Texas Business Name Search
Data verified July 10, 2026 · Official database: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
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LLC filing fee
Name reservation fee
Reservation hold
Quick answer: Texas offers a free screening tool — the Comptroller’s Taxable Entity Search — while the Secretary of State makes the binding availability decision when you file. An LLC name needs a valid ending under BOC § 5.056 and must be distinguishable from every existing filing, reservation, and registered series under § 5.053.
How to run a Texas name search
Texas splits the job between two agencies, which trips up a lot of first-time founders. Here is the sequence that works:
- Screen for free at the Comptroller. The Taxable Entity Search covers registered Texas entities and costs nothing. Enter the core words of your name and review everything similar, not only exact matches.
- Optionally query SOSDirect. The Secretary of State’s preliminary availability search inside SOSDirect charges $1 per lookup and reflects the office’s own name index — closer to the real decision, but still labeled preliminary.
- Let the Secretary of State decide. No search result is binding; the examiner reviewing your certificate of formation (or reservation) applies § 5.053 and settles the question.
Texas LLC naming rules
Chapter 5 of the Business Organizations Code governs Texas names:
- Ending requirement (§ 5.056): the name must carry “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or an abbreviation like “LLC,” “L.L.C.,” “LC,” or “L.C.”
- Distinguishability (§ 5.053): your name is measured against existing filing entities, foreign registrations and their fictitious names, reserved and registered names — and, uniquely, registered series of Texas LLCs.
- No false government ties (§ 5.064): anything implying affiliation with a state or federal body is refused.
Restricted and prohibited terms
| Term | Status | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| lotto, lottery | Prohibited entirely | BOC § 5.061 |
| veteran, legion, foreign, Spanish, disabled, war, world war | Allowed only with written approval from a congressionally recognized veterans organization | BOC § 5.062 |
Holding a name with a Texas reservation
Texas reservations are unusually founder-friendly. Filing Form 501 with the Secretary of State costs $40 (BOC § 4.151(2)) and locks the name for 120 days. During the final 30 days of that window you may renew for another 120 days (§§ 5.104–5.105), and there is no limit on renewals — a name can be parked indefinitely at $40 per cycle. The Secretary of State’s name filings FAQ walks through the mechanics.
When you are ready to form, the certificate of formation (Form 205) carries a $300 filing fee. Texas has no annual report fee for LLCs; instead, entities file an annual franchise tax report with the Comptroller by May 15.
When the name you want is in use
Options if the Taxable Entity Search turns up a conflict:
- Rework the distinctive words. Because § 5.053 ignores differences in suffixes and minor punctuation, plan on changing at least one substantive word.
- Look into consent. Texas allows some otherwise-conflicting names to proceed with the existing entity’s notarized written consent — ask the Secretary of State whether your specific conflict qualifies.
- Separate the brand from the entity. Registering an assumed name (DBA) lets a Texas LLC trade under a different name than the one on its certificate of formation.
Once a name comes back clean, the fastest way to secure it permanently is to form your Texas LLC under that name — a reservation holds it, but only a formation owns it.
Official Texas sources
- Comptroller Taxable Entity Search — free public database
- Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code ch. 5 — naming statute
- Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 4.151 — filing fees
- Secretary of State name filings FAQ — reservations and consents
Found an open Texas name? Claim it.
Forming an LLC under your name is the only way to lock it in. Northwest handles the Texas filing, registered-agent service, and paperwork.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there a free way to search Texas business names?
Yes — the Texas Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search is free and covers entities registered with the state. The Secretary of State's own SOSDirect preliminary name search costs $1 per search, and only the Secretary of State's review at filing time is binding.
Why does Texas name checking involve two different agencies?
Formation filings and name decisions belong to the Texas Secretary of State, but the Comptroller of Public Accounts publishes the free public database of taxable entities. Most founders screen against the Comptroller's records first, then rely on the Secretary of State for the official determination.
Can a Texas name reservation be renewed?
Yes. A reservation (Form 501, $40) holds the name for 120 days, and you may renew it for successive 120-day periods by filing again during the 30 days before it expires — effectively holding a name indefinitely for $40 per cycle.
What words are off-limits in a Texas LLC name?
"Lotto" and "lottery" are prohibited outright. Veteran-related terms — veteran, legion, foreign, Spanish, disabled, war, world war — require written approval from a congressionally recognized veterans organization, and no name may falsely imply a government affiliation.