Key Takeaways
- Search tool: SOSDirect Business Search, paid, run by the Texas Secretary of State
- Search by business name, file number, registered agent name (sosdirect); business name or taxpayer id (comptroller's free tool)
- Name reservation available for $40 (120 days)
- Texas does not require LLC members/owners to be listed in the public record
- New LLC names must include a designator such as "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company," or an abbreviation ("Ltd. Co.," "L.C.," "LLC," "L.L.C.")
- Same-day name-availability confirmation and formation filing available through LLC Attorney at no markup on state fees
Searching for a Texas business or checking LLC name availability means picking the right tool for the right question — Texas runs two genuinely separate search systems from two different agencies, and using the wrong one is the most common mistake we see.
This guide covers exactly how to search in Texas in 2026 — the SOSDirect legal/entity search versus the Comptroller's free tax-status search, the state's distinguishability standard and its own explicit warning that a preliminary search is never a guarantee, name reservation, and DBA registration.
How to Search for a Business in Texas
Use the Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect Business Search to search for an existing business or check whether a new LLC name is available. Search by business name, file number, registered agent name (sosdirect); business name or taxpayer id (comptroller's free tool). There is a fee to use this tool.
Search directly at sosdirect.sos.state.tx.us.
Texas is the one state in this batch that genuinely requires two separate tools depending on what you're asking. SOSDirect ($1.00 per search, requires a paid account) is the Secretary of State's own database and the only source for legal/entity-identity records — registered agent, formation date, filing history, certified copies. The Comptroller of Public Accounts' Taxable Entity Search / Franchise Tax Account Status Search is completely free and answers a different question entirely: whether an existing entity's franchise-tax standing is current (its "right to transact business"), not whether a proposed name is available or what its filing history looks like. Don't substitute one for the other — they're run by different agencies and show different things.
A SOSDirect result shows the entity's file number, formation date, current status, registered agent name and address, and filing history, with certified document copies available for an added fee. The Comptroller's free tool instead shows franchise-tax right-to-transact status (active, not current, forfeited) and is the one most people actually need when checking whether a business they're about to work with is in good tax standing — but it will not tell you anything about entity formation, registered agent, or name availability.
Checking Name Availability Before You File
Preliminary name availability can be checked through SOSDirect ($1/search) or by calling the Secretary of State at (512) 463-5555 or emailing CorpInfo@sos.texas.gov for an informal pre-clearance opinion — but per the SOS's own explicit disclaimer, none of this is binding. The only way to actually lock in a name is to file, and the Comptroller's free tool won't help you here at all since it doesn't check name availability.
Texas's Distinguishability Standard
Texas requires a proposed name to be "distinguishable in the records of the secretary of state" from existing filing entities, registered fictitious names, registered series, and existing name reservations, with the detailed comparison rules codified in Texas Administrative Code Title 1, Part 4, Chapter 79, Subchapter C. Critically, the Secretary of State's own FAQ explicitly warns that a preliminary name search is never a legal guarantee: "A final determination cannot be made until the document is received and processed... Do not make financial expenditures or execute documents based on a preliminary clearance."
Reserving a Name in Texas Before You Form
Name reservation available: For $40, you can reserve your chosen name for 120 days before filing.
File Form 501 under Texas Business Organizations Code §§5.101–5.106 for a $40 fee, holding the name for 120 days. It's renewable by filing a new application in the 30 days before expiration, for another $40 — unlike some peer states, Texas lets you keep renewing rather than forcing a full refile.
Searching for DBAs and Fictitious Names in Texas
LLCs, corporations, LPs, and LLPs file an assumed name (Form 503) with the Secretary of State for $25. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file at the county clerk level instead. Since House Bill 3609 took effect in 2019, SOS-registered entities no longer have to also file a duplicate assumed name at the county level — a real simplification from the pre-2019 system that some older guides still describe incorrectly.
Texas LLC Naming Requirements
Your new LLC's name must include a designator such as "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company," or an abbreviation ("Ltd. Co.," "L.C.," "LLC," "L.L.C.").
"Bank" or "Trust" requires approval from the Texas Banking Commissioner; "College," "University," "School," or "Seminary" requires clearance from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; "Lotto" or "Lottery" is prohibited outright; and certain veterans-related terms require separate approval.
