Texas Secretary Of State Business Search to Find Business Information
Learn how to use the Texas Secretary of State Business Search to find business information, verify companies, and access official registration details.
Author
Staff Author
Published
October 2, 2026
Read Time
4 min read
The Texas Secretary of State Business Search website allows users to retrieve information on businesses filed and registered with the state of Texas. If a business name matches a name on the public information reports provided by the Texas Secretary of State to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Comptroller’s office will provide information on the name through the Texas database of taxable entities. Name information is presented in the form of a list, and the name filer is directed to the site or office where the public records relating to the named business are located.
Reason For Conducting A Texas Business Entity Search
The following are examples of searches for business information.
Confirm a Business Is Registered
To confirm a business is registered with the Texas Secretary of State, you can search for the business.
Research Existing Business Names
Business name searches can be conducted to research names of businesses already in operation, which may assist you in determining other names that are available for your new business.
Check Business Name Availability
The Texas Secretary of State maintains a name records search service to assist with name filing and availability. A business name search may provide information regarding a business and the records filed with the Secretary of State.
Monitor Business Entity Records
The Texas Secretary of State’s office recommends that business owners and the general public review and monitor business entity records to identify name changes that may have occurred without the authority of the business.
Why Conduct a Texas Business Entity Search?
Anybody can make a business card or website. Somebody can even fabricate a “No Trespassing” sign. Faking a record in the local business records (“SOS”) is far more difficult. If a company says it is a Texas LLC or Corporation, it should be in the State of Texas’ records.
To confirm, see Instructions for SOS Direct.
How to Conduct a Texas Business Search
In order to always be able to provide these instructions, the process may always be the same, but the websites and the formats may change.
To go to the SOS Direct website, go to the Texas Secretary of State website and select the link for SOS Direct. Always go to the official state website.
Select the search for a “Business” entity.
Type the name of the business you wish to search and see if it is in the State of Texas records. You may want to try various spellings and abbreviations if you do not know the exact name.
Look at the results. There may be several businesses with names similar to the one you searched for.
Select the name of the business you wish to review and obtain additional information about.
If the information indicates the business is still active, you may wish to take additional steps. If you want to start a business and the name is not in use, you may wish to reserve the name. If you wish to start the business, you may also wish to file articles of incorporation or other documents to form the business. The Texas Secretary of State is the Official Source for legal and business information in the state of Texas. Always use the information from the Texas Secretary of State to verify information, especially if the information is provided by a third party.
Business Filing History
A business filing history can provide valuable information about changes to a company's official records. When researching a Texas business, reviewing its filing history can help you identify changes in the company's name, registered information, or other filed documents. This is especially useful when several companies share similar or nearly identical names.Checking previous filings can help you confirm that the record belongs to the company you're researching. It may also indicate whether information has changed over time. Reviewing official filing records rather than relying solely on third-party websites can provide you with more accurate and reliable business information.
