Start a Business in Texas
How to Change Your Texas Business Name
To complete a business name change in Texas, you need to file a form such as an Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation (for corporations), or a Certificate of Amendment (for LLCs). We can handle the heavy lifting for you with our Amendment Filing Service.
Starts at $0 + Texas state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes
Changing the name of your business can be a significant decision. Most small business owners in Texas have spent years growing their business with a lot of sweat and tears. So, it’s understandable that deciding to change their company’s name is a tough one. But sometimes, the circumstances of your business call for a new name. With our help, changing your business name is an easy process to accomplish. We’ll show you how to change a business name in Texas.
How you go about your business name change in Texas will depend upon the type of company you have, whether it’s a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC).
How to Get a New Business Name
Ultimately, it’s pretty easy to change your company’s name in Texas. You have to fill out a form with the Texas Secretary of State’s office. But some legwork has to be done first.
1) Choose a new business name
Choosing your new business name can be fun. There are only a few rules that you have to follow:
- Your new name can’t be used by any other business in Texas
- The business name has to use the business structure abbreviation, such as Inc. or LLC
We can help you check the status of your new name with our Business Name Checker to make sure it’s not already being used.
2) Gather information for filing your amendment
In Texas, there is one form that you use to file to change your company’s name, whether it is an LLC or a corporation, or some other type of business structure. On the Certificate of Amendment form, you check the box associated with your business structure. But you also need some additional information:
- The new name of the company
- Your company’s registered agent and contact information
- Any other changes you would like to make to the formation documents
The new name change is effective upon filing the Certificate of Amendment form. It is also advisable to check your company’s bylaws or operating agreement to determine if there are any rules internal to your company that you need to follow to effect a name change.
3) File your Texas Amendment
You can file the amendment form online or by mail. You have to submit the form and the appropriate fee to the Texas Secretay of State. If you have any questions, reach out to our experts to help you through the process. Please know that we have an Amendment Filing Service to assist you in this process.
After You Change Your Business Name
Once your company’s name is officially changed, you still have some simple follow-up tasks to make sure everything is wrapped up. You will need to add the new name to old, still active business documents such as these:
- All still active contracts, including loan documents, should be amended with the new name
- Review your marketing materials to see what needs to be pulled and changed
- Be sure to review your letterhead, websites, signage, etc., to determine if they need to be updated to reflect the new name.
- Review your business start-up papers to determine if any other documents need updating with the new name
We Can Help
Our goal is to allow you to spend more time making money with your business and less time on paperwork. We understand that as a small business owner, your time is always short and you have many things you’re responsible for. Use our Amendment Filing Service so that you can be assured it’s done correctly.
As always, our Worry-Free Compliance Service helps you and your company by making sure that you are continuously compliant and legal.
If you’ve just started and haven’t created your company yet, we can help you there too. Check out our Texas LLC Formation page and our Texas Corporation Formation page.
Texas Business Name Change FAQs
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A DBA name is a second name for the business usually used for some specific purpose. For example, you may sell cars and have opened up another branch in another town. You may want to use a DBA that uses that new town’s name in it.
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No, if you are using a DBA for a legitimate business purpose, you don’t have to change your company’s original and official name.
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Registering your new business name in Texas is easy. You can register your company’s name with the Texas Secretary of State’s office using a straightforward form.
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There is no limit to the number of changes you can make to your company’s name or other things within the formation documents. Please be advised, however, that there is always a small filing fee with every amendment filing.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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