An Available LLC Name Isn't the Same as a Trademark-Safe Name
Texas offers its own state trademark and service mark registration through the Secretary of State, separate from entity-name registration. A Texas certificate is prima facie evidence of validity, ownership, and exclusive right to use the mark within Texas only — but registering doesn't entitle you to use the ® symbol, which is reserved for federally registered marks.
Neither SOSDirect nor the Comptroller's tool checks federal trademarks — both only compare against Texas-registered entities and names. Search the USPTO's TESS database separately before committing to a name that matters to your brand, since a clear Texas search (from either tool) offers zero protection against an existing federal trademark.
What a Texas Business Search Reveals
The Certificate of Formation itself doesn't require member names if the LLC is designated member-managed — only managers, if any, need to be named. However, the Public Information Report filed annually with the Comptroller does typically require listing governing persons and owners of record, which becomes part of the public record — so while the formation document can stay quiet on membership, the annual report layer generally is not as private as it first appears.
Texas does not require LLC members/owners to be listed in the public record, so a standard search will not reveal ownership information.
SOSDirect account holders can order certified copies of filed documents (Articles/Certificate of Formation, amendments) for an added per-document fee — it isn't a free instant-download system like some peer states, and copies typically aren't bundled into the base $1 search fee.
Getting a Texas Certificate of Good Standing
You can confirm an LLC's good standing status and request a Certificate of Good Standing through the same SOSDirect Business Search, for $15 (SOS Certificate of Fact – Status) or free (Comptroller Certificate of Account Status) (typically same-day online through SOSDirect).
How to Search and Reserve Your Texas LLC Name
If You Do It Yourself
Step 1 — Search the SOSDirect Business Search at sosdirect.sos.state.tx.us.
Search by business name, file number, registered agent name (sosdirect); business name or taxpayer id (comptroller's free tool) to confirm your desired name isn't already taken.
Step 2 — Apply the state's distinguishability standard, not just an exact-match check.
Texas requires a proposed name to be "distinguishable in the records of the secretary of state" from existing filing entities, registered fictitious names, registered series, and existing name reservations, with the detailed comparison rules codified in Texas Administrative Code Title 1, Part 4, Chapter 79, Subchapter C. Critically, the Secretary of State's own FAQ explicitly warns that a preliminary name search is never a legal guarantee: "A final determination cannot be made until the document is received and processed... Do not make financial expenditures or execute documents based on a preliminary clearance."
Step 3 — Check your name against restricted/regulated words.
"Bank" or "Trust" requires approval from the Texas Banking Commissioner; "College," "University," "School," or "Seminary" requires clearance from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; "Lotto" or "Lottery" is prohibited outright; and certain veterans-related terms require separate approval.
Step 4 — Confirm your name includes a required LLC designator.
Your name must include a designator such as "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company," or an abbreviation ("Ltd. Co.," "L.C.," "LLC," "L.L.C.").
Step 5 — Reserve your name for $40 if you're not ready to file yet.
File Form 501 under Texas Business Organizations Code §§5.101–5.106 for a $40 fee, holding the name for 120 days. It's renewable by filing a new application in the 30 days before expiration, for another $40 — unlike some peer states, Texas lets you keep renewing rather than forcing a full refile.
Step 6 — Run a separate USPTO trademark search before you commit.
Neither SOSDirect nor the Comptroller's tool checks federal trademarks — both only compare against Texas-registered entities and names. Search the USPTO's TESS database separately before committing to a name that matters to your brand, since a clear Texas search (from either tool) offers zero protection against an existing federal trademark.
Step 7 — File your formation documents promptly once you've confirmed availability.
If you didn't reserve the name, nothing holds it for you — another filer could take it first.
Step 8 — Watch for Texas-specific search quirks.
The single most important Texas fact for anyone searching is that SOSDirect and the Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search are genuinely two different tools, run by two different state agencies, answering two different questions — legal entity status versus tax standing — and a lot of online content conflates them into one search. The second trap is treating a preliminary SOSDirect result as a green light: the Secretary of State's own FAQ explicitly says a preliminary clearance is not a legal guarantee and warns against making financial commitments based on one.
