A Wyoming DBA, officially called a trade name, is just an alternate name your LLC does business under. It is not a separate legal entity. Your LLC stays the legal owner, keeps its liability protection, and files the same tax return. You register a trade name by mailing the notarized application to the Wyoming Secretary of State with the current $100 fee, and it lasts ten years.
A trade name is an alias, not a new company. The registrant on file is your LLC, which stays the legal entity and the owner of the name.
The application must be signed, notarized, and mailed to the Secretary of State with the current $100 fee. Wyoming does not take this filing online.
The statute says you may register, and common law rights are preserved. Registration gives you a public statewide record that banks and platforms often ask to see.
What a Wyoming DBA (trade name) really is
In Wyoming a DBA is legally called a trade name. The statute defines it as a name used to identify a business and distinguish it from others (W.S. 40-2-101). In plain terms, it is a public alias your company trades under, layered on top of the legal name you set when forming your Wyoming LLC. Registering one does not create a second company. It records an extra name for the company you already have.
Your LLC stays the legal entity, the DBA is only a name
This is the point that trips up most non-resident founders. A trade name is an alias, not a new business. The application names your LLC as the registrant, so the certificate issues in the LLC's name, and the LLC stays the legal owner of the trade name (W.S. 40-2-101, 40-2-104). Because the LLC is the legal entity, registering a DBA changes nothing about how you are taxed or how your liability protection works. You file the same tax return, and you keep the same protection you had before.
When would a non-resident LLC want a DBA?
Two situations cover most cases. The first is running a customer-facing brand that differs from your legal LLC name, which is common when the legal name is holding-company style and the brand is something friendlier. The second is running several brands or product lines under one Wyoming LLC, where each brand can be its own registered trade name. There is also a practical reason to register rather than rely on informal use. Banks, payment processors, and marketplaces often ask to see a registered DBA before they will display or accept payment under a name that is not your LLC's legal name. The account itself stays in your LLC's legal name, the DBA is added on top, and the bank still makes its own decision.
Do you have to register a trade name in Wyoming?
No, registration is optional. The statute says a person may file an application, and it preserves any common-law rights you build up by using a name in good faith (W.S. 40-2-104, 40-2-109). So Wyoming does not force you to register a trade name before you can use one.
What registration buys you is a public, statewide record of the name tied to your LLC. That record is what banks, processors, and marketplaces tend to ask for, and it puts your claim to the name on file with the state. If you are not using the name yet and only want to hold it, there is a cheaper, temporary option instead of full registration.
How to register a Wyoming trade name step by step
Registration is a paper process handled by the Wyoming Secretary of State. Here is the order most non-resident owners follow.
Search the Wyoming business records for the name first. Use the Wyoming Secretary of State business search to check your exact trade name and close variants against existing business names and registered marks. A clear result is a good sign, but it is not a guarantee the state will accept the name (W.S. 40-2-102).
Confirm the name is already in use in Wyoming. The form asks for the date you first used it, because registration is for a name you have adopted for use, not one you are only holding.
Make sure your LLC is registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State, which means current on its Wyoming annual report. A lapsed LLC has to be brought back into good standing first.
Complete the Application for Registration of Trade Name, listing your LLC as the applicant and the exact trade name you want on record. The checklist below covers every field it asks for.
Sign the application in front of a notary. The state requires the application to be notarized (W.S. 40-2-104).
Mail it with the current $100 fee, paid by check or money order, to the Wyoming Secretary of State. As of July 2026 the filing address is Herschler Building East, Suite 101, 122 W 25th Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002-0020, so confirm it on the live form before you send. The form cannot be emailed, and Wyoming does not offer online filing for a standard trade name.
Allow up to 15 business days after the office receives it. Wyoming does not offer expedited processing for trade names, so build in mail time both ways.
What the trade name application asks for
The paper form is short, but the Secretary of State cannot process an incomplete one, so have every field ready before you sign and notarize it. The application asks for:
The exact trade name you want on record.
Your applicant name, which is your LLC's legal name exactly as it is registered.
Your business address, plus a separate mailing address if it differs.
The applicant type and formation state, which for you is a limited liability company formed in Wyoming.
A short description of the general nature of your business.
The date the name was first used in Wyoming.
The signer's name and title, a contact person, a daytime phone number, and an email address, which the state requires and uses to send reminders, notices, and your filing evidence.
A dated signature acknowledged before a notary.
What a Wyoming trade name costs
The fees are modest, but they differ by action, so it helps to see them side by side. Treat every figure as the state's current amount and confirm it on the live Wyoming Secretary of State fee schedule before you pay.
