How to Check If an LLC Is Active in Texas: Comptroller and SOSDirect

To check if an LLC is active in Texas, use one of two state-run online tools: the Texas Comptroller’s Franchise Tax Account Status Search, which is free, or the Secretary of State’s SOSDirect portal, which charges $1.00 per search. Both run around the clock and return results in seconds. The Comptroller’s tool tells you whether the LLC is current on its franchise tax obligations and has the right to transact business; SOSDirect shows more detailed formation and filing records and lets you order official certificates.

What to Have Ready Before You Search

You can search by name alone, but similar names crowd the results. To pull up the right entity on the first try, use one of these identifiers:

The Comptroller’s 11-digit taxpayer number
The 9-digit federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
The Secretary of State file number, which is 6 to 10 digits and was assigned when the LLC filed its certificate of formation

Any of these numbers usually appears on the LLC’s contracts, invoices, or its original certificate of formation.¹

Check Status Free Through the Comptroller

The Comptroller’s Franchise Tax Account Status Search is the fastest option. No account, no login, no fee. Open the search page, enter the LLC’s name (between 2 and 50 characters), taxpayer number, federal EIN, or SOS file number, and click search. The results page shows matching entities and each one’s current franchise tax standing.¹

This is the right tool when your only question is whether the LLC is in good standing, for example before signing a contract or verifying a vendor. It does not display registered agent information or detailed formation documents. For those, you need SOSDirect.²

Check Status Through SOSDirect

SOSDirect is the Secretary of State’s online portal for searching and ordering official business records. Each search costs $1.00, and the fee is waived if you place an order from the search results. You need an account to use it. The system accepts most credit cards and also supports prefunded client accounts.³

Log in, choose the business organizations search, and narrow with filters like “starts with” or “exact match” to avoid sifting through similar names. Click the matching entity to open its record. You’ll see the LLC’s current legal name, formation date, current status, and the name and address of its registered agent.⁴

If you need proof of status in an official form, order a certificate of fact from the search results. It states the entity’s legal name, formation date, and current status, and costs $15.00. Certified copies of filed documents cost $15.00 for the certificate plus $1.00 per page. Filing fees are paid upfront; charges for copies and certificates can be accrued and paid monthly.⁴

What the Status Labels Mean

The status field on either tool tells you whether the LLC is functioning as a legal entity. The common labels:

In Existence (Active). The LLC is current on its filings and has the legal authority to conduct business in Texas. This is what you want to see.
Forfeited. The Comptroller has revoked the LLC’s right to transact business, typically for failing to file franchise tax reports or pay franchise taxes owed. The Comptroller must give at least 45 days’ written notice before forfeiture takes effect, so the entity has a window to fix the problem.⁵
Voluntarily Dissolved. The owners chose to end the business and filed termination paperwork with the Secretary of State.
Involuntarily Terminated. The Secretary of State ended the LLC’s existence, typically for failing to maintain a registered agent or registered office, failing to file a required report, or failing to pay the original formation filing fee.⁶

Anything other than “In Existence” means the LLC has a compliance problem that can affect its ability to operate, enter contracts, or appear in court.

If the Status Isn’t Active

An LLC whose status shows forfeited or involuntarily terminated can often be brought back. The path depends on why it lost standing.

Forfeited for Franchise Tax

Resolve the underlying tax problem first by filing all missing franchise tax reports and paying the taxes, penalties, and interest owed. Then request a Tax Clearance Letter from the Comptroller. Most entities can do this electronically through Webfile, which generates a PDF once the account is in order. Some, including entities that are part of a combined group, those active for franchise tax less than one year, and those forfeited before January 1, 2000, must instead mail Form 05-391.⁷

Once you have the letter, file Form 801 (application for reinstatement) with the Secretary of State along with the $75 filing fee. If you reinstate before the third anniversary of termination or forfeiture, the entity is treated as having continued in existence without interruption.⁸

Involuntarily Terminated for a Non-Tax Reason

Fix the deficiency first, for example by appointing a new registered agent, then file the reinstatement application with the $75 fee. You have three years from the termination date to act. After that window closes, reinstatement is no longer available and you’d need to form a new LLC.⁶ Existing legal claims by or against an involuntarily terminated LLC are also extinguished on that third anniversary.⁹

Checking Your Own LLC

The two most common reasons Texas LLCs slip out of active status are missing the May 15 franchise tax filing deadline and failing to keep a registered agent on file. Running your own name through the Comptroller’s free search every few months takes seconds and can surface a problem while there’s still time to cure it, well before the 45-day forfeiture notice or an involuntary termination lands.¹

1
Texas Comptroller. Franchise Tax Account Status Search
2
Texas Comptroller. Open Data Tools and Information – Comptroller’s Databases
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. SOSDirect – An Online Business Service
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Instructions for Ordering Copies and Certificates Using SOSDirect
5
Texas Comptroller. Franchise Tax Account Status
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. The Involuntary Termination of a Business Entity
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Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Requesting Tax Certificates and Tax Clearance Letters
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 801 Instructions
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State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code Section 11.254 – Reinstatement of Certificate of Formation Following Tax Forfeiture