To change a business name in Texas, you file either a Certificate of Amendment or an Assumed Name Certificate with the Secretary of State, pay a fee of $25 to $150 depending on your entity type, and then update the IRS, the Texas Comptroller, your licenses, your bank, and your contracts. The exact filing depends on whether you run a corporation, an LLC, a sole proprietorship, or a general partnership, and whether you’re changing your legal name or adding a DBA.
Confirm the Name Is Available
Before you file anything, make sure the name you want is actually usable. The Texas Secretary of State runs an online search tool called SOSDirect that lets you check existing business entity names for $1 per search.1Office of the Texas Secretary of State. SOSDirect – Online Searching and Filing Your new name has to be distinguishable from anything already on file. You can also call or email the SOS office directly for a name availability check.
State availability is only half of it. A name that clears the Texas database can still infringe a federally registered trademark, and that can lead to an injunction forcing you to rebrand a second time, plus potential damages. Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s trademark database at tmsearch.uspto.gov and look for marks that sound similar, look similar, or convey a similar commercial impression in a related industry.2United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Federal Trademark Searching If the results are ambiguous, a trademark attorney can run a fuller clearance search.
Get Internal Approval Before You File
Texas law requires that a name-change amendment be adopted using the governance rules for your specific entity type.3State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code Section 3-052 In practice, that means getting formal approval from the people who own or govern the business before you send anything to the state.
For a corporation, the board usually passes a resolution authorizing the change and, depending on the articles of incorporation, may need to put it to a shareholder vote. For an LLC, the members vote to approve the amendment following the process laid out in the company agreement. Document the approval in writing, sign it, and keep it in your company records. The Secretary of State won’t ask for a copy, but if anyone later disputes whether the change was properly authorized, that paperwork is your proof.
File a Certificate of Amendment (LLCs and Corporations)
LLCs and corporations change their legal name by filing a Certificate of Amendment with the Texas Secretary of State. Domestic entities formed in Texas use Form 424. Foreign entities registered to do business in Texas use Form 406.4Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Amendments and Corrections FAQs Both forms are on the SOS website.
The filing fee is $150 for LLCs and for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations and cooperative associations pay $25.5Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 424 – Instructions for Certificate of Amendment The same structure applies to foreign entities filing Form 406.6Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 406 – Instructions for Amendment to Registration
The form asks for your entity’s current legal name, its SOS file number, the new name, and the effective date. You can submit online through SOSDirect or SOSUpload, by mail, in person at the Austin office, or by fax with a credit card for payment.
One thing to know: a name change through amendment does not disturb any lawsuit filed under your old name. Texas law preserves the continuity of legal proceedings, so pending litigation carries forward automatically.
File an Assumed Name Certificate (DBAs, Sole Proprietors, and General Partnerships)
If you’re a sole proprietorship or general partnership operating under a name other than your own legal name, or if you’re a registered entity adding a DBA, you don’t file an amendment. You file an Assumed Name Certificate. Where it goes depends on the type of business.
Registered entities (LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships) that want to operate under an additional assumed name file Form 503 with the Secretary of State. The fee is $25.7Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 503 – Instructions for Assumed Name Certificate Since 2019, registered entities no longer need to file assumed name certificates at the county level. The state filing is enough.
Unincorporated sole proprietorships and general partnerships still file their assumed name certificates with the county clerk in each county where they do business.7Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 503 – Instructions for Assumed Name Certificate County fees vary and are generally modest. Check with your county clerk for the exact amount.
Assumed name certificates in Texas expire after a maximum of 10 years. You set the term when you file, and if you don’t renew within six months before the expiration date, the certificate becomes void.8State of Texas. Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 – Assumed Business or Professional Name You can renew for unlimited successive 10-year terms, but tracking the deadline is on you.
How Long Filings Take
After you submit, documents generally appear on the SOS filing status list within one business day for mail or in-person submissions.9Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Business Filings – Status Online submissions through SOSDirect tend to process faster.
If you need it sooner, the SOS offers tiered expedited processing as of October 2025:10Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Introducing Texas Express Expedited Business Filings
- Standard expedited, $50, processed ahead of regular submissions, typically within two to three business days.
- Next-day, $500, filings received by noon are processed by close of business the next business day.
- Same-day, $750, filings received by noon are processed by close of business that same day.
These fees are on top of the regular filing fee. For most name changes, the $50 standard expedited option is a reasonable balance between speed and cost.
Notify the IRS
A name change does not require a new EIN. Sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, and LLCs that change only their name or location keep the EIN they already have.11Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
How you tell the IRS depends on timing. If you haven’t yet filed your return for the current tax year, check the name-change box on the applicable form: Line E, Box 3 on Form 1120 for C corporations; Line H, Box 2 on Form 1120-S for S corporations; or Line G, Box 3 on Form 1065 for partnerships.12Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change If you’ve already filed for the year, send a signed letter to the IRS address where you filed, stating the old name, the new name, and the EIN. Corporate officers sign for corporations; a partner signs for partnerships.
Sole proprietors without employees, and therefore without an EIN, simply use the new business name on their next Schedule C.
Update State Tax and Regulatory Accounts
The SOS filing changes your legal name with the state, but it does not automatically cascade to every other Texas agency. Each one needs a separate update.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts maintains your franchise tax account and any sales tax permits. Update your business name with the Comptroller promptly, because a mismatch between SOS records and Comptroller records can create confusion during franchise tax season or a sales tax audit. Updates go through the Comptroller’s Webfile system or directly through their office.
If you have employees, notify the Texas Workforce Commission.13Texas Workforce Commission. Changes to the Status of Your Business Log in to your employer account and submit a contact request under “Employer Tax Account Actions/Issues” to report the new name. Delay here can cause problems with unemployment tax filings and wage reports.
State, county, and city licenses and permits tied to the old name also need updating. Professional licenses, health permits, alcohol permits, industry-specific registrations, all of it. Some agencies accept a simple written notification. Others require a new application and fee. Contact each one individually. Professional licensing boards often impose short deadlines for reporting a name change, so don’t let these sit.
Update Banks, Contracts, and Everything Public-Facing
Contact your bank as soon as the SOS approves the amendment. Business checking and savings accounts, credit lines, merchant processing, and any payment platform tied to the business name all need updating. Banks typically want a copy of the filed Certificate of Amendment or the SOS approval document, plus an updated resolution from your board or members.
Existing contracts generally stay valid after a name change, because a name change by itself doesn’t alter anyone’s rights or obligations. Still, review your contracts for notification clauses that require you to tell the other party about material changes. Commercial leases and lending documents often include specific provisions requiring written notice of a name change within a set number of days. Missing those deadlines won’t void the contract, but it can create friction with landlords or lenders.
Then update your website, social media accounts, signage, business cards, email signatures, and marketing materials. Search engine profiles, online directory listings, and your Google Business Profile are easy to forget and matter for discoverability. The goal is a clean transition so customers, vendors, and partners recognize the business under its new name without confusion.