Summary
After you file your fictitious business name (FBN) statement, state law requires you to publish it as a legal notice.
- You must publish the notice within 45 days of the filing date.
- The notice must run once a week for 4 weeks in a row.
- Publish it in a newspaper of general circulation in the same county where you filed the FBN statement.
- You are responsible for making sure the notice is published and paid for, even if you don’t receive a bill.
Exception: You do not need to publish the notice if this is a timely renewal and there are no changes from the previous filing.
(See California Business and Professions Code Section 17917.)
Important: Filing an FBN statement does not give you the right to use the name if it violates someone else's rights under federal, state, or common law.
(See Business and Professions Code Section 14411 and related laws.)