Register a DBA Online in Texas with MyCorporation
MyCorporation helps you register a DBA (Assumed Name) in Texas. If your business uses a name different from its legal name, you can apply for a DBA online. We handle the paperwork and submit it to the right office in Texas.
File an Assumed Name in Texas
A DBA, or Doing Business As, is also known as an assumed name. Texas businesses use a DBA when they want to operate under a different public name. This name can be used on branding, sales materials, and in everyday business.
Our team helps you begin the filing process by collecting the business details needed for Texas records. We include your information in the paperwork and submit your name to the right office.
Submit Your Texas DBA Online
Filing online is a straightforward way to get started. You provide the required business details, and we use that information to prepare your assumed name filing for Texas. The right office depends on your business type. Some filings go to the county, while others go to the state. Our service makes sure your filing goes to the correct place.
Get Help with Texas DBA Filing
A Texas DBA filing can include the business name, legal name, address, owner information, and filing location. Missing details can slow down the process or lead to a rejected filing.
We guide you through each step. Our team uses your information to prepare the paperwork and submits your Texas assumed name filing for you.
Start Your Texas DBA Application
You can begin by entering the name you want to use and the legal business details associated with it. The correct filing office depends on your business structure: either the county clerk or the Texas Secretary of State.
We give you a filing service built for that process. You enter the required details; we prepare and submit the DBA application online for Texas.
What Is a DBA Filing?
A doing business as (DBA) filing puts a business use name on the public record. It connects that trade name to the owner or legal entity using it. In Texas, the filing is made as an assumed name certificate.
Businesses use it when they want to sell or advertise under another name. It can also be used for contracts or bank account records. The record helps identify the business behind the name and provides contact details for that filing.
Who May Need to File a DBA in Texas?
You may need to register a DBA online before using another name in public, a name that differs from the legal name associated with your business. In Texas, the place and method for applying for a DBA online can vary depending on your business structure.
- Sole Proprietors: A sole proprietor may need a DBA when the business name does not use the owner's last name. In Texas, the county clerk receives the assumed name filing. You file it in the county where the business is based. If there is no business location, the filing must be made in each county where the business operates under that name.
- General Partnerships: A partnership may need a DBA when the public business name does not include the surnames of all partners. That filing is made with the county clerk in the county where the business location is kept. Some partnerships operate without a Texas business address; in that case, a filing is required in every county where business is conducted under that name.
- LLCs and Corporations: An LLC or corporation may need a DBA when it wants to use a name other than the entity name on state records. In Texas, those entities file the assumed name certificate with the Secretary of State. A county filing is no longer required for those entity filings, and Secretary of State assumed name filings do not need notarization.
DBA Filing Rules for LLCs and Corporations in Texas
For a Texas LLC or corporation, the assumed name filing is subject to state entity rules. You may need that filing if the business uses a public name that differs from the legal name on record. For these entities, the assumed name certificate is filed with the Texas Secretary of State.
Rules for LLCs
- File the assumed name certificate with the Texas Secretary of State.
- Use Form 503 for the state filing.
- The certificate may be signed by a member, manager, representative, or an attorney‑in‑fact.
- The filing period cannot exceed 10 years.
- State‑filed assumed name certificates do not need notarization.
Rules for Corporations
- File the assumed name certificate with the Texas Secretary of State.
- Use Form 503 for the filing.
- The certificate may be signed by an officer, a representative, or an attorney‑in‑fact.
- The assumed name term cannot exceed 10 years.
- A county filing is not required for these entity filings.
How to File a DBA Online Step by Step
At MyCorporation, we guide you through the Texas DBA filing process step by step. We start with your business name and filing details. Our team prepares the paperwork for the right office, and the filing is reviewed before it is recorded.
Check if the Name Is Available
Begin by choosing the business name you want to use. For LLCs and corporations, the name is checked against the Secretary of State's business name records. Small changes in punctuation or endings might not make a name acceptable. If your DBA is filed at the county level, you may need to check the county clerk's records before filing.
Choose Where the DBA Must Be Filed
We file your DBA in the right place based on your business type. LLCs and corporations file with the Texas Secretary of State.
Sole proprietors or general partnerships file with the county clerk where the business is located. If your business does not have a fixed address, you may need to file in every county where you use the name.
