Texas Secretary of State office — contact, fees & licensing

Updated August 2026

Official Resource

The Texas Secretary of State's Business & Public Filings Division handles entity formations, amendments, registered agent designations, and certificates of existence. Filings can be submitted through SOSDirect (online), by mail, courier, or in person at the Austin office; fax filing was discontinued September 15, 2025. The Texas Express same-day and next-day service is available only for in-person filings at 400 W. 15th St.

Office contact

Walk-in address: 400 W. 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 (lobby hours 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; a temporary relocation from the office's prior address)
Courier / express delivery: 1019 Brazos Street, Austin, TX 78701
Mailing address: P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711
Phone: (512) 463-5555
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time
SOSDirect (search & filing): direct.sos.state.tx.us
Franchise Tax (Comptroller): comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise

No free entity search on SOSDirect

SOSDirect requires a pre-funded client account and charges $1.00 per search — Texas has no free public search of the Secretary of State's own business entity database. Business owners who only need to confirm an entity's franchise-tax standing or right to transact business can instead use the Texas Comptroller's free Taxable Entity Search, which does not require an account and is searchable by name, taxpayer number, SOS file number, or federal EIN.

Entity formation and filing fees

Texas charges $300 for LLC and for-profit corporation formations, among the higher formation fees in the country. Nonprofit formations are $25. There is no SOS annual report — ongoing compliance runs through the Texas Comptroller's Franchise Tax system. A 2.7% credit card convenience fee applies to online payments through SOSDirect.

Filing	Fee
Domestic LLC — Certificate of Formation	$300
Domestic LLC — SOS Annual Report	None (franchise tax to Comptroller)
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Certificate of Formation	$300
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Certificate of Formation	$25
Nonprofit — Periodic Report (to SOS)	$5
Name Reservation (120 days)	$40
Certificate of Existence / Certificate of Fact — Status	$15
Long-form Certificate of Fact	$25
SOSDirect entity search (per search)	$1.00
Standard expedited processing (2–3 business days)	+$50/document
Texas Express — Next-Day (in-person Austin only)	+$500/document
Texas Express — Same-Day (in-person Austin only)	+$750/document

Domestic LLC — Certificate of Formation

Fee: $300

Domestic LLC — SOS Annual Report

Fee: None (franchise tax to Comptroller)

Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Certificate of Formation

Fee: $300

Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Certificate of Formation

Fee: $25

Nonprofit — Periodic Report (to SOS)

Fee: $5

Name Reservation (120 days)

Fee: $40

Certificate of Existence / Certificate of Fact — Status

Fee: $15

Long-form Certificate of Fact

Fee: $25

SOSDirect entity search (per search)

Fee: $1.00

Standard expedited processing (2–3 business days)

Fee: +$50/document

Texas Express — Next-Day (in-person Austin only)

Fee: +$500/document

Texas Express — Same-Day (in-person Austin only)

Fee: +$750/document

UCC filing, notary, and apostille services

The Secretary of State also handles UCC filings, notary commissions, and document authentication:

UCC search and filing — available through SOSDirect for $1 per search; most filing transactions require a SOSDirect login.
Notary public commissions — a $21 SOS filing fee for a traditional 4-year commission (plus a separately purchased $10,000 surety bond); online notary commissions cost $50.
Apostilles and authentications — $15 per document, reduced to $10 per document (capped at $100 per child) for intercountry adoption paperwork.

Source: Texas Secretary of State UCC, notary, and authentication pages (sos.state.tx.us).

Key Texas state licensing agencies

Agency	What it covers	Website
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts	Franchise Tax, sales and use tax, PIR/OIR annual filings, Texas tax permits	comptroller.texas.gov
Texas Workforce Commission	Unemployment insurance registration, employer accounts, payroll tax reporting	twc.texas.gov
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)	Contractor licensing, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, cosmetology, and 30+ other license types	tdlr.texas.gov

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

What it covers: Franchise Tax, sales and use tax, PIR/OIR annual filings, Texas tax permits
Website: comptroller.texas.gov

Texas Workforce Commission

What it covers: Unemployment insurance registration, employer accounts, payroll tax reporting
Website: twc.texas.gov

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)

What it covers: Contractor licensing, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, cosmetology, and 30+ other license types
Website: tdlr.texas.gov

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free way to check a Texas business's status?

Yes. While SOSDirect charges $1.00 per search and requires a funded account, the Texas Comptroller's free Taxable Entity Search doesn't require an account and lets you check franchise-tax standing by name, taxpayer number, SOS file number, or federal EIN.

How much does same-day filing cost at the Texas Secretary of State?

Texas Express same-day service is $750 per document, and next-day service is $500 per document — both available only for in-person filings at the Austin office at 400 W. 15th St.

How much does it cost to form an LLC in Texas?

$300 for a Certificate of Formation — among the higher formation fees in the country, and the same amount charged for a for-profit corporation. Nonprofit formation is much lower, at $25.

This guide is informational only and is not affiliated with the Texas Secretary of State's office or any state agency listed above. Contact information and fees verified against official Texas Secretary of State sources, August 2026. Annual compliance (Franchise Tax, PIR/OIR) is handled by the Texas Comptroller — not the SOS. Verify current fees at the official state website. Last verified: August 2026.

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