Do I need a Fictitious Business Name Statement (DBA) for Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply in California?

Mary wrote: “I am an online clothing, jewelry, and health and beauty supply store. I will buy wholesale items and drop ship, and sell online.”

Hi Mary, congratulations on Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply! The name comes first: California handles it with a Fictitious Business Name Statement, sometimes called a DBA or FBN, DBA, or fictitious name. We cover the name registration, the tax IDs, and the licenses that let you open in Oroville, and finish with a quick recap.

A store called Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply is a brand name, and the moment you sell under it online, California expects a Fictitious Business Name Statement unless it is your legal name. Newspaper publication follows, once a week for four weeks starting within 45 days of filing, and the filing is not complete until proof of publication is filed. Wholesale suppliers and drop shipping partners often check that your business name matches your payment account, so the registration smooths those applications. A catchy name on the site is the fun part, and the paperwork is what makes the sales tidy.

How California handles a business name

In California, a business name other than your own legal name is registered as a Fictitious Business Name Statement, which you will also hear called FBN, DBA, or fictitious name. A sole proprietor, partnership, LLC or corporation doing business under a name that differs from the owner's or entity's exact registered name (or that suggests additional owners) must file one within 40 days of starting to use the name. A sole proprietor using their own full name needs nothing.

Newspaper publication: California requires the statement to be published in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for four weeks, starting within 45 days of filing, and the newspaper's proof of publication must then be filed within 45 days after the last notice. The filing is not complete until that is done.

How long it lasts: A statement expires after five years and has to be refiled before then, and most changes to the facts on it call for a new statement.

What Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply needs

1. Fictitious Business Name Statement – Registering "Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply" puts the name on the public record under your ownership, and it is what banks, suppliers, and landlords usually ask to see. Because a newspaper notice is part of the process here, the registration is not complete until it has run.
2. Name check – Before you file, search for the name: look for similar registered names where you operate, and check that the web address and social media handles are available. A registered DBA is public notice that you use the name, but it does not give you exclusive rights; a trademark does.
3. LLC (limited liability company) – A DBA only registers a name. Forming an LLC is what puts a legal wall between the business and your personal assets. A shopper tripping over a carton of conditioner in a narrow aisle is a store problem, and the LLC keeps your house out of the conversation. If you form the LLC under the exact name Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply LLC, the LLC filing itself protects that name and you will not need a separate DBA for it.
4. EIN (federal tax ID number) – You plan on 1 employee, so the federal tax ID number (EIN) is required for payroll, and you will use it for the business bank account opened in the registered name.
5. California seller's permit – You will be selling taxable goods, so register to collect sales tax before your first sale. It also lets you buy inventory for resale without paying tax on it.
6. California employer ID – With 1 employee, you need a state employer account number for payroll withholding and unemployment insurance. It works like the EIN, but for state payroll taxes.
7. Business license – Governments license businesses so they can collect a modest tax and keep inspectors checking safety. Plan on a local business license for Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply in Oroville. Home-based businesses often need a home occupation permit as well, which can limit customer visits, employees, and how much inventory you keep at home.

By the numbers: Banks, insurers, and tax forms will ask for your industry code. For a beauty supply store it is NAICS 446120 (Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores), 456120 under the 2022 update. With 1 employee planned, you are already creating jobs in Oroville. That makes 7 items on your list.

Tip: Buy only from authorized distributors and keep the invoices, so you can prove products are genuine and not counterfeit or expired.

To recap: Boujee Babe Fashion and Beauty Supply in Oroville, CA needs a Fictitious Business Name Statement, a name check, an LLC, an EIN, a sales tax permit, a state employer ID, and a business license. With the paperwork done, the fun part begins: serving your first customers.

We can file your business name registration and the other paperwork for you: start here.