Delaware businesses have just been granted a little more breathing room. House Bill 177, passed by the General Assembly last week, officially delays the start date for the state’s new trade name registration system. Originally set to take effect on June 2, 2025, the change will now kick in on February 2, 2026.

 

The bill, sponsored by Representative Krista Griffith and Senator Bryan Townsend, gives both business owners and state agencies more time to prepare for a transition that’s expected to streamline how Delaware handles “doing business as” (DBA) names. The reform, established by earlier legislation, moves responsibility for trade name registrations from county Superior Courts to the Department of Revenue.

 

Under the new system, anyone with an existing DBA in Delaware will need to re-register with the state’s tax department. While that might sound like a hassle, the shift is designed to create a more centralized, accurate, and accessible database of business names statewide.

 

To help with the rollout, the Department of Revenue has been tasked with leading outreach efforts, including publishing a detailed FAQ on its website Delaware One Stop: Home. The goal is to keep confusion to a minimum and make sure everyone, from small business owners to legal and tax professionals, knows what to expect and how to comply.

 

For now, business owners can hold off on re-registering their DBAs, but they’d be wise to use the extra time to understand what the new process entails. Come February 2026, it won’t just be business as usual—it’ll be business, re-registered.