To change an LLC name in Texas, you file a Certificate of Amendment (Form 424) with the Secretary of State and pay a $150 filing fee. The filing itself is the easy part. The work that follows — updating the IRS, the Texas Comptroller, banks, insurers, licensing boards, and any trademark records — is where most owners lose time, and where mismatches can cause denied insurance claims, misapplied tax payments, or rejected deposits.
Decide Whether You Need a Legal Name Change or a DBA
A legal name change replaces your LLC’s name on its certificate of formation. Every agency, bank, contract, and policy tied to the old name eventually has to be updated. Choose this route when the old name no longer represents the business, when you’re consolidating identities, or when running two names side by side would confuse clients or regulators.
An assumed name (DBA, for “doing business as”) is the lighter option. Your LLC keeps its legal name on state records and tax filings and simply operates publicly under a different brand. That’s usually enough for a new product line or a rebrand that doesn’t need to touch the entity’s legal identity.
If you already have an assumed name on file and no longer use it, you can file a statement of abandonment (Form 504) for $10.1Texas Secretary of State. Name Filings FAQs
Check That the New Name Is Available
Texas law requires your proposed name to be distinguishable from every entity already on file with the Secretary of State, including foreign entities registered here and names other people have reserved.2State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code 5.053 – Distinguishable Names Required Search the SOSDirect portal or the Comptroller’s Taxable Entity Search before you draft anything.
The name must also include a designator that identifies the entity as an LLC — “Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Company,” or an abbreviation such as “LLC” or “L.L.C.” A filing without one will be rejected.3State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code 5.056 – Name of Limited Liability Company or Foreign Limited Liability Company
If the name is available but you’re not ready to file, you can reserve it for 120 days by submitting Form 501 with a $40 fee. The reservation renews for another 120 days if you file the renewal during the 30-day window before it expires.4Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 501 – Instructions for Application for Reservation or Renewal of Reservation of an Entity Name
Get Member Approval
One person can’t change an LLC’s name on their own authority. Under Texas law, amending the certificate of formation requires the affirmative vote of all members unless the certificate of formation or company agreement sets a different threshold.5State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code Chapter 3 – Formation and Governance The default is unanimity. If your operating agreement sets a majority or supermajority instead, that provision controls.
Document the vote in a written resolution or consent signed by the members. You don’t file it with the state, but keep it with your records in case anyone later questions whether the change was properly authorized.
File the Certificate of Amendment
Form 424 is the vehicle. You’ll enter your LLC’s current legal name exactly as it appears in Secretary of State records, the file number issued at formation, and the article of the certificate you’re amending — in this case, the name.6Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 424 – Instructions for Certificate of Amendment
The filing fee is $150.7State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code 4.154 – Filing Fees: Limited Liability Companies The Secretary of State’s office recommends filing electronically through SOSDirect or SOSUpload for faster processing.8Texas Secretary of State. Filing Options Paper submissions are accepted by mail or in person; include an extra copy so the office can stamp and return one as your proof of filing.9Texas Secretary of State. Filing and Other General FAQs
Expedited Processing
Standard turnaround varies with the office’s workload, and no guaranteed timeline is published. Three expedited tiers are available on top of the $150 filing fee:10Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Introducing Texas Express Expedited Business Filings
- Same-day service costs $750. Filings received by noon are processed by close of business that day.
- Next-day service costs $500. Filings received by noon are processed by close of business the following business day.
- Standard expedited service costs $50 and typically clears in two to three business days.
Paying to expedite doesn’t guarantee approval; the office still reviews each amendment for statutory compliance. Once it clears, you’ll receive a file-stamped copy. Save that document. Nearly every update that follows requires it.
Notify the IRS
Your federal tax records need to match your state records. How you tell the IRS depends on how your LLC is taxed:11Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
- Multi-member LLCs taxed as partnerships check the name change box on the next Form 1065. If you’ve already filed for the year, send a letter to the IRS at the address where you filed, signed by a partner or authorized member.
- LLCs taxed as corporations check the name change box on Form 1120 or 1120-S. If already filed, send a letter signed by a corporate officer.
- Single-member LLCs treated as disregarded entities send a letter to the IRS at the address where they file their return, signed by the owner or an authorized representative.
If you’re also changing your business address or responsible party, Form 8822-B covers all three and includes a field for the new name.12Internal Revenue Service. Form 8822-B – Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business Anyone filing on the LLC’s behalf who isn’t an owner, officer, or member needs to attach a power of attorney (Form 2848).
Update Texas State Agencies
Texas Comptroller
The Comptroller handles your franchise tax account and any sales tax permits. A name mismatch there can misroute payments or hold up tax clearance letters. Update through the eSystems/Webfile portal under the account management options. If the online system doesn’t accommodate a name change, contact the office directly.
Texas Workforce Commission
If your LLC has employees, update the name through the Unemployment Tax Services portal under the Account Info tab. If the online system can’t process it, submit a contact request through the employer menu and select “Employer Tax Account Actions/Issues” as the reason.13Texas Workforce Commission. Changes to the Status of Your Business
Licensing Boards
Any state-regulated professional license or business permit tied to your LLC needs updating with the issuing agency. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, for example, accepts name change requests through its online portal and may ask you to upload the file-stamped Certificate of Amendment.14Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Request a Name Change Professional LLCs should check with their specific board, since some require notification within a set number of days.
Update Banks, Insurance, Trademarks, and Contracts
Operating Agreement
Amend your operating agreement to reflect the new name so your governing documents stay consistent with the state record. Nothing gets filed, but the mismatch will surface in an audit, sale, or lawsuit if you skip it.
Banks
Banks generally want to see the file-stamped Certificate of Amendment before they’ll update account names, reissue debit cards, or print new checks. Some also ask for the member resolution or an updated operating agreement, so call ahead. Don’t delay this step; a name mismatch between your account and incoming payments can trigger fraud alerts or bounce deposits.
Insurance
This is the update most owners miss, and the consequences can be severe. If the named insured on a liability or workers’ compensation policy doesn’t match your LLC’s current legal name, an insurer can deny a claim on the grounds that the entity seeking coverage isn’t the one covered. Courts have ruled against businesses on that basis, finding that coverage applied only to activities conducted under the name in the policy. Ask your carrier for an endorsement reflecting the new name as soon as the amendment clears.
Federal Trademarks
If your LLC owns any federal trademark registrations, the owner name on file with the USPTO has to be updated. A legal name change that occurred after the application or registration was filed is handled by recording an assignment through the USPTO’s Assignment Center. Changing the owner name on a form without recording the assignment can trigger an office action, delay processing, and generate additional fees.15United States Patent and Trademark Office. Correcting the Owner Name in Online Forms
Contracts and Vendors
Review existing contracts and leases to see whether a formal addendum is required. Many commercial leases and service agreements include provisions requiring written notice of entity changes. Notify vendors and recurring clients so invoices and renewals use the correct legal name.
The LLC Is Still the Same Entity
A name change does not create a new entity. Your LLC keeps the same EIN, the same formation date, and the same legal obligations it had before. Every contract, debt, and liability that existed under the old name remains fully enforceable under the new one. You can’t shed an unfavorable lease or escape a pending lawsuit by filing an amendment; courts look at the entity, not the label.
The reverse is also true. Your LLC keeps its credit history, its permits (once updated), and its contractual rights. From a legal standpoint the change is cosmetic. The entity that signed a five-year vendor agreement is still the entity that will perform under it, whatever it now calls itself.