48 · jurisdiction profile

Texas business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by Texas Secretary of State, Corporations Section. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

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Domestic LLC

Texas Form 205 Certificate of Formation for an LLC costs $300, plus a 2.7% statutory credit-card convenience fee when applicable. The form requires a distinguishable name, registered agent/office, initial mailing address for Comptroller correspondence, organizer, and governing information.

Domestic corporation

Texas Form 201 Certificate of Formation for a for-profit corporation costs $300, plus the 2.7% credit-card convenience fee when applicable. Authorized shares and par/no-par terms are stated in the charter but do not create a separate share-based formation fee in the standard form.

Standard turnaround

Certificates of formation can be filed online through SOSDirect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or submitted by mail/courier. Electronic submission is faster, but acceptance depends on completeness and name review; no universal standard approval time is promised.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For Texas, the filing office is Texas Secretary of State, Corporations Section. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as Texas SOSDirect / Comptroller Taxable Entity Search. The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision point	What the current profile says
Domestic formation	LLC: Texas Form 205 Certificate of Formation for an LLC costs $300, plus a 2.7% statutory credit-card convenience fee when applicable. The form requires a distinguishable name, registered agent/office, initial mailing address for Comptroller correspondence, organizer, and governing information. Corporation: Texas Form 201 Certificate of Formation for a for-profit corporation costs $300, plus the 2.7% credit-card convenience fee when applicable. Authorized shares and par/no-par terms are stated in the charter but do not create a separate share-based formation fee in the standard form.
Foreign qualification	LLC: A foreign LLC registers under Form 304 and the general foreign-entity fee is $750. A foreign entity that transacted business for more than 90 days can owe late registration fees calculated by whole or partial calendar years times the applicable registration fee; the application needs home-jurisdiction evidence and a Texas agent/office. Corporation: A foreign for-profit corporation's registration fee is generally $750, with the same late-registration exposure for prior unauthorized Texas activity. File the applicable application, home-jurisdiction evidence, registered agent/office, and tax/account information; the entity cannot maintain a Texas action until registered.
Recurring maintenance	LLC: Texas LLCs generally do not file an SOS annual report; they file annual franchise-tax and Public Information Report/Ownership Information Report materials through the Comptroller. For 2026, the no-tax-due threshold is $2.65 million, but qualifying entities still file PIR/OIR unless an exception applies; use the Comptroller's current due date and instructions. Corporation: Texas corporations likewise file annual franchise-tax reports or required PIR/OIR reports with the Comptroller rather than a routine SOS annual report. For 2026 the no-tax-due threshold is $2.65 million; entities at or below it generally avoid the No Tax Due Report but still file PIR/OIR unless exempt.
Registered agent	Texas permits a registered agent who is an individual resident of Texas or a domestic/qualified foreign entity authorized to transact business in Texas. The agent must maintain a physical Texas registered office and consent to serve; a P.O. box alone is inadequate. Failure to maintain both can result in involuntary termination.

Choose your next guide

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Business lookup

A focused Texas operating guide for business lookup.

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Annual reports

A focused Texas operating guide for annual reports.

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Good standing

A focused Texas operating guide for good standing.

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Registered agent

A focused Texas operating guide for registered agent.

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.