Prepare the Assumed Name Filing
Our team prepares your assumed name filing with all the required business details. Texas Form 503 asks for the assumed name, legal entity name, entity type, file number (if you have one), place of formation, and business address. We also include the filing term. State filings last up to 10 years, and each assumed name needs its own certificate.
Submit the DBA Filing
Once the form is ready, submit it to the right office. State entity filings can be done online through SOSDirect using Form 503. The filing fee for an assumed name certificate with the Secretary of State is $25.
County clerk filings follow local rules, and fees can vary by county. County assumed name filings must be notarized, but filings with the Texas Secretary of State do not require notarization.
Wait for the Filing to Be Processed
After we send your filing, the office reviews the form. If it meets all requirements, it will be recorded. The information you provide and the way you file can affect how long it takes. If anything is missing, you may need to fix the filing.
Information Required to Apply for a DBA Online
To apply for a DBA online, begin with your business details for the filing. You'll also need to know which office to file with. The required information can vary based on your filing type and business record.
- Proposed DBA Name: Enter the name you want to use in public. Make sure the spelling matches the name you plan to place on signs, forms, and business records. Use the full name as you want it filed.
- Legal Business Name: The legal name tied to the business (your full personal name or the registered entity name already on file). The filing connects that legal name to the DBA.
- Business Address: The business address used for the filing. Use the correct street address, city, state, and ZIP code. The address should match the business record tied to the name filing.
- Owner or Entity Details: Required owner or entity details for the filing (owner's name, names of partners, or LLC/corporation name). Some filings may also ask for the entity type or state file number.
- County or State Filing Information: The correct filing office before submission. Some DBA filings are made at the county level; others are filed with the state office. The right filing location depends on how the business is formed.
How Long Does It Take to File a DBA in Texas?
You can expect about 1 to 2 business days for a Texas DBA filed online with the Secretary of State. A mailed state filing can take about 7 to 10 business days to be recorded.
County clerk timing can vary from one Texas county to another. Your filing may take longer when details are missing, signatures are incomplete, or the office needs more review. At MyCorporation, we help you first submit the filing with the business details required for the receiving office.
Benefits of DBA Registration
A DBA registration is useful if you want to use a business name that's different from your legal name. The filing puts your chosen name on public record and links it to you or your business. This record helps you use the name in customer interactions, printed materials, and everyday business documents.
- Allows the use of another business name in public
- Connects that name to the owner or legal entity
- Places the name on public record
- Supports the use of the name in sales and advertising
- Helps match the business name with filing records
- Adds business contact details to the filing record
Where Can You File to Change or Abandon a DBA?
You file the change or abandonment in the office where the original DBA was recorded. That filing office depends on your business structure and the first filing location. In Texas, some DBA records remain with the county clerk, while others are filed and updated with the Texas Secretary of State.
File with the County Clerk
When your original DBA was filed at the county level, you file the change or abandonment with that same county clerk. That office maintains the local record for the assumed name. If your business used that name in more than one county, you may need to check each county record connected to the filing.
File with the Texas Secretary of State
You file with the Texas Secretary of State when the original assumed name was recorded there. That filing point applies to state‑level entity records. For those filings, abandonment is made through the Secretary of State's form for that purpose.
What Happens After You File a DBA in Texas
After you file a DBA in Texas, the office reviews your form and checks the details. Once accepted, your assumed name becomes part of the public record. Keep a copy of the filing for your business records. You can then use the name as approved.
- The filing office reviews the form.
- The name record is placed in the file if accepted.
- You receive a filed copy or confirmation.
- The assumed name becomes part of the public record.
- You keep the filing for business records.
- The name can then be used in business activity.
- A new filing may be needed before the record expires.
- Any later change or abandonment must be filed separately.
Why Choose MyCorporation to Apply for a DBA Online
MyCorporation has been helping business owners with filing services since 1998. We handle filings in all 50 states and offer more than just DBA services. You can also use us for registered agent services, annual reports, amendments, and other business filings.
Many business owners choose us for DBA filing support because our service is built around business records, state submissions, and compliance. We've helped form over 1 million businesses and continue to support filing needs in all 50 states.
Apply For a DBA Online Now
Apply for a DBA online with MyCorporation to file your Texas business name. Enter your business details, start the paperwork, and submit your assumed name filing to the right office. You can call us at 877‑692‑6772 to speak with our team or use the online form to begin your Texas DBA application.