Texas Business Name Search

Naming your Texas LLC

A limited liability company is one of the most common forms of business in the US and Texas. There are several benefits that an LLC provides its owners or members including tax advantages and hence is an attractive entity type for first time entrepreneurs. In order to register your LLC properly, there are a few aspects you need to consider with the most important being naming of the Texas LLC. You have to identify a business name and conduct Texas LLC name search to identify and reserve the chosen name. You have to also ensure that the chosen name is in accordance with the Texas business name rules.

General LLC naming rules

The naming of a Texas LLC is fundamental towards the formation or registration of the new business in the state. When you decide to choose a name for your new LLC, it is essential to follow Texas business name rules so that the new name is accepted by the office of the Secretary of State. The Texas LLC naming and reservation is governed by Sections 5.101 to 5.106 of the Texas Business Organizations Code(BOC). The naming rules to follow are:

• Distinguishable Names – Your business name should always be unique. In other words, the name under which a limited-liability company plans to transact business in Texas should be distinguishable in the database of the secretary of state pursuant to Business Organizations Code, Title 1 – general provisions, Chapter 5 – names of entities, registered agents and registered offices, Subchapter A, general provisions, Sec. 5.053. You can check for uniqueness by conducting a Texas LLC name search.
• Name and Abbreviations – An important aspect of Texas business name rules is that the name of a Texas limited liability company and a foreign LLC should include “Limited Liability Company” or “limited company” in the name. An abbreviation of these phrases like “LLC,” “LC,” “Limited”, or “Ltd.” can also be used pursuant to Sec. 5.056 of the Business Organizations Code, Title 1, Chapter 5.
• False Implication – Prior to conducting a Texas LLC name search it is important to ensure that the name doesn’t falsely imply affiliation to any government agency as governed by 1 TX Admin Code § 79.33.

Search LLC business name availability in the Texas Comptroller’s website

Once you have chosen a name in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code and the Texas Business Organizations Code (BOC), you need to conduct a Texas LLC name search. The Texas business name availability can be checked on the Texas Comptroller’s website under the Taxable Entity Search option. This will help you to check if your chosen business name is available or already in use by another entity. If the name is not available then you will have to go through the name creation process again and then conduct name search again. If your chosen name is available then you can proceed with reserving the name.

Naming your Texas Corporation

A business corporation is one of the most popular forms of business in Texas and this is due to the several benefits or advantages it has over other forms of business. Limited liability, ease of ownership transfers, and perpetual life are some of the top benefits. Over and above all, business corporations attract investors and venture capitalists (VCs). If you are thinking of incorporating your startup in Texas then there are some aspects to consider like choosing a business name. In order to choose a name, you will be required to conduct a Texas Corporation name search to check availability of the chosen name. It is important to note that there are certain Texas business name rules that you have to consider while naming your startup.

General Corporation naming rules

The naming of a Texas corporation is one of the foremost requirements towards the incorporation of your startup. There is a process for choosing an entity name and the process includes the ideation phase, finalizing a name, conducting a Texas Corporation name search, and reserving or registering the name. When you are in the ideation phase or “finalizing a name” phase, following Texas business name rules is crucial towards acceptance of the name in the office of the Secretary of State (SOS). The naming of your corporation is governed by the Texas Business Organizations Code (BOC) and the Texas Administrative Code. The naming rules for a corporation are as follows:

• Names should be distinguishable – The principal requirement according to Texas business name rules is that your chosen name should be clearly distinguishable from any other name in the database or records maintained by the Secretary of State. In other words, your chosen name cannot be the same or similar to a name being used by any other business registered in the state. The name has to be unique. A Texas Corporation name search can help you to determine if your name is unique or not.
• Abbreviations – One of the important Texas business name rules is the use of words or abbreviations in the name of a business entity. The name of a Texas corporation, Professional Corporation, and foreign corporation must contain the words “incorporated”, “corporation”, “company”, or “limited”. You can also use abbreviations like “Inc.”, “Corp.” “P.C.”, or “Ltd.” pursuant to Sec. 5.054 of the Business Organizations Code, Title 1, Chapter 5.
• False Implication – One of the salient aspects to remember prior to conducting a Texas Corporation name search is that the chosen name should not falsely imply any affiliation to a government agency.

Search Texas Corporation name availability in the Texas Comptroller’s website

The process of identifying the correct business name is crucial towards ensuring proper reservation of the business name. A Texas Corporation name search will help you in this endeavor by showing a database or record of all business names in the state, so that you can compare and ascertain if your chosen name is unique. You can conduct Texas business name availability search through the Taxable Entity Search tool on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) portal.

Need any Assistance in Texas Business Name Search?

A business name is crucial towards creating an identity for a startup, which future customers or clients can relate to. A business name also plays a significant role in marketing and brand promotion activities. There is a creative side of a business name and then there is the process of registration, which requires you follow Texas business name rules.