An artist’s trade name or “doing business as” name must be registered with the Washington Department of Licensing when you apply for a business license. A trade name is any name used in the course of business that does not include the full legal name of the owner of the business. There is a fee for each name you register. This registration does not provide protection of the name. Federal and/or state trademark registration is required in providing name protection.
To see if a trade name you wish to use is already registered, check the Washington Department of Licensing’s trade name search online at Register trade names | Washington Department of Revenue. You can also search this database by mail. See WA Department of Licensing for fees and mailing address.
