The Texas business entity search portal makes it easy for the public to acquire information about businesses in the state. The page offers four options for a more customized search which are the name availability search, search by entity name, document numbers, and registered agent.
In this guide, we will show to utilize these search methods in the best way possible.
Texas SOSDirect System Business Search
Before commencing your search on the business entity database, you will be prompted to sign up or log in to an online account. You won’t be able to proceed with the search unless you have an account.
So if you have an existing account, enter your sign in details and log in. If you don’t have an account, select the Sign Up option. After logging in or successfully creating an account, you will be authorized to utilize all the functions on the search page.
Another important fact to keep in mind is that the Texas search portal charges $1 for every inquiry, unlike other business search portals. You may select from the available search methods applicable to your information which are by entity name, filing number, and registered agent name.
You can get better and accurate results if you utilize the additional search criteria, so we highly recommend filling them out as well. For businesses in the formation stage, the name availability search function is also available on the page.
All information provided on the portal are organized and gathered by the State Secretary of Texas.
Search for Name Availability
Step 1
Open the SOSDirect System page [1] and log in to your account on the designated fields. Enter your User ID and Password and hit ‘Submit’ to proceed.
Step 2
On the next page, you will be asked to fill out the following information: payment information, contact information, and shipping information.
Step 3
For the payment information, there are two options available which are credit card or LegalEase.
If you selected the credit card option, you will need to provide the following additional information: card type, card number, expiration date, security code, business name or individual name, full address, and number for the validation.
Step 4
After providing all the necessary information, you will be tagged as logged in and your session code will be displayed on the window. To proceed, click ‘Business Organizations’ found on the tab.
Step 5
You will now be routed to the home page in which a list of inquiries will be presented. For this method, select ‘Name Availability Search’ to proceed.
Step 6
On the designated field, provide the name of a particular business entity to proceed. Hit the ‘Search’ button to generate results.
Step 7
A list of business entity names that are similar to the one you provided will be presented on the page. If there are no results generated on the page, it means that the name you entered is still available for use.
If you want to further review the details of a specific business, just click on the filing number that corresponds to the business name.
Step 8
On this page, you can now access the provided extensive information such as; filing history, formation date, tax ID.
Search by Entity Name
For this option, there are specific ways and guidelines provided to generate different sets of results which are:
- Find Entity: This will load a list of registered entity names that are active or inactive.
- Find Supplemental: This will generate entity names that might be associated with the information you provided.
- Find Assumed Name: This will retrieve entity names that match the information you have provided.
- Find Global: This is will load all information found in the find-entity and find-supplemental options.
Step 1
To proceed, open the SOSDirect System page and provide all the log in details (username and password) on the available fields.
Step 2
Same as the previous method, provide all the payment information as well as contact information in order to proceed.
Step 3
Provide the necessary information for the payment method.
Step 4
On this page, you will be notified if you have logged in successfully. Select ‘Business Organizations’ to proceed.
Step 5
Choose from the options provided on the page that were discussed above.
Step 6
Provide the entity name in question on the blank field. Click the ‘Search’ button to generate results.
Step 7
On this page, a list of business entity names similar to the one you entered will be presented. Pore over the results to find the name you’re searching for. Select the business you’re interested in to view further details.
Step 8
On this page, you have access to review all the extensive information collected by the Secretary of State such as filing history, associated names, registered agent information, and more.
Search by Filing Number, FEIN, TID Number, or Document Number
Step 1
Similar to the previous search methods, log in to your account by submitting your ID and password on the SOSDirect System page.
Step 2
Provide your contact information and select a payment method using the given options.
Step 3
If you selected credit card as a payment method, provide all the necessary information for verification.
Step 4
After verifying your payment method, you will provide a session code on the next page. Click ‘Business Organization’ on the tab to open the search page.
Step 5
On this page, you will be provided with all the inquiries available. Select FEIN search as the type of method. This option will give only one one specific result since each businesses are granted with only one unique number.
Step 6
After choosing FEIN search, enter specific information on the blank fields. Enter the correct number needed for the search in order to get the most accurate result.
Step 7
If you have entered the correct FEIN number, you will be presented with one specific business name on the page. You can access all the extensive details regarding that business on the same page.
Search by Registered Agent or People
Step 1
Similar to the previous search methods, log in to the SOSDirect System. Use your User ID and password and click ‘Log In’ once you’re done.
Step 2
On the next page, provide your contact information and payment information.
Step 3
You will be given two options for the payment method. Make sure to choose between a credit card or LegalEase.
If you proceed with a credit card, fill out all the necessary information on the page including the card type, card number, expiration date, security code, business name or individual name, full address, and number.
Step 4
Once validated, you will be notified of your successful log in to the page along with a session code to commence your search.
Click on ‘Business Organizations’ found on the tab located above.
Step 5
On this page, you will have two options to choose from, which are ‘Find-People’ or ‘Find-Registered Agent.’
Step 6
Select one to be routed to the next page. Here, fill out the blank fields corresponding to necessary information. Hit the ‘Search’ button once you’re done.
Step 7
On the next page, you will be provided with a list of results containing all the names of registered agents. Select the one to access extensive details.
Step 8
All business details will be provided on this last page.
