How to Register a DBA in Texas: A Founder's Guide

If your business trades under a name that isn't its legal name, Texas wants that in writing. That paper is an assumed name certificate - the filing Texans call a DBA (doing business as). It costs $25 and takes one form - and founders usually get only one thing wrong: where to file it.

What a DBA is - and what it isn't

A DBA lets a business operate under a different name: the name on your signage, invoices, bank account, and contracts. It does not create a business entity, so it gives you no liability protection. It does not give you exclusive rights to the name - another Texas business can register the same assumed name. And it is not a trademark: it won't stop anyone from using a similar name. Think of it as permission to use a name, not ownership of it.

Where to file: state or county?

Where you file depends entirely on your structure. Corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, LLPs, and foreign entities file Form 503, the Assumed Name Certificate, with the Texas Secretary of State. The fee is $25 per assumed name, filed online through SOSPortal - the system that replaced SOSDirect on September 29, 2026. Since September 1, 2019, registered entities no longer file at the county level too.

Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk in each county where the business has an office - or where it does business, if it has no office. In Harris County, the form is D-02-07: $24 for a notarized application, plus $0.50 per additional owner ($22 for veterans). Mailed applications must be notarized.

How to file Form 503, step by step

• 1. Search the name. Check the Secretary of State's records for the name. A DBA grants no exclusive rights, but trading under an identical name invites confusion and disputes.
• 2. Complete Form 503. Use Form 503 (Revised 09/26). It asks for your entity's legal name, the assumed name, and the duration - up to 10 years.
• 3. File it. Submit online through SOSPortal, or mail the form to P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697. File online.
• 4. Pay $25. Pay by ACH or credit card; cards add a $0.25 plus 2.25% convenience fee.

How long it lasts and how to renew

An assumed name certificate lasts up to 10 years from the filing date. It goes void automatically at the end of that term unless you renew: file a new certificate within six months before expiration, and the new one starts a fresh 10-year term. You can renew for any number of successive terms. There is no amendment form - if the information becomes materially misleading, file a new certificate within 60 days.

DBA vs LLC vs trademark

Founders mix these up constantly. A DBA is permission to use a name - $25, no entity, no protection. An LLC is a separate legal entity: it shields your personal assets and costs $300 to form in Texas (Certificate of Formation, Form 205). A trademark is the only one of the three that gives you exclusive rights to a name, and it comes from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, not the state. You can hold all three at once. One more consequence: an LLC that uses an unregistered assumed name can't bring a lawsuit under that name in Texas courts.

Mistakes to avoid

• Filing at the wrong level. LLCs file with the state; sole proprietors file with the county. The wrong place means the DBA isn't registered at all.
• Using the name before filing. The certificate authorizes the name - don't print it on contracts or open the bank account first.
• Forgetting the renewal. The certificate goes void after 10 years - calendar the expiration date the day you file.
• Assuming a DBA protects the name. It doesn't. If the name matters, look into a trademark.

A DBA is the cheapest filing in Texas business - $25, one form, ten years. Get the level right, file it before you use the name, and calendar the renewal.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice - confirm each step before you file.

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