Circuit Court

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open 8AM-4PM Monday-Friday
(703) 691-7320 TTY 711
4110 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
Christopher J. Falcon
Clerk of the Court

Department Resources

Related Resources

STAY CONNECTED

Fairfax Alerts

Trade Name Information

Search Circuit Court

On January 1, 2020, the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office stopped accepting new Certificates of assumed or fictitious names (also known as Trade Names). All new Certificates of assumed or fictitious names are filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. You may contact the Virginia State Corporation Commission for questions regarding the filing of new Certificates of assumed or fictitious names. The Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office accepts Trade Name Dissolutions (also known as Certificates of Release) for filing, if the original Certificate of assumed or fictitious name was filed with the Fairfax Circuit Court.

Overview

A Fictitious Trade Name is required if a business is conducted in Virginia under a name other than the owner's legal name. Until December 31, 2019, Assumed or Fictitious Name Certificates were filed in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in each county or city where business was to be conducted. As of January 1, 2020, pursuant to Virginia Code §59.1-69, Certificates of Assumed or Fictitious Name are filed with the State Corporation Commission. If a Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name was filed with the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office prior to January 1, 2020, and you want to file a Dissolution of a Trade Name (also known as a Certificate of Release), you may file the Dissolution of Trade Name with Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.

The Trade Name index may be researched on Court Public Access Network (CPAN). Access to CPAN is available at public computer terminals at the Fairfax County Courthouse in the Public Service Division on the 1st floor (Suite 116) or the Land Records Research Room on the 3rd floor. The Research Room is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Access to CPAN is also available via the web by paid subscription.

If you want to file an Assumed or Fictitious Name Certificate for a new business, please contact the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

Contact Information for the Virginia State Corporation Commission

Virginia State Corporation Commission
804-371-9733
www.scc.virginia.gov

Instructions to File a Dissolution of a Trade Name

  1. These instructions only apply if the original Trade Name (Certificate of assumed/fictitious name) was filed with the Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk’s Office prior to January 1, 2020.
  2. Complete the Certificate of Release in black ink only.
  3. Have all signatures notarized. Use only one of the three signature options in the Acknowledgement area. Generally:
    • Option A is used when the person who filed the Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name is an individual.
    • Option B is used when the person who filed the certificate of assumed or fictitious name is a business, legal, or commercial entity and the person signing on behalf of the entity is an individual who is a part of the entity’s management.
    • Option C is used when the person who filed the certificate of assumed or fictitious name is a business, legal or commercial entity, the person signing on behalf of the entity is another business, legal or commercial entity that is a part of the entity’s management and the person signing on behalf of the other entity is an individual who is a member of that entity’s management.
  4. Dissolution of Fictitious Trade Names are accepted in person and through the mail. If filing the Dissolution of Fictitious Trade Name by mail, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of your certified copy. If a self addressed, stamped envelope is not enclosed you will not receive a certified copy of your registered Dissolution.
  5. Please include the Trade Name's original file date and original book and page number at the top right of the form.
  6. The cost to file a Dissolution of a Fictitious Trade Name is $10.00. Cash, business checks, certified checks, or money orders are accepted. Please note that personal checks or starter checks are not accepted. Make checks payable to the Clerk of the Court. If filing in person, Visa and MasterCard are also accepted (with a 4% processing fee). The Clerk's Office is not responsible for the loss of any cash payment by mail.
  7. Please include your telephone number on your business check, certified check or money order.
  8. Mail completed forms and payment to:

    Fairfax Circuit Court
    4110 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 116
    Fairfax, Virginia 22030
    ATTN: Trade Name Dissolutions

Hours for filing a Dissolution of a Trade Name are 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you have any questions call the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 703-691-7320. Press 3, 4 (TTY 711).

Dissolution Application

Certificate of Release of Assumed or Fictitious Name on File in a Circuit Court

Virginia Code Sections Pertaining to Trade Names:
§59.1-69, §59.1-70, §59.1-70.1, §59.1-74

Information you may be interested in ...


In order to view PDF files, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.


Fairfax Virtual Assistant