An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a legal business entity formed under state law that generally separates the business’s liabilities from the owner’s personal assets. A DBA (“Doing Business As”) is simply a registered business name and does not create a separate legal entity, change the business’s underlying structure, or provide liability protection. Businesses can also have both an LLC and a DBA. For example, an existing LLC may register a DBA to operate a brand or business line under a name different from its legal LLC name. Swyft Filings offers services to help customers both form an LLC and register a DBA, depending on their business needs.

Under Swyft Filings' DBA service, customers provide the proposed DBA name, jurisdiction, business category, and a brief description. The filing is then reviewed and submitted to the appropriate state or county office. Once approved, the DBA certificate or registration can be accessed through the customer account, subject to the procedures of the filing jurisdiction.

A DBA changes the name under which a person or business operates; it does not create a new legal entity and does not by itself provide limited-liability protection. Filing location, publication requirements, expiration periods, renewal rules, and fees can differ substantially by state, county, or city.