Kern County at a glance
Kern County: $43 to file, then four weeks of newspaper publication. Kern's clerk in downtown Bakersfield handles trade names for a county where many agricultural and oilfield contractors work under a business name.
- BPC §§ 17910–17920
- County fee: $43 base, $6 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 Kern County
Kern County Clerk
1115 Truxtun Avenue, First Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93301 · (661) 868-3588
Confirm hours on the county site before visiting.
Kern County cost table
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base filing | $43 |
| Each additional DBA or owner | $6 |
| 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 Kern County
Kern's statement form includes an Affidavit of Identity.
The Bakersfield office serves businesses based in Bakersfield, Delano, Ridgecrest, Tehachapi and Arvin. Agricultural and oilfield contractors often operate under trade names; if you hold or need a contractor license, review how your entity choice interacts with it.
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 Kern County Clerk 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: Contractors using a trade name without checking how it lines up with the name on their contractor license and entity.
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 | Kern County (county) | California Secretary of State |
| State filing fee | County fee ($43 base) + publication | $70 (LLC-1) |
| Renewal | Every 5 years | Statement of Information every 2 years |
FAQ
Official sources
- Kern County Clerk: FBN fees and fee schedule
- Kern County Clerk: FBN Statement form with Affidavit of Identity
- BPC § 17910
- BPC § 17917
- BPC § 17920
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.