If LLC Attorney Does It for You
- Submit your desired business name at llcattorney.com along with one or two backup options.
- LLC Attorney runs the Texas name-availability search, checks it against restricted-word rules, and confirms your designator is correctly formatted before filing.
- Receive confirmation once your name is filed, plus access to flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) if a trademark conflict or distinguishability question comes up.
When Should You Talk to an Attorney About Your Texas LLC Name?
Talk to an attorney before relying on a preliminary SOSDirect name clearance if you're planning significant pre-filing spend (signage, branding, inventory) on the strength of that search — the SOS's own FAQ says not to. Also consult counsel if you're unsure whether your Public Information Report disclosure requirements will expose ownership information you intended to keep private through member-managed designation, or if a deal counterparty is asking for a certificate you're not sure which agency issues.
Is Texas a State Where Name Clearance Complexity Matters More?
Texas is the most procedurally complex state in this batch specifically because of its two-agency split. The Secretary of State (via SOSDirect) is the authority on whether your entity legally exists and is properly formed; the Comptroller (via the free Taxable Entity Search) is the authority on whether that entity is current on franchise tax and entitled to transact business. Lenders, other states' filing offices, and due-diligence buyers frequently want the SOS's Certificate of Fact, not the Comptroller's certificate, and using the wrong one can stall a transaction. Treat these as two different questions with two different answers, not one search with two access points.
What You Actually Get With LLC Attorney's Texas Name Search
A $1 SOSDirect hit isn't a green light — the Secretary of State says so itself. LLC Attorney handles the actual filing-time distinguishability check as part of every Texas formation, so you're not staking your filing on a preliminary search the state has already told you not to rely on.
- A Texas name-availability search run for you before you pay any state filing fee.
- Restricted-word and distinguishability screening, so your filing isn't rejected for a naming issue you didn't know about.
- Formation starting at $49, with your confirmed name filed the same day where the state allows it.
- Access to professionally trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) for trademark-conflict questions.
Texas's two-agency split trips up even experienced filers — LLC Attorney knows which certificate a lender or another state actually wants and gets you the right one the first time.
Ready to Form Your Texas LLC?
Once you've confirmed your name is available, LLC Attorney can handle the rest of your Texas LLC formation, starting at $49. See our full pricing for all service tiers.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends which tool you use. The Texas Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search (franchise-tax status) is free. SOSDirect, the Secretary of State's own entity search for legal/registration records, costs $1.00 per search and requires a paid account.
Check name availability through SOSDirect ($1/search) or by calling the Secretary of State's office directly. Texas requires your name to be distinguishable from existing entities, fictitious names, and reservations on record — but the SOS explicitly warns that any preliminary search result is not a legal guarantee and shouldn't be relied on for financial decisions before you actually file.
Yes. File Form 501 for a $40 fee to hold your name for 120 days. Unlike some states, Texas lets you renew the reservation for another $40 by refiling in the 30 days before it expires.
Not in the Certificate of Formation itself, if your LLC is member-managed — only managers need to be named there. However, the Public Information Report you file annually with the Comptroller does typically require disclosing governing persons and owners, so ownership information is likely to become public through that separate filing even if the formation document doesn't disclose it.
Texas issues two different certificates from two different agencies: the Comptroller's Certificate of Account Status is free and confirms franchise-tax standing (required for entity termination); the Secretary of State's Certificate of Fact – Status costs $15 and confirms legal existence and registration, which is usually what lenders and other states actually want to see.
LLCs, corporations, and LLPs file an assumed name (Form 503) with the Secretary of State for $25. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file at the county clerk instead. Since 2019, SOS-registered entities no longer need to also file at the county level.
Your Texas LLC name must end in "Limited Liability Company," "Limited Company," or an approved abbreviation. Names implying banking, higher education, or containing "lottery"/"lotto" require separate regulatory approval or are prohibited outright.
No — neither SOSDirect nor the Comptroller's tool checks federal trademarks. Texas does offer its own state trademark registration through the Secretary of State, but it only protects use within Texas; search the USPTO's TESS database separately for federal clearance.
Yes. LLC Attorney runs a Texas name-availability search as part of every formation order, and flags any restricted-word or distinguishability issue before you pay a filing fee.