Texas Business Entity Search

Check your name against Texas law before you file. The state's search tells you whether a name exists. It does not tell you whether yours is legal, or whether it is too close to one already on the register. This does both.

Search the official Texas register Form this LLC for $399

What this does not check

  • • Whether the name is already taken. That needs the state’s live register, which we link below.
  • • Trademarks. A name can be free on the state register and still infringe a federal or common law mark.
  • • Domain and social handle availability.
  • • Whether the name is available in any other state you later register in.

Texas LLC naming rules

Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code §§ 5.052, 5.053 and 5.056 and 1 Tex. Admin. Code §§ 79.38-79.40 (eff. June 1, 2018)

Your name must include one of

  • Limited Liability Company
  • Limited Company
  • LLC
  • L.L.C.
  • LC
  • L.C.

Your name must not

  • • Any name that falsely implies affiliation with a governmental entity, for example "Texas Real Estate Commission"
  • • "Insurance" or "surety" unless other words remove the implication that the company is an insurer, so "insurance agency" or "surety agent" is acceptable
  • • "Bail bond", because those powers require organisation under the Texas Insurance Code
  • • Any name so grossly offensive as to be unacceptable
  • • "Companies", "corporations", "incorporation" or "unlimited" used alone as the organisational identifier

Words that need another regulator's approval

These are not banned. They need written consent from the body named, obtained before you file.

Words Who must approve
bank, bank and trust, trust, trust company Texas Banking Commissioner, by no objection letter (Tex. Fin. Code §§ 31.005, 181.004). Similar terms and foreign language equivalents count too
college, university, school of medicine, medical school, health science center, school of law, law center, law school Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, by no objection letter (Tex. Educ. Code § 61.313). Applies in English or any other language
veteran, legion, foreign, spanish, disabled, war, world war A veterans organization, in writing, but only where the name implies the company is created for the benefit of war veterans and their families (Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.062)
olympic, olympiad, citius altius fortius United States Olympic Committee, by consent, authorisation or no objection letter (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 16.105)

When is a name too close to one already registered?

This is what catches most filings. Texas compares your name against what is already on the register, and a difference that looks obvious to you may not count.

These do not make a name different

  • • Upper or lower case letters, distinctive lettering or typeface, or superscript and subscript characters: "ACE Woodworks" is the same as "Ace Woodworks", and "NXNW" is the same as "NxNw"
  • • Adding, substituting or omitting punctuation, accents, periods, spaces or symbols: "A.F.G. Consulting" is the same as "AFG Consulting", and "Crossroads Productions" is the same as "Cross Roads Productions"
  • • Adding, substituting or omitting articles and conjunctions: "The Truck Stop" is the same as "Truck Stop", and "Fair View, a Rest Home" is the same as "Fairview Rest Home"
  • • Repeating or dropping a letter where it does not change the name enough: "Texxas Strong" is the same as "Texas Strong", and "Goin’ Strong" is the same as "Going Strong"
  • • Articles and prepositions in a foreign language: "Las Brisas" is the same as "Brisas", and "La Boutique" is the same as "Le Boutique"

These do

  • • A difference of at least one key word: "Sunshine Community Development" is distinguishable from "Sunshine Community Properties"
  • • The same key words in a different order: "Summit Energy" is distinguishable from "Energy Summit"
  • • Key words derived from the same root: "Great Products" is distinguishable from "Great Productions"
  • • The same key words in a different language, because Texas does not translate names when checking availability: "Casa Blanca Productions" is distinguishable from "White House Productions"
  • • Words that sound the same but carry a different meaning: "Jones Tires" is distinguishable from "Joan’s Tires", and "Capitol Investments" from "Capital Investments". But "Express Auto" is the same as "Xpress Auto", and "One World" is the same as "1 World"
  • • Initials count as a single word, so "A & A", "AA", "AAA", "ABA" and "AAB" are all distinguishable from each other. But "A+A Car Rental, Inc.", "A & A Car Rental, Inc." and "A and A Car Rental, Inc." are all the same
  • • Spacing that creates genuinely different words: "Gotham" is distinguishable from "Got Ham", and "XX Tires" from "X Tires"

