San Mateo County at a glance
San Mateo County: $34 to file, then four weeks of newspaper publication. On the Peninsula, the trade-name filing is handled by ACRE in Redwood City, and it has the lowest base fee of the eight counties we added in this group.
- BPC §§ 17910–17920
- County fee: $34 base, $5 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 San Mateo County
San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections (ACRE), County Clerk-Recorder Division
555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063 · (650) 363-4500
Confirm hours on the county site before visiting.
San Mateo County cost table
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base filing | $34 |
| Each additional business name or registrant | $5 |
| 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 San Mateo County
At $34 for the first name and first registrant, San Mateo has the lowest base fee of the eight counties in this group.
The county's form bundles an affidavit of identity. You can search existing names online at apps.smcacre.org/eFBN before you file.
The Redwood City office serves businesses based in Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City, South San Francisco and Menlo Park.
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 San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections (ACRE), County Clerk-Recorder Division 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: Skipping the eFBN name search and filing a name that is already on the county index.
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 | San Mateo County (county) | California Secretary of State |
| State filing fee | County fee ($34 base) + publication | $70 (LLC-1) |
| Renewal | Every 5 years | Statement of Information every 2 years |
FAQ
Official sources
- San Mateo County ACRE: FBN fees
- San Mateo County ACRE: FBN Statement with Instructions and Affidavit (2025 form)
- 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.