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Guides · Texas

Texas DBA (assumed name): what it costs and how to file

In Texas, who you are decides where a DBA goes. An LLC files an assumed name certificate (Form 503) with the Secretary of State and pays $25. Since September 1, 2019 it no longer files with the county clerk as well. The certificate lasts up to 10 years, and you renew by filing a new one in the six months before it expires. Texas has no newspaper notice. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk in each county where they do business. The statute puts that fee at $2 plus 50 cents per name indexed, but the Dallas and Harris county clerks list $23 to $25, so ask your clerk.

Last checked 2026-11-08. General information, not legal or tax advice.

Texas DBA at a glance

Who files where
LLCs and corporations: Secretary of State only. Sole proprietors and general partnerships: county clerk in each county.
LLC filing fee
$25 to the Secretary of State (Form 503), one certificate per name
Term and renewal
Up to 10 years. Renew by filing a new certificate in the 6 months before it expires ($25)
Publication
None. Texas does not require a newspaper notice.
Sole proprietor fee
Set by the county clerk: $23 to $25 in Dallas and Harris counties (the statute says $2 plus 50 cents per name)
Does an LLC need one?
Yes, if it trades under any name other than the exact name on its certificate of formation

Does a Texas LLC need a DBA?

Yes, if it does business under any name other than the exact name in its certificate of formation. An LLC that regularly conducts business in Texas under an assumed name must file an assumed name certificate (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 71.101). For an LLC, an assumed name is any name other than the one stated in its certificate of formation (§ 71.002(2)(H)), so "Acme Bakery" is an assumed name for "Acme Bakery LLC". The Secretary of State says an assumed name certificate is not required to include "LLC". A foreign LLC registered in Texas files the same way.

Trading under the exact name on your certificate of formation needs no filing (§ 71.003(b)). A Texas entity may use an assumed name once it complies with Chapter 71 (Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.051).

Not filing has two costs. You can't bring a lawsuit in a Texas court over a contract or act that used the assumed name until the certificate is filed, although your contracts stay valid and you can still defend a suit (§ 71.201). And intentionally violating the chapter while doing business under an assumed name is a Class A misdemeanor (§ 71.202).

State or county: where does an LLC file?

With the Secretary of State only. An LLC that must file an assumed name certificate files it in the office of the secretary of state (§ 71.103). The county-filing subsections of that section were repealed by HB 3609 effective September 1, 2019, and the Secretary of State confirms that an entity filing with it is not required to file with the county clerk.

The certificate still names the counties where you will use the name (§ 71.102), but that is one filing at the state. Item 8 of Form 503 lets you check all counties, all counties except the ones you list, or only the ones you list.

What it costs the state

The Secretary of State's fee is set by statute at $25 for indexing and filing each assumed name certificate (§ 71.155(b)), and its Form 503 instructions state the same $25:

  • Assumed name certificate (Form 503): $25 per name
  • Renewal: a new certificate, so $25 again
  • New certificate after a change (name, address or form of business): $25
  • Statement of abandonment (Form 504): $10
  • Card payments: a convenience fee of $0.25 plus 2.25% of total fees

Each assumed name needs its own certificate, so two names cost $25 each. A certificate filed with the Secretary of State does not need to be notarized.

How long it lasts and how to renew

A certificate lasts for the term you state on it, up to 10 years from the day it is filed (§ 71.151(a)). It is void at the end of that term unless, within the six months before it expires, you file a renewal certificate (§ 71.151(b)). You can renew as many times as you like, up to 10 years each time (§ 71.151(c)). The Secretary of State describes renewal as filing a new certificate, and the fee statute charges $25 for each certificate, so a renewal costs $25.

There is no amendment. If the information on the certificate becomes materially misleading, for example your legal name, address or form of business changes, you must file a new certificate within 60 days (§ 71.152). If you stop using the name, you can file a statement of abandonment for $10 (§ 71.153).

Is there a publication requirement?

No. Texas has no newspaper notice for an assumed name, whether you are an LLC or a sole proprietor. Chapter 71 of the Business & Commerce Code (ch. 71) covers who must file, what the certificate says, where it is filed, how long it lasts, the fees and the penalties, and none of its sections calls for publication.

Sole proprietors and partnerships: the county route

If you haven't formed an LLC, your DBA is an assumed name certificate filed with the county clerk. A person who regularly does business under an assumed name, other than as a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, LLC or foreign filing entity, must file one (§ 71.051). That covers sole proprietors and general partnerships. You file with the county clerk in each county where you have business premises or, if you have none, in each county where you do business (§ 71.054).

