Alameda County at a glance
Alameda County: $40 to file, then four weeks of newspaper publication. East Bay owners file their trade name with the county's Auditor-Controller agency, which runs the Clerk-Recorder counter in downtown Oakland.
- BPC §§ 17910–17920
- County fee: $40 base, $7 each additional
- File within 40 days of first using the name; publish within 45 days of filing
- Our price: $149 + county fee + publication at cost
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026
Where to file in Alameda County
Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office (Auditor-Controller Agency)
1106 Madison Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Confirm hours on the county site before visiting.
Alameda County cost table
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base filing | $40 |
| Each additional name or owner | $7 |
| Newspaper publication | Billed at cost as its own line (varies by newspaper) |
| Corp USA service | $149 |
Our all-in price line: $149 + county fee + publication at cost.
Local tip for Alameda County
The Clerk-Recorder sits inside the Auditor-Controller Agency, a few blocks from Lake Merritt. If you prefer to mail your statement, it goes to the same Madison Street address.
The county office handles filings for businesses based in Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, San Leandro, Pleasanton and Livermore. Many of those cities, Oakland among them, also ask for their own city business tax certificate. That is a separate city step, not part of the county filing.
Six-step checklist
- Search existing names on the county index.
- Complete the county statement form. Bring government ID; the county form includes an identity affidavit.
- File with the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office (Auditor-Controller Agency) and pay the fee, within 40 days after you first do business under the name (BPC § 17910).
- Publish the statement once a week for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, starting within 45 days after filing (BPC § 17917(a); Gov. Code § 6064).
- File the affidavit of publication with the county clerk within 45 days after publication is complete (BPC § 17917(d)).
- Calendar your renewal: the statement expires 5 years after filing (BPC § 17920), or sooner if the facts change.
Common trap: Filing in the county where you live instead of the county of your principal place of business.
Common trap: Skipping publication: banks may ask for the filed-and-published statement.
Common trap: Assuming the county FBN covers your Oakland city business tax certificate. It does not; the city registration is a separate step.
Some county handouts still say 30 days for publication. The statute says 45 days, and sooner is safer. A refile of an expired statement made within 40 days of expiry, with no changes, does not need to be republished (BPC § 17917(c)). If the county has no newspaper of general circulation, an adjoining county's paper is used; with no California place of business, publication is in Sacramento County.
DBA vs LLC
A fictitious business name does not create a legal entity or give you liability protection.
| DBA (FBN) | LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Creates a legal entity | No | Yes |
| Liability protection | No | Yes |
| Where filed | Alameda County (county) | California Secretary of State |
| State filing fee | County fee ($40 base) + publication | $70 (LLC-1) |
| Renewal | Every 5 years | Statement of Information every 2 years |
FAQ
Official sources
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026
Corp USA is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Private information and filing service; not a government agency.