Quick answer
In Texas a DBA is called an assumed name certificate, and where you file it depends on your business type. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk in each county where a business office is or will be kept, at a fee set by each county clerk's office; LLCs and corporations file Form 503 with the Secretary of State for $25 for each assumed name certificate. A certificate lasts up to 10 years from the date of filing and is renewed by filing a new one.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and this page is general information, not legal or tax advice. See where Nation fits.
What a DBA is in Texas
The Texas Secretary of State calls a DBA filing an assumed name certificate. Filing one tells the public that a business is conducting business under a name other than its legal name. For an LLC or corporation, the legal name is the name stated in its certificate of formation or comparable document.
So to get a DBA in Texas, you file an assumed name certificate in the right office. Sole proprietors file with the county clerk in each county where a business office is or will be kept. Entities registered with the state, such as LLCs, file Form 503 with the Secretary of State for $25 for each assumed name certificate. The filing is the same idea in both places; only the office, the form and the fee change.
According to the Form 503 instructions, the effect of filing is to give notice to the public that the business uses that name. It does not protect the name: it does not prevent anyone else from filing the same assumed name or using the name to form a new entity.
Where to file: county clerk or Secretary of State
The Texas Secretary of State splits assumed name filers into two groups. The table shows which office each type of business uses, the form and what it costs.
Entities that file with the state no longer file at the county too: entities that file with the Secretary of State do not also file with the county clerk. Cities and counties can add their own rules and fees, so confirm with your county clerk before you file.
How to get a DBA in Texas as a sole proprietor
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships file at the county, not with the Secretary of State. If you do business in Texas under an assumed name, you file a certificate with the county clerk in each county where a business office is or will be kept.
Pick the name and search it
Search your county's assumed name records and the Secretary of State's business records. Texas does not block duplicates: a certificate is not rejected because of a name conflict. A search tells you whether someone already uses the name.
Find every county you need
You file with the county clerk in each county where a business office is or will be kept. If you have no office in Texas, you file in each county where the business is conducted.
Get the county's form and fee
The Secretary of State tells county filers to contact the county clerk's office for its fee and filing details. The fee is set by each county clerk's office, so check the clerk's website or call before you go.
Complete and submit the certificate
Complete the county's form, including a stated term of up to 10 years from the date of filing. Follow the clerk's signing and notarization rules, then file as the clerk directs.
Keep the filed copy and note the end date
Keep the filed certificate with your business records and note when its term ends. To keep the name after that, you file a new certificate filed before the current one expires.
How to file a DBA in Texas for an LLC or corporation: Form 503
LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships and other registered entities file Form 503 with the Secretary of State. The steps below follow the Secretary of State's instructions for that form.
Check the name you can use
The assumed name must differ from the legal name: an entity may not file an assumed name for its exact legal name. It is not required to include Inc., LLC or a similar identifier.
List the counties
Form 503 asks for the counties where the name will be used, or All. You need a separate certificate for each assumed name.
Set the term
The certificate states how long the name is used, up to 10 years from the date of filing.
Submit and pay
File online through SOSPortal, which is faster, or mail it to P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697, or deliver it to 400 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701. The fee is $25 for each assumed name certificate. Mailed filings pay by check or money order; card payments add a convenience fee of $0.25 plus 2.25% of total fees.
Leave out what is not needed
Do not include the instruction pages, duplicate copies and personal identifying information. The certificate not required: it does not need a notary.
Renewal, changes and ending an assumed name
A Texas assumed name certificate does not last forever. Its term cannot exceed 10 years from the date of filing. To keep the name, you file a new certificate filed before the current one expires; the Form 503 instructions say it may be renewed by filing a new certificate within six months of the expiration.
There is no procedure for amending or correcting a certificate. If something material changes, such as a change in the registrant's name, address, or business structure, you file a new certificate within 60 days.
If you stop using the name, file a statement of abandonment. At the state that is Form 504, which costs $10 for each statement of abandonment. For a county certificate, do not use Form 504 for a county filing; county execution rules differ.
What an assumed name certificate does not do
An assumed name certificate is a notice. Before you rely on it, know where it stops.
- It does not reserve or protect the name. A filing is not rejected for a name conflict, and it does not prevent anyone else from filing the same assumed name or using the name to form a new entity.
- It gives you no right to use the name in a way that violates the law. The Secretary of State files the certificate without deciding who has rights to the name.
- Skipping it has a cost. The Texas Business and Commerce Code provides for civil and criminal penalties for not filing.
This page is general information about Texas assumed names, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees can change, and counties set their own procedures.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. It does not file assumed name certificates or other state paperwork.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. It is general information from the Texas Secretary of State, not legal advice.
Describe what you makeQuestions about a DBA in Texas
How much does a DBA cost in Texas?
A DBA in Texas costs $25 for each assumed name certificate when an LLC or corporation files Form 503 with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietors file at the county instead, where the fee is set by each county clerk's office. Credit card payments made online to the state add a convenience fee of $0.25 plus 2.25% of total fees.
What is an assumed name certificate in Texas?
An assumed name certificate is the Texas filing for a DBA. It gives notice to the public that the business uses that name. Sole proprietors file it at the county clerk, and registered entities file Form 503 with the Secretary of State. It does not protect the name from use by others.
How long does a Texas DBA last?
A Texas DBA, or assumed name certificate, lasts for the term stated on it, up to 10 years from the date of filing. To keep using the name, you file a new certificate before the current one expires. The Form 503 instructions allow renewal within six months of the expiration.
Do I need a DBA for a sole proprietorship in Texas?
A sole proprietorship in Texas needs a DBA, called an assumed name certificate, when it does business under an assumed name. The owner files it with the county clerk in each county where a business office is or will be kept, or in each county where the business is conducted if there is no Texas office. The fee is set by each county clerk.
Does an LLC need to file a DBA at the county in Texas?
An LLC in Texas does not file its DBA at the county. It files Form 503 with the Secretary of State, and entities that file with the Secretary of State do not also file with the county clerk. The form lists the counties where the LLC will use the name, or All.