Pricing & Counties / Sonoma County
Sonoma County FBN Publication
A Sonoma County fictitious business name statement isn't finished at the clerk's counter. It must run in an adjudicated newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks, starting within 45 days of filing, and the affidavit of publication goes back to the County Clerk. PublishProof is preparing Sonoma County ordering; the filing facts are below.
The Sonoma County Rule, in Short
From Santa Rosa and Petaluma to Healdsburg, Sebastopol, and Bodega Bay, Sonoma County FBNs are filed with the County Clerk-Recorder on Fiscal Drive or through the county's online services. One Sonoma detail worth knowing: if you renew and anything has changed, even an owner's residence address, the renewal must be published again.
Cities and communities in Sonoma County: Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Sebastopol, Cotati, Cloverdale, Guerneville, Bodega Bay, Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Forestville, and every other community in the county.
Three time limits under California Business and Professions Code §17917:
- First publication within 45 days after your statement is filed.
- Four weekly notices, once a week for four consecutive weeks.
- Affidavit of publication filed with the county clerk within 45 days after the fourth notice.
Orange County and San Diego County clerks state that a statement not published within 45 days expires and must be refiled. A renewal with no changes doesn't need publication as long as it's refiled by the expiration date or within 40 days after. Missed the 45 days? What to do next.
Your Sonoma County Publication Deadline
Filing Your FBN in Sonoma County
Statements are filed with the Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder. The county charges $55 (the clerk's fee, which can change — check the county page before filing) for the first business name and registrant. Each additional business name or owner is $9. Paying by credit or debit card adds a $2.50 convenience fee.
- In person: County Clerk-Recorder Office, 585 Fiscal Drive, Room 103, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
- Online: the county lists FBN filing, renewal, abandonment, and withdrawal among its online services
Filing in the office requires valid government-issued ID. The county has warned about private mailers offering to renew FBN statements for $169; you can renew directly with the County Clerk.
Search existing Sonoma County business names (official county site) to check a name before you file.
Source: official county website, checked October 2026. County fees and office hours change, so confirm before you go.
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Sonoma County FBN Questions
How Much Is a Sonoma County FBN Filing?
Sonoma County charges $55 (the clerk's fee, which can change — check the county page before filing) for the first business name and first owner, which includes one certified copy, plus $9 for each additional business name or owner. Card payments add a $2.50 convenience fee. Publication in the newspaper is a separate cost.
Is the $169 FBN Renewal Letter From Sonoma County?
No. Sonoma County has warned that a private company mails solicitations offering to renew FBN statements for $169. You can renew directly with the Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder at the county's own fee, in person on Fiscal Drive in Santa Rosa or through its online services.
Does My Sonoma County FBN Renewal Need Publication?
Not if nothing changed. Sonoma County says renewals with no changes from the previous statement do not require publication, but any change, including an owner's residence address, does. A statement expires after five years, and the county mails a reminder to the mailing address on file.
Sonoma County Is Coming Soon
We're adding Sonoma County publication soon. Until then, don't let your 45 days run out waiting: check your deadline below and publish with any adjudicated Sonoma County newspaper.
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