A Lubbock County DBA Is Public Notice, Not Name Protection

If you run a business under a name other than your legal name, you file an assumed name certificate, a DBA, short for 'doing business as,' with the Lubbock County Clerk. It's a short public filing that puts the name and the owners behind it on the record.

A Lubbock County DBA is good for 10 years from the filing date, or a shorter term if you state one. The important thing to understand is what it doesn't do. The county is explicit that filing an assumed name is public notice only. It is not a copyright, a trademark, or any kind of ownership right in the name, so it won't stop another business from using something similar.

Treat the DBA as one box checked. Depending on what you do, you may still need sales-tax accounts, health or city permits, state licenses, or real trademark advice if protecting the name actually matters to you.