How to File Form 503 Online: Texas Assumed Name Certificate

To file Texas Form 503 online, log into the Secretary of State’s SOSDirect portal, open a new assumed name certificate filing, enter your entity information and the assumed name you want to register, and pay the $25 fee by credit card. Online submissions process faster than paper, and once state examiners approve the certificate, a file-stamped copy arrives at the email address on your SOSDirect account.¹

Who Can File Form 503 Through SOSDirect

Form 503 is the online filing route for corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, registered series of LLCs, and foreign filing entities that want to do business in Texas under a name different from their legal formation name.²

Sole proprietors and general partnerships do not use Form 503 or SOSDirect. Unincorporated businesses file their assumed name certificates with the county clerk in each county where they maintain premises or operate, and fees and forms vary by county.² If that’s you, this article’s steps won’t apply.

What to Have Ready Before You Log In

The Secretary of State does not offer a formal amendment process for assumed name certificates. If you submit a certificate with an error, you fix it by filing a fresh certificate and paying the $25 fee again.³ It’s worth gathering every piece of information before you begin the online session.

Section 71.102 of the Business and Commerce Code sets out what has to be on the certificate:²

The assumed name, spelled exactly as you intend to use it.
Your legal entity name, exactly as it appears on your certificate of formation or registration.
The jurisdiction where the entity was formed.
The period during which the assumed name will be used, up to a maximum of 10 years from the filing date.
The entity type (for-profit corporation, nonprofit, LLC, limited partnership, and so on).
The principal office address, whether in Texas or elsewhere.
Every Texas county where the business is or will be conducted under the assumed name.

You’ll also need the file number the Secretary of State assigned when your entity was originally registered. That number ties the assumed name to the right business record, and a wrong digit can attach the filing to a completely different entity.

Picking a Duration

Ten years is the ceiling. You can choose any shorter period, but there is no perpetual or indefinite option.² Most filers use the full ten-year term and renew before expiration.

Name Availability Is on You

Filing an assumed name certificate does not give you exclusive rights to the name. The Secretary of State maintains an alphabetical index of assumed names but does not screen your selection against existing entity names, other assumed names, or trademarks. The statute itself says filing does not authorize using the name in violation of unfair competition or unfair trade practices law.² Before committing, search the Secretary of State’s records and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database.

Filing Through SOSDirect Step by Step

SOSDirect is available around the clock for business filings.¹ The process runs like this:

Sign into SOSDirect, or create an account if you don’t already have one. Use an email address you check regularly, because that’s where the approved certificate will be sent.
Navigate to the business filings section and select the option for an assumed name certificate (Form 503).
Work through the entry screens, filling in each of the statutory items listed above. Enter your legal entity name exactly as it appears in the Secretary of State’s records. Typos in the entity name are a common reason for rejection.
Enter the assumed name carefully. Punctuation, spacing, and capitalization matter; the filing goes into the state index the way you type it.
Add each Texas county where you’ll operate under the name. If you later expand into additional counties, you’ll need to file a new certificate covering those counties, so think about your near-term footprint before you submit.
Review every screen before final submission. There is no amendment procedure to fix mistakes after the fact.³
Submit and pay.

Payment Options and Fees

The filing fee is $25. Credit card payments through SOSDirect are subject to a statutorily authorized convenience fee of 2.7% of the total fees, which comes to about $0.68 on a $25 filing.³ SOSDirect also charges a $1.00 statutory fee associated with each session.¹

Accepted payment methods are American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards, along with LegalEase debit cards and prefunded client deposit accounts.⁴

After You Submit

Once you click submit, SOSDirect assigns a session ID that works as an initial tracking reference. State examiners review the filing, and online submissions are processed noticeably faster than mailed paper. When approved, a file-stamped copy of the certificate is emailed to the address on your SOSDirect account. That electronic copy carries the official seal and date of acceptance, and it has the same legal weight as a paper original.

Save it somewhere you can find it. Banks routinely require a filed assumed name certificate before opening an account under a DBA name, and you’ll want it on hand for contracts, vendor onboarding, and license applications that operate under the assumed name.

If You Need to Change Something

Because there is no amendment procedure, any material change to the information on a filed certificate calls for a new Form 503 and another $25 fee.³ A different principal office address, an added county of operation, or a change to the entity’s legal name all mean a fresh filing. This is the reason it’s worth checking every field before you submit the online form.

Renewing Before Expiration

The certificate becomes void at the end of the term you selected unless you renew. To renew, file a new certificate that meets the same statutory requirements within the six-month window before the current certificate’s expiration date.² You can renew for any number of successive terms, each up to 10 years, and the renewal is essentially a fresh Form 503 filing with the same $25 fee.³ Put the expiration date on your calendar the day you file.

1
Office of the Texas Secretary of State. SOSDirect – Online Searching and Filing
2
State of Texas. Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 – Assumed Business or Professional Name
3
Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 503 – Instructions for Assumed Name Certificate
4
Office of the Texas Secretary of State. SOSDirect Help Guide