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Want a different business name?
Already have an LLC but want to go by something else — or just tired of your current name? Here are your options, from easiest to most work.
1 Just rebrand — change nothing official
Free
Update your website, business cards, and social media to the new name. Your LLC's legal name doesn't change — but most clients never see that anyway. They see whatever you put on your website. This is the move if you're just rebranding, not legally changing anything.
  • No filing required
  • No cost
  • Same LLC, EIN, and bank account
  • Best for: you just don't like how the name looks publicly
2 File a DBA — operate under a trade name
~$10–$50
"DBA" stands for "doing business as." Your LLC stays the same — same name, same EIN, same bank. You just file a trade name with your state or county so you can legally market under a different name and accept checks/payments in that name.
  • File with your county clerk or state
  • Same LLC, same EIN, same bank account
  • You can have multiple DBAs under one LLC
  • Best for: your LLC is "Smith Holdings LLC" but you want to go by "Phoenix Detail Co"
3 Amend your Articles — change the legal name
~$25–$85
File an amendment with your state to officially change your LLC's legal name. Your EIN stays the same. Your bank account stays the same. You just update the legal name on file with the state — takes a few weeks to process.
  • File with your state's corporation commission or Secretary of State
  • Same EIN — no new tax ID needed
  • Update your bank, contracts, and licenses to reflect the new name
  • Best for: you want the legal name to match how you actually operate
4 Start a new LLC — only if there's a real reason
$50–$300+
New LLC, new EIN, new bank account, new registrations, new everything. More work than most people need. This only makes sense if there's a real reason to separate the businesses.
  • Different partners or ownership structure
  • Totally different industry with different liability risk
  • Old LLC has legal or financial problems you want separated
  • The new venture is genuinely a different business, not just a rebrand
If you just don't like the name — use options 1, 2, or 3 instead. Save yourself the paperwork.

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