Action | What it does | State fee | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
Register a trade name | Puts your DBA on the public record statewide | $100 | Mailed and notarized |
Renew the registration | Keeps it active for another ten years | $50 | File within the six months before it expires |
Reserve a name first | Holds a specific name for 120 days before use | $30 | One time, does not renew |
Assign the trade name | Transfers the name with the business goodwill | $25 | Recorded with the Secretary of State |
Cancel the registration | Ends the registration on request | $10 | An unrenewed registration cancels automatically |
The main figure is the current $100 registration fee, which appears on the Secretary of State fee schedule and on the application form. Because published fees can change, check the live form for the amount in force on the day you file.
How long a Wyoming trade name lasts and how to renew it
A registration is effective for ten years, and you can renew it for further ten-year periods (W.S. 40-2-105). The renewal fee is the state's current $50, and you can only file the renewal in the six months before the registration expires. The renewal has to state that the name is still in use in Wyoming, and the Secretary of State notifies registrants when a renewal is due.
If you let a registration lapse, it is cancelled automatically. You can also cancel on request, or assign the trade name to another owner along with the goodwill of the business, each for its own small fee shown above.
Trade name vs your LLC's legal name vs a trademark
Three different things get confused here, and only one of them is a DBA.
Your legal name is the official name of the LLC, set in your Articles of Organization and governed by Wyoming's LLC naming rules. It is the entity's real name.
A trade name (DBA) is an extra public name the same LLC trades under. It identifies your business, but it does not create a company and it does not protect a brand.
A trademark or service mark is a separate filing under a different chapter of Wyoming law, aimed at protecting a brand. Registering a trade name is not the same as trademark protection.
One more limit is worth knowing. The Secretary of State can refuse a trade name that is too close to a registered mark, or that is not distinguishable from other business names on record (W.S. 40-2-102). Certain banking and insurance words are restricted too. So approval of a specific name is never guaranteed, even once you file.
Before you file: in use, good standing, and the anonymity myth
Two checks save a rejected filing. The name must already be in use in Wyoming before you register it, and your LLC must be in good standing with the Secretary of State. If your LLC has fallen behind on its annual report, fix that first, then file the trade name.
There is also a common myth to clear up. A trade name does not add privacy. Registering one is a public filing that names your LLC as the applicant, so it links the brand straight back to the company on the public record.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DBA in Wyoming?
In Wyoming a DBA is called a trade name, a word or name used to identify and distinguish a business (W.S. 40-2-101). It is an alias your LLC trades under, not a separate legal entity.
Is registering a Wyoming DBA the same as forming an LLC?
No. This guide assumes you already have a Wyoming LLC. Registering a trade name only records an alias for that existing company. It does not form an LLC and it does not create liability protection by itself. If you have not set up the LLC yet, form it first, then add the DBA on top.
How much does a Wyoming trade name cost?
The current fee is $100 to register, per the Wyoming Secretary of State fee schedule and W.S. 40-2-104. Renewal is the current $50, and reserving a name first is $30 for 120 days. Confirm the figures on the live fee schedule before you pay.
How long does a Wyoming trade name last?
Ten years, and it renews for further ten-year periods. The $50 renewal can be filed in the six months before it expires, and the Secretary of State notifies you when it is due (W.S. 40-2-105).
Does a DBA change my LLC's liability or taxes?
No. A trade name is only a name. Your LLC stays the legal entity, keeps its liability protection, and files the same tax return, so registering a DBA does not create a new company or a new filing.
Can I file a Wyoming trade name online?
No. The Application for Registration of Trade Name has to be signed, notarized, and mailed to the Secretary of State with the $100 payment, and the state says the form cannot be accepted by email.
Do I have to register a trade name to use one?
No, it is not mandatory. The statute says a person may register, and common-law rights are preserved (W.S. 40-2-104, 40-2-109). Registration gives you a public statewide record that banks and platforms often ask to see.
How this article was prepared
The definitions, filing steps, term, and fees are drawn from the Wyoming trade name statute, W.S. 40-2-101 through 40-2-109. They are also drawn from the Wyoming Secretary of State Application for Registration of Trade Name and the Secretary of State business fee schedule. The registrability limits come from W.S. 40-2-102. State fees and timeframes are the agency's current figures, so verify them on the live Wyoming Secretary of State forms and fee schedule before you file. Last reviewed July 2026. This is general information, not legal or tax advice, and CORPBOLT is a formation service, not a law or accounting firm.
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Official references
Approval note: Eligibility and approval decisions are made by each bank, fintech, and payment processor. Requirements can vary by provider, country, business model, and account history.
