How to Register Online for a Trade Name in Henry County, Georgia

Business owners in Henry County, Georgia can register their trade names online.

Before you can register your trade name in Henry County, Georgia, you must do a search to make sure the name has not been already registered in the state. You must then file an application with the county clerk's office, pay appropriate fees, and advertise your trade name in the local newspaper.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet connection
• Forms from Henry County clerk's office
• Filing and publication fees

Instructions

1. Identify the legal structure you'll use in doing business. This will determine the amount of taxes you will be responsible for and how much personal liability you will have if the business fails. Options include sole proprietorship, corporation, and partnership.

2. Search the Georgia Trademark Database to make sure no one has already claimed that business name in Georgia.

3. Download the trade name application from the Henry County website, fill it out, and submit it. Application fee as of December 2010 is $157 payable to the Clerk of Superior Court. You can file your application online by registering for a free account on Georgia's e-file system, or you can mail your completed application directly to the Henry County clerk's office

4. Notify the public of your desire to run your business under the trade name you have chosen. You are required to publish a public notice of trade-name filing in two weekly editions of the Henry Daily Herald. You can use the newspaper's online form to place your request for advertising space. Fee as of December 2010 is $40 for 200 words or less; $60 for more than 200 words.

References

• Business.gov: Steps to Registering a Business
• Business.gov: Business Incorporation

Resources

• Georgia Secretary of State: Trademark Database
• Henry County, Georgia Trade Name Application Form
• Henry Daily Herald: Place an Ad