Fictitious Name Permit - Licensed Dentists
Business and Professions Code, Section 1701.5, states, "...Any association or partnership or corporation or group of three or more dentists, engaging in practice under any name that would otherwise be in violation of Section 1701 may practice under this name if, and only if, the association, partnership, corporation or group holds an outstanding, unexpired, unsuspended, and unrevoked permit issued by the board under this section."
A dentist who is practicing or will practice dentistry, under any false, assumed or fictitious name, either as an individual, firm, corporation or otherwise, if he/she has ownership in the practice. Business and Professions Code, Section 1701(g).
A Fictitious Name Permit is not required by a corporation if practicing under a corporate name in compliance with Business and Professions Code, Section 1804. Nor is a permit required for an individual practicing under his or her name with a practice area, e.g., Dr. Terry Jones, General Dentistry, or Dr. Pat Smith, practice limited to orthodontics.
Applying for a Fictitious Name Permit
The requirements to obtain a fictitious name permit include:
- Completed Application Form
- If applicable, a copy of your Articles of Incorporation
- Non-refundable application fee of $650 (if the qualifying license will expire more than one year from the date the application is received) or $325 (if the qualifying license will expire less than one year from the date the application is received)
Renewing Your Permit
A permit expires when the qualifying license expires and must be renewed every two years. The fee for renewal is $325.00.
You must have a Current, Active license to renew this permit.
Permit Restrictions
The location where the applicant or applicants practice must be owned or leased by the applicant or applicants, and the practice conducted at that place must be wholly owned and entirely controlled by the applicant or applicants. (B&P Code § 1701.5(c).) Accordingly, permits are address-specific and are subject to revocation if the practice changes locations or status, such as a change from individual owner to a corporation. Fictitious Name Permits are not transferable.
Name Style
Business and Professions Code, Section 1701.5(c), states that the fictitious name must include at least the family name of the applicant or one of the applicants, or the name(s) of one or more of the past, present, or prospective associates, partners, shareholders, or members of the group, as well as one of the following designations: "dental group", "dental practice" or "dental office".
The name may include descriptive language such as regional or geographic references, and may denote a practice area, as long as it is truthful and not misleading.
The fictitious name may be more than one line, and if so, the lines do not have to be of equal font size. Some examples are:
Greenhaven Dental Care
Dental Office of Dr. John Doe
A-B-C Dental
Practice of Smith Dental Corporation
Camellia Dental Center
Dental Group of John Doe, DDS, Inc.
Howe Avenue Dental Group
Drs. Jones, Smith, and Doe
Disassociation or Cancellation
Letter of Disassociation for a Fictitious Name Permit
For further assistance, please call (916) 263-2300, or send an e-mail to dentalboard@dca.ca.gov.