Names Texas will accept with the other company's consent

  • • A different entity type suffix: "Sampson, Inc." is available with consent from "Sampson, PLLC". But "ABC, LLC" is simply the same as "ABC Limited Liability Company", and consent will not help
  • • A common abbreviation of the same word: "Smith Brothers Plumbing" is available with consent from "Smith Bros. Plumbing", and "United States Enterprises" from "U.S.A. Enterprises"
  • • The singular, plural or possessive form of a word: "On the Banks" is available with consent from "On the Bank"
  • • Adding or dropping a state after a city: "Resources of Austin, Texas" is available with consent from "Resources of Austin"
  • • Consent must be written, unconditional, and signed and notarised by an officer or authorised agent of the consenting company. Oral consent is never accepted
  • • Consent is implied when related entities are formed in the same submission, for example forming ABC Ventures, Ltd. and its general partner ABC Ventures, LLC together
  • • Where a name conflicts with several entities, the Secretary of State asks for consent from the one with the longest continuous use of the name

What Texas Secretary of State will not take into account

Every one of these is a reason founders expect to win an argument about a name, and none of them works.

  • • Whether the proposed company has the same or a similar purpose as an existing one
  • • Whether the two will operate in the same or nearby locations
  • • Whether a similar situation was decided differently before, or whether an employee previously gave an opinion or a determination on the same name
  • • Whether an existing company is actively trading, has a telephone listing, or has a place of business
  • • Whether an existing company is about to change its name, be terminated or merge out of existence
  • • Whether a response to an enquiry can be obtained from the existing company
  • • Whether you have ordered stationery, opened a bank account or signed a contract expecting the name to be available
  • • Whether you are more or less important, extensive, widely known or influential than the existing company
  • • Whether an existing company has filed for or intends to file for bankruptcy
  • • Whether your document was submitted before the document that created the conflicting name

Our comparison cannot judge: Repeated or dropped letters. Texas treats "Texxas Strong" as the same name as "Texas Strong". Words that sound alike. Texas treats "Xpress Auto" as the same as "Express Auto". Words that mean the same thing in another language, where the state translates them. Anything the filing officer decides at their own discretion, which every state reserves.

Searching the official register

  • • SOSDirect is the official record, and it charges a statutory fee for each search. An account must be created and funded first
  • • The Comptroller runs a free Franchise Tax Account Status search that will find most active Texas entities by name, but it is a tax status tool, not the Secretary of State name availability record
  • • SOSDirect is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • • Only active entities count. Revoked, cancelled, merged, dissolved, withdrawn, terminated and forfeited names are not considered, alongside name reservations and registrations on file
  • • Names may use Roman letters, Arabic numerals and the symbols ! " $ % ’ ( ) * ? # = @ [ ] / + & and -. Superscript and subscript cannot be stored, so H₂O is recorded as H2O
  • • Staff will give an opinion on availability by phone, but it is only an opinion. A final determination is made only when the document is submitted for filing
  • • The published conditions and examples are expressly not exclusive, so the Secretary of State retains discretion beyond them

Exceptions worth knowing

  • • A name requiring consent cannot be filed without that consent, and no waiver is available even where there is shared ownership or management, where the existing company is dormant, or where it is about to change its name or be terminated
  • • A name that is not distinguishable can also be accepted if you deliver a certified copy of a final court judgment establishing your right to the name in Texas

Texas Secretary of State

Business & Public Filings Division

Phone
(512) 463-5555

Texas business name questions

How do I search Texas business entity names?

