Delaware Is Overhauling Its DBA Process: What’s Changing and How to Prepare

Delaware is making one of the most significant changes in decades to its Trade, Business & Fictitious Name (DBA) registration system—and legal departments need to prepare now.

What was once a decentralized, court-driven process is becoming a fully online, statewide system administered by the Delaware Division of Revenue. While the change is designed to simplify filings, it also introduces new compliance requirements and operational implications for legal, tax, finance, compliance, and branding teams.

This guide covers:

• What is changing and when

• How the new DBA registration and maintenance process will work

• Strategic implications for general counsel and legal operations

• Concrete next steps for your organization

• How Filejet can help you navigate—and capitalize on—this change

1. The Big Picture: What’s Changing and When

The most important date: February 2, 2026.

On that day, Delaware officially transitions administration of its DBA registry from the Superior Court and county Prothonotary’s Offices to the Delaware Division of Revenue. The new statewide registry will be hosted online through the Delaware One Stop system.

Until February 1, 2026, all registrations and updates must still be completed with the Prothonotary’s Office under the current rules.

In effect, legal teams face an 18-month transition window during which two systems will coexist—one legacy and one future-facing. Understanding how they differ is essential for planning internal processes and records.

2. From County Courts to a Statewide Online Registry

For decades, Delaware required DBA filings at the county court level, forcing organizations to register names separately in each county where they operated. This created redundancy and inconsistencies, especially for companies with multi-county operations or multiple brands.

Old System (Through February 1, 2026)

• DBA filings handled by county-level Prothonotary’s Offices

• County-specific registrations required multiple filings

• Paper-based or in-person filings

• Notarization required

• DBAs maintained separately from licensing and tax systems

New System (Starting February 2, 2026)

• Centralized DBA management by the Delaware Division of Revenue

• Single statewide registration

• Fully online management through Delaware One Stop

• No notarization required

• DBAs integrated with Delaware business licensing

• Improved search tools and public visibility

While this shift streamlines filings, it also ties DBA management more closely to tax and business license compliance—an important consideration for legal departments.

3. What Happens to Your Existing Delaware DBAs?

Existing DBAs registered with the Superior Court will remain valid and will be carried into the new system. Re-registration is not required for continued validity.

That said, there are practical reasons legal teams may want to proactively re-register DBAs in the new statewide registry.

Why Re-Registration May Be Necessary

Under the new system:

• Tradename Certificates required for banking, contracting, or procurement will only be issued for DBAs in the Division of Revenue registry

• Updates such as address, ownership, or responsible parties require the DBA to exist in the new system

• DBA integration with business licenses introduces new renewal and alignment expectations

Re-registering an existing DBA is no-cost if you provide the corresponding Superior Court file number.

Organizations with multiple DBAs—especially those tied to financial or customer-facing activity—should develop a deliberate migration strategy ahead of the transition.

4. New Requirement: DBAs Must Be Linked to a Delaware Business License

Under the new system, a DBA cannot be registered unless the underlying entity holds a Delaware business license.

To accommodate organizations that want a Delaware DBA without operating in the state, the Division of Revenue is introducing a Trade Name Only License.

Trade Name Only License Highlights

• Designed for entities that do not conduct business in Delaware

• Allows DBA registration for branding or structural purposes

• Costs $2

• No Gross Receipts or Business Income Tax obligations

• Requires annual renewal

For legal teams, this introduces two new responsibilities:

• Ensuring the proper license exists for each DBA

• Tracking annual renewals even when no active Delaware operations exist

This marks a shift from “set it and forget it” DBA filings to ongoing compliance oversight.

5. Maintenance, Updates, and Cancellation Under the New System

Do DBAs Expire?

No. DBAs themselves do not expire. However, because they are tied to business licenses, missed license renewals can limit your ability to update or maintain the DBA.

Updating DBA Details

Updates such as:

• Business address

• Ownership

• Key staff or responsible officers

must be completed online through the Update Trade Name workflow in Delaware One Stop. Court-originated DBAs must first be added to the new registry.

Canceling a DBA

• Completed online

• No fee required

• Immediate public effect

This significantly simplifies portfolio cleanup and brand retirement.

6. Name Availability and IP Considerations

The new statewide searchable registry replaces fragmented county databases. A static archive of Superior Court DBAs will remain available for reference.

While the system flags duplicative names, the state emphasizes:

• DBA registration does not grant exclusive rights

• It does not prevent others from using the same name

• DBAs do not replace trademark protection

General counsel should align DBA filings with trademark clearance and brand protection workflows.

7. Operational Implications for Legal Departments

a. Entity and Licensing Governance

Legal teams should ensure:

• A current inventory of Delaware business licenses

• Clear mapping of DBAs to licenses

• Visibility into renewal dates and ownership

b. Banking and Contracting

Because Tradename Certificates will only be issued for DBAs in the new registry:

• DBAs tied to banking or payment activity should be prioritized for re-registration

• Existing banking and vendor relationships should be audited

c. Multi-State Coordination

The Delaware change is an opportunity to:

• Inventory DBAs nationally

• Consolidate naming conventions

• Eliminate duplicative or inactive names

d. Risk Mitigation

Centralizing DBAs in a public statewide registry:

• Improves transparency

• Reduces internal inconsistency

• Helps identify naming conflicts earlier

8. Next Steps: A Practical Roadmap for Legal Teams

Step 1: Build a Comprehensive Delaware DBA Inventory

Capture:

• Entity names

• DBA names

• Superior Court file numbers

• Counties of registration

• Associated business licenses

• Contracts or financial accounts using each DBA

Step 2: Review Business License Requirements

Determine:

• Which entities already hold Delaware business licenses

• Which entities require a Trade Name Only license

• Renewal cycles and ownership

Step 3: Categorize DBAs

Classify each as:

• Critical

• Operational

• Legacy or retiring

Step 4: Develop a Re-Registration Plan

• Gather file numbers

• Align stakeholders

• Build a filing timeline

Step 5: Update Governance Policies

Modernize documentation to reflect:

• New registration requirements

• License linkages

• Update and termination processes

Step 6: Integrate IP Review

Ensure:

• Trademark screening for new DBAs

• Alignment with brand protection strategy

9. How Filejet Helps Legal Departments Navigate—and Capitalize On—This Change

Delaware’s DBA overhaul is a structural shift that requires tighter integration between DBAs, licensing, and compliance. Filejet is built to support exactly this kind of transition.

A Single Source of Truth

Filejet centralizes DBAs, licenses, entities, renewal cycles, and supporting documents across all jurisdictions—eliminating spreadsheets and siloed records.

Expert-Led Transition Planning

Filejet helps identify DBAs requiring re-registration, match court file numbers, flag Trade Name Only license needs, and build a clean transition plan well ahead of February 2026.

Automated Workflows and Reminders

Automated tracking for license renewals, DBA updates, and filing approvals ensures sustained compliance—even during growth or personnel changes.

Multi-State Harmonization

View and rationalize DBAs nationwide to align branding, governance, and compliance strategies.

Audit-Ready Reporting

Instant access to DBA certificates, license histories, filings, and entity-level summaries for auditors, regulators, banks, and leadership.

Final Word

Delaware’s DBA overhaul is more than an administrative update—it’s an opportunity to modernize entity governance.

Filejet enables legal teams to move beyond reactive compliance and toward a scalable, defensible, and future-ready approach to DBA management.