How To Register A Small Business Name In Texas
Pick a business name this may sound obvious but you need to choose a business name.
How to register a small business name in texas. In general sole proprietorships and partnerships need to register with the county clerk s office. Determine the appropriate legal structure of the business and file the business name with the state or county. Sole proprietorships and partnerships are simpler than llcs and corporations but all of these business types have specific rules to follow in texas they will have different filing requirements naming rules and processes to register or. Individuals and unincorporated entities that do business using an assumed name often referred to as a dba must file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in each county in which business premises are maintained. If you decide to incorporate register with the secretary of state s office sos.
The texas state government makes it easy to register your business name. If you want to trademark your business brand or product name file with the united states patent and trademark office once you ve formed your business. Texas trademark registration allows a business to protect its name logo or slogan from use by another business in the state of texas. A name registration is a filing that can be made by an organization that is authorized to do business in texas as a bank trust company savings association or insurance company or that is a foreign filing entity not registered to transact business in texas under the texas business organizations code. In this example we will look up sew what and click name availability check.
If your business was formed in a state or entity other than texas but you want to transact business in the state you need to file an application for registration with the texas secretary of state as a foreign entity. Steps to register a business name in texas. More generally any business operating in texas should register with the cpa. State trademark registration is a simpler faster and less expensive process than federal trademark registration for a business that operates solely within texas and doesn t have plans to expand beyond the state. After you determine that your business name is unique in the state and decide the type of business entity being established.
Registering a business name in texas depends on the type of business structure you already have or want to form. Step 5 business tax responsibilities. Enter the name you would like to use in the entity name field. Small businesses sometimes register with the federal government for trademark protection or tax exempt status. How to do a texas business name search visit the texas comptroller of public accounts website.