The certificate lists the assumed name, your full name and residence address (or each partner's), the term (up to 10 years), and that the business is a sole proprietorship, partnership or other unincorporated business (§ 71.052). It must be executed and acknowledged (§ 71.053).

The statute sets the county clerk's fee at $2 per certificate plus 50 cents for each name indexed, and lets the clerk waive it for a military veteran (§ 71.155(a)). The clerks we checked charge far more. Dallas County's fee page lists $23 for the first signature. Harris County lists $24 notarized or $25 non-notarized for the first owner, plus 50 cents for each additional owner and a $1 witnessing fee per document on non-notarized filings. We could not tie those figures to a statute, so ask your county clerk for its current total.

Forming an LLC moves you off this route: the LLC files once with the Secretary of State and skips the county.

How to file an LLC assumed name

  1. Confirm you need one. If you trade under the exact name on your certificate of formation you don't, and the Secretary of State will not accept a certificate for the exact legal name.
  2. Complete Form 503: the assumed name, your LLC's legal name and file number, the jurisdiction it was formed in, its principal office address, the term (up to 10 years) and the counties where you will use the name (§ 71.102). File a separate certificate for each name.
  3. Have an officer, member, manager or representative of the LLC sign it (§ 71.104). No notary is needed at the Secretary of State.
  4. File it with the Secretary of State online through SOSPortal, or by mail or in person with a check or money order, and pay $25 per certificate.
  5. Put the renewal on your calendar for the six months before the term ends, and file a new certificate within 60 days if your name, address or form of business changes.

Need the LLC first?

An assumed name is filed by an existing LLC. If you haven't formed yours yet, start there; the state fees and steps are on the Texas page.

Start a Texas LLCOr let your AI assistant do the intake

What we couldn't verify

  • Why county clerks charge more than the statute. Section 71.155(a) sets the county fee at $2 plus 50 cents per name indexed, yet Harris County lists $24 to $25 and Dallas County $23. We could not tie the larger figures to a statute, so a sole proprietor should confirm the current total with the county clerk.
  • Dallas County's own pages disagree: its filing fees page lists $23.00 for the first signature, while its assumed name FAQ says $24.00. We quote the fees page. Fees in counties other than Dallas and Harris were not checked.
  • The Secretary of State's fee schedule page (direct.sos.state.tx.us/help/help-corp.asp?pg=fee) returned an error on 2026-11-08, so the $25 comes from the Form 503 instructions, the Name Filings FAQ and the statute, which agree.
  • The Secretary of State publishes no separate renewal fee. We read a renewal as a new certificate under section 71.155(b)(1), which charges $25 for each certificate.
  • The card convenience fee is taken from the Form 503 instructions page and was not checked against the current SOSPortal checkout screen. Whether the Secretary of State offers expedited handling of an assumed name certificate, and at what fee, was not checked.
  • No newspaper requirement was found in Chapter 71 or in a keyword search of Texas statutes for assumed name publication. We did not read every Texas code for an industry-specific notice rule.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a DBA cost in Texas?

For an LLC, $25 to the Secretary of State for each assumed name certificate (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 71.155(b)). Paying by card adds a convenience fee of $0.25 plus 2.25% of total fees. A sole proprietor files with the county clerk, whose fee varies: $23 on Dallas County's fee page and $24 to $25 on Harris County's, against $2 plus 50 cents per name in the statute.

Do I file a Texas LLC's DBA with the county?

No. Since September 1, 2019 an LLC files its assumed name certificate only with the Texas Secretary of State (§ 71.103). The county clerk filing is for sole proprietors, general partnerships and other unincorporated businesses (§ 71.051).

Does a Texas assumed name have to be published in a newspaper?

No. Chapter 71 of the Business & Commerce Code has no publication requirement, for LLCs or for sole proprietors.

How long does a Texas assumed name last, and how do I renew?

Up to 10 years from the day it is filed (§ 71.151). To renew, file a new certificate in the six months before it expires. The filing fee is $25 per certificate.

Does my Texas LLC need a DBA?

Only if it does business under a name other than the exact name in its certificate of formation (§ 71.101, § 71.003(b)). Dropping "LLC" from the name counts as a different name. Until you file, you can't sue in a Texas court over a contract or act that used the name (§ 71.201), and an intentional violation is a Class A misdemeanor (§ 71.202).

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