The Suffolk County Clerk’s Office in Riverhead handles business name registrations for sole proprietors and general partnerships operating in Suffolk County. Anyone doing business under a name other than their own must file a business certificate, often called a DBA, with the Clerk.
The office accepts certificates for individuals and for partners, amended certificates when details change, and certificates of discontinuance when a business closes. Business owners can search the Clerk’s online records to see whether a business name is already registered in the county before filing. Certificates must be notarized and can be submitted by mail or in person, with a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailed filings.
This office serves sole proprietors and partnerships. LLCs and corporations register with the New York Department of State in Albany.
A filing fee applies, and there are rules about what a name can include. For example, a sole proprietor cannot use words like “associates” or “group” that suggest more than one person, and no unincorporated business can use terms like “Inc.” or “Corp.” A business operating in more than one county must file in each of them.
For Suffolk County sole proprietors, the Clerk’s online name search is a quick way to confirm a business name is available.