To change an LLC name in Texas, file a Certificate of Amendment (Form 424) with the Secretary of State, pay the $150 filing fee, and then update your federal and state tax records, bank, lenders, and licenses. Before you file, confirm the new name is available and get the member approval your company agreement requires.
Do You Actually Need a Legal Name Change?
If you want your LLC’s legal name changed on all state records, contracts, and tax filings, you need to amend your certificate of formation. That’s the process below.
If you only want to market or operate under a different name while keeping your existing legal name, an assumed name certificate (a DBA) is faster and cheaper. File Form 503 with the Secretary of State and pay $25. Your legal name on contracts, tax returns, and state filings stays the same.1Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Name Filings FAQs If you want the old name gone entirely, keep reading.
Confirm the New Name Is Available
Your proposed name has to be distinguishable in the Secretary of State’s records from every other registered business entity in Texas. That covers active corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, foreign entities registered here, and names someone else has already reserved.2State of Texas. Texas Business Organizations Code 5.053 – Distinguishable Names Required
Search existing names through SOSDirect, the Secretary of State’s online portal. Check close variations and common misspellings, not just the exact spelling. The Secretary of State has discretion to reject names that are too similar even when they aren’t identical.3Legal Information Institute. 1 Texas Admin Code 79.38 – Distinguishable Names
Your new name also has to include a proper LLC identifier: “Limited Liability Company” or an abbreviation such as “LLC” or “L.L.C.” That’s a requirement under Texas Business Organizations Code Chapter 5.
Search Federal Trademarks Before You Commit
Clearing a name with the Secretary of State only tells you no other Texas entity has that exact name on file. It does not protect you from federal trademark claims. A company in another state could already hold a registered trademark on your proposed name, and that federal registration would give them priority over your state filing. Search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s free database before you commit.4United States Patent and Trademark Office. Search Our Trademark Database Skipping this is how businesses rebrand twice.
Get Member Approval
Amending an LLC’s certificate of formation requires the affirmative vote of all members, unless your company agreement sets a different threshold.5Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Form 424 – Instructions for Certificate of Amendment Single-owner LLC? Easy. Multi-member LLC? You need unanimous consent, or whatever vote your operating agreement specifies, before anyone signs the amendment.
Document the vote. A written resolution signed by the consenting members creates a clean record that the name change was properly authorized. The Secretary of State doesn’t ask to see the resolution when you file, but if a dispute arises later about whether the amendment was valid, the paper trail matters.
File the Certificate of Amendment
The document is Form 424, the Certificate of Amendment. It asks for your LLC’s current legal name exactly as it appears on state records, the file number assigned when the LLC was formed, and a statement of the new name. The form provides template language: you state that the relevant article of your certificate of formation is being amended and write out the new name.6Secretary of State of Texas. Texas Secretary of State Form 424 – Certificate of Amendment
An authorized person, typically a manager or member, signs the form. You can submit it three ways:7Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Filing and Other General FAQs
- Online through SOSDirect or the SOSUpload portal
- By mail to the Corporations Section, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697
- In person or by courier to the James Earl Rudder Office Building, 1019 Brazos, Austin, TX 78701
The filing fee is $150 whichever method you use.8Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Business Filings and Trademarks Fee Schedule Online submissions require a credit card; mailed filings can be paid by check or money order. Once the Secretary of State reviews and approves the filing, you’ll receive a formal acknowledgment confirming the name change.
Processing Times and Expedited Options
Standard filings are processed in the order received, and the timeline shifts with the Secretary of State’s workload. Three expedited tiers are available for Certificates of Amendment:9Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Introducing Texas Express Expedited Business Filings
- Same-day processing: $750 on top of the $150 filing fee; must be received by noon
- Next-business-day processing: $500 on top of the filing fee; also requires receipt by noon
- Standard expedited: $50 on top of the filing fee, typically processed within two to three business days
Expedited review doesn’t guarantee approval. If the form has an error or the name conflicts with an existing one, the expedited fee just buys you a faster rejection.
Notify the IRS and the Texas Comptroller
A name change does not require a new Employer Identification Number. You keep your existing EIN.10Internal Revenue Service. When To Get a New EIN You do need to tell the IRS so its records match yours. How you notify depends on how your LLC is taxed:
- Multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership: if you haven’t yet filed Form 1065 for the current tax year, check the name change box on Page 1, Line G, Box 3 when you file. If you’ve already filed for the year, write to the IRS at the address where you sent your return.11Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 1065
- Single-member LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship: write to the IRS at the address where you file your return. The letter must be signed by the owner or an authorized representative.12Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
- LLC taxed as a corporation: check the name change box on Form 1120 (Page 1, Line E, Box 3) or Form 1120-S (Page 1, Line H, Box 2) when filing your current-year return. If you’ve already filed, send a written notification.12Internal Revenue Service. Business Name Change
Notify the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts as well. The Comptroller’s online account tools handle address changes, but name changes may require direct contact with the office or submission of supporting documentation such as your filed Certificate of Amendment.
Update Banks, Lenders, Licenses, and Contracts
A name change doesn’t create a new legal entity. Your LLC is the same company it was before, and existing contracts generally remain valid without amendment. Counterparties and vendors sometimes request a short written confirmation or addendum acknowledging the change, and it’s worth cooperating to avoid confusion.
Banks typically require a copy of your filed Certificate of Amendment, an updated company resolution, and sometimes new signature cards before they’ll update your accounts. If your LLC has outstanding loans or a line of credit, review your loan agreements for notification requirements. Lenders often need advance notice and may update UCC financing statements to keep their security interests perfected. An outdated debtor name on a UCC filing creates real risk for the lender if not corrected within the applicable grace period, so expect a prompt follow-up.
Update your LLC’s operating agreement to reflect the new legal name. Then work through everything else that carries the old name:
- Professional licenses and business permits issued by state or local agencies
- Your website, email addresses, and marketing materials
- Letterhead, invoices, and business cards
- Insurance policies covering the business
Some of these updates are legally required; others are practical. A professional license listing the wrong entity name can cause problems during an audit or renewal. Business cards are cosmetic. Handle the items with legal or financial consequences first, then work through the rest.