Hi Jacqueline,

In Maryland, whether you’re operating as a sole proprietor or an LLC, you can register a Trade Name (Doing Business As / DBA) for the business name you want to operate under.

If you’re a sole proprietor and using your legal name, you don’t need a DBA. But if you want to operate under a different business name, you’ll need to register a Trade Name through Maryland Business Express.

An LLC registers its name when it’s formed, but you can also file a DBA if you want to operate under a different name.

I personally used a third-party service to help me set everything up. It’s not required, but it made the process easier for me.

Hope that helps!