Who may file an application to register a trade name with the Department of State?

• A. Sole Proprietor
• B. Government entities only
• C. None
• D. Individual broker, partnership, or corporation

Answer: (D)

The concept is that a trade name filing with the Department of State is available to anyone doing business under a name other than their legal name. In Florida, this filing can be made by an individual who operates as a sole proprietor, by a partnership, or by a corporation. This means an individual broker who runs a business under a trade name, as well as partnerships and corporations, can file to register that trade name. Government entities aren’t the only filers, and the option that suggests only a sole proprietor would fit is too narrow, while “none” isn’t correct because eligible filers exist. So the correct idea is that an individual broker, partnership, or corporation may file.