Who must file a business certificate?
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 110, Section 5 states that "any person conducting business under any title or business name other than the real name of the person conducting the business must file a certificate. A person is defined as an individual, a partnership, or a corporation".
Exemptions to filing are allowed under Section 6 if the corporation is doing business in its true corporate name, or if a partnership is doing business under any title which includes the true surname of any partner. Certain other exemptions exist for trusts and limited partnerships.