Texas business search, both agencies deep.
Texas keeps a company's story in two places: the Secretary of State holds the existence record, and the Comptroller holds franchise-tax standing. Plenty of companies look alive in one and forfeited in the other. Reading both is the difference between a search and an answer.
Checking a name for your new company? We search the state record properly, with the near-misses that cause rejections.
Search the way that matches what you already know
Drop the designator: "Acme Holdings" returns more than "Acme Holdings LLC". The state search matches from the start of the name, so lead with the first word, and remember sound-alike spellings are separate records. Have us run the name check →
The number the Secretary of State assigns at filing. It survives name changes and conversions, which makes it the unambiguous handle on one exact entity. Verify an exact entity with us →
Every Texas entity names a registered agent on the public record, which is how process servers, and the curious, find companies. It is also why founders who value privacy put a professional agent there instead of themselves. See how agents appear on the record →
Status, principal address, registered agent, and the filing history, including the original formation documents. Public, free, and current, which is exactly why counterparties will read yours before they sign.
Alive at the state, forfeited at the tax office
Texas has no annual report to the Secretary of State; the yearly rhythm is the Comptroller’s franchise-tax report due May 15. Standing therefore lives in two places, and serious counterparties check both.
What you found decides what you do next
Texas wants distinguishable names and forfeited holders can revive. Run a proper availability check, then file the Texas LLC while it is clean.
Cure the right agency: reinstatement sequences the tax clearance and the state filing, then May 15 goes on a calendar that watches itself.
Match the legal name on your contract to the record exactly, confirm standing the day you sign, and read the filing history. For anything with money on it, order a certificate of standing, the state-sealed version of "they are real."
He reads both records before freight moves
The carrier had trucks, insurance, and references. The state said In Existence; the tax side said Forfeited Existence since spring. A company that cannot enforce a contract cannot really sign one, so we made the cure a condition of onboarding. They fixed it in a week and hauled for us for years. Both records, every time.
Representative composite drawn from customer outcomes.
Ask what the record means for you
Is "Lone Star Rigging" taken in Texas?
The state says In Existence but the tax record says Forfeited. Which is true?
Keep my May 15 from becoming a forfeiture?
Whatever you found, the platform runs it
Every state's record, one guide per state
Name AvailabilityDistinguishable is not the same as safe, check properly
Registered AgentA Texas address that never misses a service of process
Compliance CalendarYour deadlines tracked, so the record stays boring
CRMThe counterparties you vet become the clients you keep
Business BankingOpen the account the day your filing comes back
Texas, from search to filed
How to Start an LLC in Texas
Certificate of Formation to running, the Texas playbook.
Read the guide → CostsWhat a Texas LLC Costs
State fees, the recurring bill, and the first-year total.
See the numbers → State hubForm a Business in Texas
Entity types, taxes, and the Texas playbook.
Open the hub → FileForm an LLC in Texas
From clean name to filed Articles, handled.
Start the filing →Texas Business Search questions.
What is the Texas Secretary of State business search?
It is the public Texas database where anyone can look up a registered entity's name, status, registered agent, and filing history. You use it to check name availability, confirm good standing, or research a company. We run Texas searches for you and interpret what the results mean for your plans.
How do I search for a business in Texas?
You use the Texas Secretary of State's online business search by name or entity number to pull up the public record. Results show status and basic details but not everything, ownership is often private. We run the Texas search and explain what it does and does not reveal about a given entity.
Can I check if a business name is available in Texas?
Yes, the search is the first step: you look for existing Texas entities with the same or a similar name, though availability also depends on the state's naming rules and similarity standards, so a quick search is not a guarantee. We do a proper Texas availability check before you commit to a name and branding.
How do I confirm a company is in good standing in Texas?
The search shows a status, active, in good standing, delinquent, or dissolved, but for official confirmation third parties want a Certificate of Good Standing. We can pull the Texas status and order that certificate when you need authoritative proof for a deal or lender.
Can I see a company's filing history in Texas?
Often yes: many Texas searches show past filings, formation, amendments, annual reports, which is useful for due diligence on a partner or competitor, though depth varies by state. We pull and interpret the Texas filing history for you when you are vetting an entity before doing business with it.
Why can't I find my own business in the Texas search?
Common reasons: it was just filed and not yet indexed, the name is slightly different, or the entity was dissolved and dropped from active results. We check the Texas record, confirm your status, and fix anything, like a lapse needing reinstatement, that is keeping you from appearing correctly.
How do I find out who owns an LLC in Texas?
Sometimes you can, sometimes you cannot. The public record shows the registered agent and the names the state requires on filings, but members of an LLC do not always have to appear, so true owners can stay off the record. If privacy matters for your own filing, that structure plus identity & privacy is how founders stay unlisted.
Still specific to your situation? Ask BosAI ↑
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