Santa Cruz Record: The Quiet Backbone of Santa Cruz Business

For over five decades, the Santa Cruz Record has kept the county's commerce legal, legitimate, and on the record.

Founded in 1972, the Santa Cruz Record occupies a niche that most entrepreneurs never knew existed — until they need it. It is a legal publishing service and adjudicated newspaper of record serving Santa Cruz County, offering fictitious business name (FBN) publication and a full roster of legal notice services at the most affordable rates in the county.

The paper's publishing rates reflect its mission of accessibility. An FBN Statement costs just $60 for four runs, with Proof of Publication included, a combination that gives new business owners one less thing to worry about during an already complicated launch.

Filing an FBN is one of those non-negotiable boxes to check before you can open a business bank account or enter contracts under your brand name.

But what exactly is an FBN, and why does it matter? In California, any business operating under a name other than the owner's legal name, meaning virtually every branded startup, shop, or sole proprietorship must file a Fictitious Business Name Statement, commonly called a DBA ("doing business as"), with the county. After filing, the owner must publish that statement in an approved newspaper of record for a set number of weeks, then obtain a Proof of Publication to complete the process.

The Santa Cruz Record is one of the publishers authorized to fulfill that requirement in Santa Cruz County. Without it, a founder calling their venture "CruzTech AI" rather than "Jane Smith" cannot legally open a business bank account or sign contracts under that brand name.

Beyond FBN filings, the Record handles a wide range of legal notices: name changes, estate petitions, creditor notices, lien sales, summonses, and public hearings. The paper also serves as a resource hub for new business owners, offering contact information for county offices and licenses alongside its weekly publication of local business stories and features.

For first-time founders, the FBN requirement is often a surprise — a compliance step that surfaces only when a bank teller or attorney asks for the Proof of Publication. The Santa Cruz Record has spent more than fifty years being the answer to that question, turning a legal necessity into a straightforward, affordable service for the businesses that make up the county's economic fabric.

Santa Cruz Works thanks Santa Cruz Record for publishing our articles from time-to-time.