Texas lesson 1 of 6
Name your Texas LLC
Texas rejects filings for name conflicts more often than for anything else. The standard is not just an exact match, so check before you pay the $300 filing fee.
Required wording
A Texas LLC name must contain Limited Liability Company or Limited Company, or an abbreviation of either. That means LLC, L.L.C., LC or L.C. are all acceptable endings, and Limited may be shortened to Ltd and Company to Co.
- Acceptable: Lone Star Logistics LLC, Lone Star Logistics Limited Company
- Not acceptable: wording that implies a corporation, bank, or state agency
- Some words, such as bank and trust, need consent from the relevant Texas regulator
The distinguishable standard
Texas will refuse a name that is not distinguishable in the records from an existing entity name. Adding a designator, punctuation or the word the is generally not enough to make a name distinguishable. Search the Comptroller's taxable entity search and the Secretary of State's name availability service before filing.
If you want to lock a name in while you get your paperwork together, a name reservation costs $40 and holds it for 120 days.
A trading name that differs from the registered name is an assumed name in Texas. It is filed on Form 503 with the Secretary of State, and in some cases with the county clerk.
🇺🇸 Check United States company name availability
Search the official United States state registry before you file. Opens the government portal in a new tab.
Tip: also confirm the .com domain and matching social handles are free before you commit.
Key takeaways
- End the name with LLC, L.L.C., LC, L.C. or the words in full.
- Texas applies a distinguishable standard, not just exact match.
- Reservation is $40 for 120 days and is optional.
Official sources
Or let us file your Texas LLC for you
Everything above is yours to use for free. If you would rather hand it over, we prepare and file the Certificate of Formation (Form 205), act as your registered agent, and track your ongoing deadlines.
Last reviewed: September 2026 - reviewed by Gullia Filing Legal & Formation Team