How to Add, Change, or Renew a DBA in Texas
A Texas LLC, corporation, or limited partnership adds a DBA by filing an Assumed Name Certificate with the Secretary of State. Texas has no way to amend one. When the name, the information on it, or its term needs to change, your business files a new certificate. When you stop using a name, you can retire it with a statement of abandonment.
A new certificate is generally required within 60 days when the information on your current one becomes materially misleading. A change in your business's legal name, address, or structure counts. A DBA also expires at the end of its term, which can be up to 10 years. To keep using the name, your business files a new certificate before the current one expires.
That makes a DBA something you revisit, not something you file once. Every change starts the same way: a new certificate, filed under your legal name, with current information.
Need to add or refile a DBA? Start with a free status check. We confirm your business is active with the Secretary of State and the Comptroller, then file your new certificate for one flat fee from $129, state filing fee included.
How do I add a DBA to my Texas LLC or corporation?
Your business files an Assumed Name Certificate with the Secretary of State. Since 2019, Texas LLCs, corporations, and limited partnerships file only with the state, not with the county.
The certificate states:
the assumed name and your entity's legal name
the entity type and Secretary of State file number
your principal office address
the counties where the name will be used
how long the name will be used, up to 10 years
We collect all of it when you order. We file only for businesses formed in Texas that are active with both the Secretary of State and the Comptroller, so a forfeited business needs Texas reinstatement first. Not sure a DBA is the right filing?
Can I change a DBA in Texas?
Not by amending it. Texas has no amendment or correction procedure for an assumed name certificate. When something on it needs to change, your business files a new certificate with the current information.
When does a Texas DBA need a new filing?
Some events require a new certificate within 60 days. Others are optional.
What happened | What Texas requires |
You want to operate under another name | A new certificate for that name |
Your business changed its legal name | A new certificate within 60 days |
Your business changed its address | A new certificate within 60 days |
Your business changed its structure | A new certificate within 60 days |
The term is ending and you want to keep the name | A new certificate before it expires |
You stopped using the name | A statement of abandonment, which is optional |
If the change is a new legal name, you can order the name change and the new DBA together.
Changed your name, address, or structure? Your DBA needs a new certificate. We collect the details when you order, prepare the filing, and send your filed copy electronically. If your legal name changed too, the name change and new DBA can go in one order.
How do I renew a DBA in Texas?
By filing a new certificate before the current one expires. There is no separate renewal form. The new certificate starts a new term of up to 10 years.
Don’t count on a reminder from the state. Your expiration date is on the filed certificate, so put it on your calendar the day it’s filed. If your DBA has already expired, a new certificate puts the name back on record.
How do I cancel a DBA in Texas?
A DBA filed with the Secretary of State is retired by filing a statement of abandonment with the Secretary of State. A DBA filed with a county clerk uses the county's process instead.
When you file a new DBA with us, you can retire your old one in the same order, as long as it was filed with the Secretary of State.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my DBA be the same as my LLC's name?
Not exactly the same. Texas rejects an assumed name that matches your legal name, because it isn't really a different name. Variations work, such as dropping "LLC" or "Inc." A DBA doesn't need an ending like LLC at all.
Can I use my DBA in only certain Texas counties?
Yes. The certificate states where the name will be used: all counties, all counties except the ones you list, or only the ones you list.
What happens if my Texas DBA expires?
The certificate stops being effective at the end of its term. To keep operating under the name, your business needs a new certificate on file.
Do I need to cancel my old DBA when I change my business name?
Texas doesn't require it. The old certificate stays on the public record until it expires, though, so retiring it keeps your record clean. You can do that in the same order as your new DBA.
Does a Texas DBA need to be notarized?
No. Assumed name certificates filed with the Secretary of State don't need to be notarized or carry an original signature.
Add a name, refile after a change, or renew before it expires. We handle the filing, and you can retire an old DBA in the same order for $29.
