N.C.G.S § 66-71.4(a)  requires that any person engaging in business in this State under an assumed business name, the person must file an assumed business name certificate in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the person is or will be engaged in business. If the person is or will be engaged in business in multiple counties, filing is required in only one of those counties.

Register of Deeds Office Role

The Register of Deeds office cannot provide legal advice such as what structure your business should take, what forms may need to be filed or how to complete each form. 

Compliant blank forms are available for download from Business Link North Carolina or the Secretary of State website. Additional resources are available on the North Carolina Department of Commerce website. The Register of Deeds provides this information as a courtesy and will not be held liable for any errors on the Assumed Name Registration forms or for any damages in connection with the use of the forms. 

The filing fee for recording your Assumed Name Registration form is $26.00.  Filings will be updated to a statewide database of assumed business name information, housed at the North Carolina Secretary of State's office. To E-file your certificate following the link E-File my Assumed Business Name Certificate

If you have further questions about filing an Assumed Name please contact the Register of Deeds office at 910-798-7711.

FORMS

• Assumed Business Name Form 

• Withdrawal of Assumed Business Name Form

• Amendment of Assumed Business Name Form

Statewide Changes to Assumed Business Names Contents(Effective 10/1/2019)

Statewide Changes to Filing Assumed Business Names Forms (Effective 12/17/2017)