There are times when you want a fan to mail you something, so how do you get around the pesky little rule that says mailboxes must have your legal name that matches your ID? You have two options.
The first option is to get an LLC, under your stage name, whereas your legal name is the sole owner. This is called a single-owner LLC. You can get this through websites like Zen Business.
So let’s say your legal name is Jane Doesmith. This is the name that matches your ID. And your state name is Anna Lovesalot. Jane Doesmith creates an LLC called Anna Lovesalot, LLC. This will cost you a few hundred dollars per year. And for the most part, that’s what people do, as there are more legal protections as an LLC. But if you don’t need all of that, you just want to get a mailbox under your state name, then what?
The other option is to go to your county clerk’s office and get a DBA (doing business as certificate).
A DBA certificate (which stands for “Doing Business As”) is a legal document that allows a person or company to operate under a different name than their legal name.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
- If your name is Sarah Johnson, but you want to run a bakery called “Sweet Treats Bakery”, you’d need a DBA certificate to use that business name.
- If a company called GreenTech LLC wants to sell solar panels under the name “Sunny Panels”, it would file for a DBA to use that name.
That would mean Sarah Johnson is “doing business as” Sweet Treats Bakery. So, legally speaking, she could even get a bank account (and a mailbox) under the name “Sweet Treats Bakery,” because in the eyes of her state, Sarah Johnson and Sweet Treats Bakery are one and the same.
Keep in mind: it’s not the same as forming an LLC or corporation. It’s just registering a business name, letting the government know that you are doing business as someone else.
OnlyFans is a DBA. The legal name for the owners of the website you know as “OnlyFans” is Fenix International Limited. And they are doing business as “OnlyFans.”
Because they are a big international company, there are a lot more legal layers to it all, but at the very basic level, Fenix International Limited is “doing business as” OnlyFans.
A DBA typically costs anywhere from $15 to $45 for your country clerk’s office and will be good for a few years. Most DBAs are valid for 3 to 5 years. After that, you’ll need to renew it to keep using the business name legally. Some states or counties might have shorter or longer terms.
- In California, a DBA is good for 5 years.
- In Texas, it’s valid for 10 years (if filed at the county level).
Now, when you open up your mailbox, you can get business as your legal name and your DBA.
Just remember that you need to show your ID to open a mailbox and provide the county clerk’s office with your DBA certification, which you can obtain by registering for it.
On a side note, when I renewed mine last time, I got the clerk’s notarized copy as part of my fee, then I paid another $5 to get a 2nd copy to provide my bank.