Texas Secretary of State runs the official register at https://direct.sos.state.tx.us/. Search there for the exact name you want. Before you do, use the checker above to confirm the name satisfies Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code §§ 5.052, 5.053 and 5.056, because a name can be unused and still be refused for breaking the naming rules.

What must a Texas LLC name contain?

Under Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code §§ 5.052, 5.053 and 5.056, the name must include one of: Limited Liability Company, Limited Company, LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C..

What words are not allowed in a Texas LLC name?

Texas does not allow: Any name that falsely implies affiliation with a governmental entity, for example "Texas Real Estate Commission"; "Insurance" or "surety" unless other words remove the implication that the company is an insurer, so "insurance agency" or "surety agent" is acceptable; "Bail bond", because those powers require organisation under the Texas Insurance Code; Any name so grossly offensive as to be unacceptable; "Companies", "corporations", "incorporation" or "unlimited" used alone as the organisational identifier.

Which words need approval from another Texas agency?

bank, bank and trust, trust, trust company need Texas Banking Commissioner, by no objection letter (Tex. Fin. Code §§ 31.005, 181.004). Similar terms and foreign language equivalents count too. college, university, school of medicine, medical school, health science center need Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, by no objection letter (Tex. Educ. Code § 61.313). Applies in English or any other language. veteran, legion, foreign, spanish, disabled need A veterans organization, in writing, but only where the name implies the company is created for the benefit of war veterans and their families (Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.062). olympic, olympiad, citius altius fortius need United States Olympic Committee, by consent, authorisation or no objection letter (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 16.105).

What makes two Texas business names too similar?

Texas does not treat these as differences: Upper or lower case letters, distinctive lettering or typeface, or superscript and subscript characters: "ACE Woodworks" is the same as "Ace Woodworks", and "NXNW" is the same as "NxNw"; Adding, substituting or omitting punctuation, accents, periods, spaces or symbols: "A.F.G. Consulting" is the same as "AFG Consulting", and "Crossroads Productions" is the same as "Cross Roads Productions"; Adding, substituting or omitting articles and conjunctions: "The Truck Stop" is the same as "Truck Stop", and "Fair View, a Rest Home" is the same as "Fairview Rest Home"; Repeating or dropping a letter where it does not change the name enough: "Texxas Strong" is the same as "Texas Strong", and "Goin’ Strong" is the same as "Going Strong". Two names that differ only in those ways are the same name to the filing office.

Can I use a name that is already taken in Texas?

Sometimes. A different entity type suffix: "Sampson, Inc." is available with consent from "Sampson, PLLC". But "ABC, LLC" is simply the same as "ABC Limited Liability Company", and consent will not help The consent has to be filed with your formation document.

The other company is not even trading. Does that help?

No. Texas Secretary of State expressly does not consider whether the proposed company has the same or a similar purpose as an existing one; whether the two will operate in the same or nearby locations; whether a similar situation was decided differently before, or whether an employee previously gave an opinion or a determination on the same name.

Does a name search reserve or protect my Texas name?

No. A search tells you what is on the register at that moment. It is not an approval, and it gives you no rights in the name. Availability is finally determined only when your formation document is reviewed.

Can StartGlobal form my Texas LLC?

Yes. Formation is $399 one time with all state and government fees included, and it works from anywhere in the world with no SSN and no US address required.

More for Texas

Check a name in another state

Sources for Texas

  1. 1 Tex. Admin. Code ch. 79 subch. C, Entity Names (§§ 79.30-79.46), as published by the Secretary of State — Texas Secretary of State (checked Aug 10, 2026)
  2. Name Filings FAQs — Texas Secretary of State (checked Aug 10, 2026)
  3. Form 304, Application for Registration of a Foreign LLC: instructions — Texas Secretary of State (checked Aug 10, 2026)
  4. SOSDirect: search fee and account requirements — Texas Secretary of State (checked Aug 10, 2026)
  5. Franchise Tax Account Status Search — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (checked Aug 10, 2026)