DBA means "Doing Business As".  If you are an Individual Sole Proprietor and want to do business under a name which is different from your legal name then you have to Register a DBA Name with the county clerks in the Texas counties where you want to conduct business under the DBA Name.

If you are a Corporation or LLC and want to do business under a name which is different from the name which is registered with the Texas Secretary of State then you have to Register a DBA Name with the county clerks in the Texas counties where you want to conduct business under the DBA Name.

In Texas a DBA Name is called a Assumed Name.

In Texas a DBA Name is called a Assumed Name. Other names for a Texas Assumed Name include:

• Texas Alternate Name
• Texas Assumed Business Name
• Texas Business Name
• Texas Fictitious Name
• Texas Trade Name

No.  You CANNOT Register a DBA Name with the Texas Secretary of State.  In Texas you are required to register a DBA Name with the Texas cities or town in which you want to conduct business under your Assumed Name.

Yes. You can register a Texas Assumed Name with the TX Secretary of State for a Texas Corporation or a Texas LLC.

Before a Texas Corporation or LLC can register a DBA Name, the TX Corporation or TX LLC must be in good standing with the Texas Secretary of State.

Yes. You can register a Texas Assumed Name even if you have not formed a Texas Corporation or LLC. In fact that's what most skilled craftsman and professionals do when they want to use a business name other their own name.

You Register a DBA Name with the Texas Secretary of State for an existing Texas business.

You Reserve a Company Name with the Texas Secretary of State for use with a Texas business that will be formed and legally registered with the TX Secretary of State sometime in the future.


When you Register a Corporation or LLC with the Texas Secretary of State there are certain tax and administrative obligations which must be met to keep the company in Good Standing.  Failing to keep up with those obligations can result in the administrative dissolution of your Texas company by the Texas Secretary of State.

The Texas state fees for Registering a DBA Name are less than the fees for Registering a Corporation in Texas or Forming a LLC in Texas and there are no tax or reporting obligation for a Registered Texas DBA Name.

No. The Texas Secretary of State will not issue a good standing certificate (Certificate of Existence) for a registered Texas Assumed Name. Texas good standing certificates are issued only for companies which have registered with the Texas Secretary of State as a Corporation, LLC or LP.

You can renew the Texas Assumed Name before the expiration date if you want to retain ownership of the Texas Assumed Name.