How to search Texas records
- Start with the Comptroller search for a free look at status, the SOS file number, and the registered agent.
- Use SOSPortal when you need filing history or document copies. It now handles filing, ordering and searching in one place and takes ACH or credit card.
- In the Comptroller results, "Right to transact business in Texas" tells you whether franchise tax filings are current.
Open the official Texas search
Texas SOS, corporation and LLC search
Texas SOS Business Search
Texas splits the record between two offices. The Secretary of State keeps formation filings on SOSPortal, while the Comptroller's free Taxable Entity Search shows franchise tax status and the SOS file number. Most people running a Texas SOS business search only need to confirm a company exists, which the Comptroller search answers at no cost. Note both the SOS file number and the taxpayer number, and follow the step-by-step instructions above.
Texas Entity Search
An entity search of the Texas business registry returns every registered type at once: domestic and foreign LLCs, corporations, partnerships and nonprofits. Read the status first, then the formation date and the registered agent. Because Texas expects a franchise tax report and Public Information Report yearly, a lapsed filing usually shows up as a status change before the entity is dissolved.
Texas Company Search
A corporation search uses the same index as LLCs, so filter by entity type if the name is common. Searches typed as "TX sec of state corp search" land here too. The record shows whether it is a for-profit corporation or a nonprofit, and the entity types guide explains how each one appears. Corporations are formed by filing articles of incorporation, so the formation date on the record is the date those articles took effect.
Texas LLC Search
Run the Texas LLC search with the exact name, then note the SOS file number and taxpayer number. Forming a Texas LLC costs $300, and the franchise tax report and Public Information Report carries no flat fee. Whether members appear depends on the filings; our LLC lookup guide covers what the state shows, and the business owner lookup covers what it does not. A state record never shows an EIN; use the EIN lookup for that.
Texas Business Name Search
A Texas business name search shows names already on file, not names the state will accept. Texas lets you hold a name for 120 days for $40. The name claim guide lists the checks to run before you file, including trademarks and DBA names. Texas sole proprietors file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk; corporations and LLCs file theirs with the Secretary of State, so a Texas DBA lookup may need both.
Texas Comptroller Entity Search
The Comptroller of Public Accounts runs the free Taxable Entity Search. It shows franchise tax account status, the right to transact business in Texas, the SOS file number and the registered agent. Filed formation documents stay with the Secretary of State on SOSPortal, so a full Texas check uses both. For other checks, see the business verification checklist.
Texas UCC Search
UCC financing statements against Texas businesses are filed with the Secretary of State. A filing shows a lender's claim on the company's assets, and it must be searched under the exact legal name on the entity record. The UCC lien search guide explains how to read one.
Texas Tax ID Lookup
The Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search shows each company's 11-digit Texas taxpayer number and can be searched by it, which is the usual meaning of a Texas tax ID lookup. The federal EIN is a different number; the EIN lookup explains when it is public.
SOSPortal and the Comptroller search
Texas splits its records between two agencies. The Secretary of State moved filing, ordering and searching to SOSPortal on September 29, 2026, replacing SOSDirect and SOSUpload. The Comptroller's free Taxable Entity Search shows whether a company has the right to transact business, which turns on its franchise tax filings, and it lists the SOS file number and registered agent.
Texas filing facts
| Record number | SOS file number and taxpayer number |
|---|---|
| LLC formation fee | $300. Certificate of Formation (Form 205). |
| Recurring filing | Franchise tax report and Public Information Report, $0, yearly |
| Due | May 15. No tax due below the revenue threshold, but the information report is still required. |
| Name reservation | $40 for 120 days |
| Agency phone | 512-463-5555 |
What a Texas LLC costs in its first three years
First recurring filing assumed in year 2; state charges only.
| Year | Formation | Recurring filing | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $300 | $0 | $300 |
| Year 2 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Year 3 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Three-year state total | $300 | ||
Franchise tax reports even when no tax is due
Every Texas LLC files a franchise tax report and Public Information Report by May 15, even when revenue is below the no-tax-due threshold. Missing them can forfeit the right to transact business. The Comptroller publishes active franchise tax permit holders free as open data, about 3.1 million records, which powers the live name check here; the Secretary of State register itself is sold; see data downloads by state. Assumed names go to the Secretary of State for entities and the county clerk for sole proprietors; see DBA.
Checking a Texas company in two steps
Start with the free Comptroller search to see whether the company has the right to transact business. Then use SOSPortal for filing history and documents. A company that has lost the right to transact business cannot sue in Texas courts until it restores it.
How Texas compares with its neighbors
| State | LLC filing | Yearly upkeep | Report cycle | Reservation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $300 | $0 | Yearly | $40 |
| Oklahoma | $100 | $25 | Yearly | $25 |
| Louisiana | $125 | $35 | Yearly | $25 |
| New Mexico | $50 | $0 | None | $20 |
Before you rely on a Texas result
- Texas assumed names are filed with the Secretary of State for LLCs and corporations, and with the county clerk for sole proprietors.
- Every LLC files an annual franchise tax report and Public Information Report due May 15, even if no tax is owed.
Bulk Texas business data
Free in part. Format: Socrata API/CSV (Comptroller); Master Unload (SOS). Comptroller data free; SOS Master Unload $1,350 previous or $1,750 new. Comptroller franchise tax permit holders (about 3.1 million) is free. The full Secretary of State register is sold as a Master Unload; bulk orders moved from SOSDirect to SOSPortal on September 29, 2026. Official source
Searching beyond Texas
Registries next to Texas: Oklahoma business search, Louisiana business search, New Mexico business search.
Texas business search questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Texas?
The state filing fee is $300. Certificate of Formation (Form 205). Keeping the LLC on file then averages $0 a year in state fees.
When is the Texas annual report due?
Texas calls it the franchise tax report and Public Information Report. There is no filing fee, it is filed yearly, and it is due May 15. No tax due below the revenue threshold, but the information report is still required.
Can I reserve a business name in Texas?
Yes. A name reservation costs $40 and holds the name for 120 days.
Do Texas LLCs file a report if they owe no franchise tax?
Yes. Every LLC files the franchise tax report and Public Information Report by May 15, even when no tax is due.
Is the Texas business entity search free?
The Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search is free and shows status, the SOS file number and the registered agent. Copies of filed documents and certificates are ordered from the Secretary of State for a fee.
Who keeps business records in Texas?
The Texas Secretary of State and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Its business line is 512-463-5555, and its free search is the Comptroller Taxable Entity Search (free) and SOSPortal.
What number identifies a business in Texas?
Texas assigns each entity a SOS file number and taxpayer number. It is different from the federal EIN and from the number the same company holds in any other state, and searching by it returns exactly one record.
Can I download a list of all Texas businesses?
Partly. Comptroller franchise tax permit holders (about 3.1 million) is free. The full Secretary of State register is sold as a Master Unload; bulk orders moved from SOSDirect to SOSPortal on September 29, 2026.
Sources
- Texas Secretary of State, Corporations
- Texas Comptroller taxable entity search
- Texas Comptroller, franchise tax
- Texas Secretary of State, SOSPortal launch notice (September 23, 2026)
- Texas Comptroller, Active Franchise Tax Permit Holders dataset (data.texas.gov)
Data Updated Recently