗. What a trademark is, what it costs, and how long it takes.
- Look up who owns a domain (ICANN) ↗
6. Record what you found
Keep a note of where each of these lives:
- State filing showing the legal name
- DBA filing, if any
- Domain registration record with renewal date
- Trademark application or registration, if any
In Brand Axis this becomes a step on your launch map: you record where the proof lives, mark how it was checked, and get a reminder when it needs checking again.
7. Check it
Mark it done once you have seen the record yourself. It counts as verified when the record is an official one, and as professionally reviewed when someone qualified has checked it. When to get help: A trademark attorney before investing heavily in a name.
8. Where it gets used
The legal name goes in your footer, contracts and invoices; the trading name goes everywhere customers see you.
9. When to check again
DBAs and domains expire. Record each renewal date.
General information for US businesses, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by state and change over time. Check the official source, and ask a qualified professional about your situation. Scope: United States. Federal steps apply everywhere; state steps link to your own state's office. Last reviewed 2026-09-19 by AxisAlign editorial.