How to Form an LLC in Texas
We handle the Texas LLC filing for $199 plus the state fee, and your first year of registered agent coverage comes with it. From year two, the agent is $99 a year.
Texas asks for one document, one $300 fee, and a registered agent. That is the entire recipe for creating an LLC here. Below you will find the exact form, the fee math (including what a card adds on SOSPortal), the filing steps in order, and what the state expects from your company every year afterward.
Start Your Texas LLC for $199
We prepare the Certificate of Formation and submit it to the Texas Secretary of State on your behalf. Our service fee is $199, paid once, and that payment also buys a full first year of us as your registered agent. The agent renews at $99 a year after that.
Why Texans Pick the LLC
The LLC pairs a corporation's liability shield with a sole proprietorship's tax simplicity, which is why consultants, landlords, online sellers, and freelancers across Texas reach for it first. Formalities are light, ownership is flexible, and Texas sweetens the deal by having no state income tax.
The Texas LLC Filing Fee: $300
The Texas Secretary of State charges $300 to file an LLC Certificate of Formation. That figure comes from the Business Organizations Code fee schedule (§ 4.154 ties LLC filings to the corporate fee list), and it lands in the upper range of state formation fees nationally. Online filing now runs through SOSPortal, which takes ACH or a card. A card adds a convenience fee of $0.25 plus 2.25 percent, so a card filing comes to $307.00 instead of a flat $300.
| What you pay | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our formation service | $199, one time |
| Texas filing fee for the Certificate of Formation | $300 ($307.00 by card on SOSPortal) |
| Registered agent, required continuously | First year included with our filing, then $99 per year |
| Yearly state obligation | No Secretary of State annual report; Comptroller franchise tax report and PIR due May 15, with $0 tax at or below the revenue threshold |
Our $199 pays for preparation, the filing itself, and twelve months with us as your agent. The state's money goes straight to the Texas Secretary of State, never through us disguised inside a bundle.
The Certificate of Formation (Form 205)
Texas does not use the name "Articles of Organization." The formation document here is the Certificate of Formation under Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005, and the LLC version is Form 205. It records your company name, the registered agent and registered office address, the management structure (member-managed or manager-managed), and the organizer.
You can submit Form 205 electronically through SOSPortal, the state's online filing system since September 29, 2026, or mail the paper version; electronic submissions generally move through processing sooner. The Secretary of State's formation FAQ answers the most common questions about the document itself.
How to Form an LLC in Texas, Step by Step
- Pick a compliant name. It needs an LLC designator and enough distance from every name already in the state's records; the entity search will tell you instantly if a candidate is taken. Words hinting at banking, insurance, or government ties need prior approval.
- Appoint your registered agent. Texas requires an individual resident or a registered business entity at a street address in the state, and the LLC cannot appoint itself. Have us form the company and the agent line on Form 205 carries our address rather than yours, at no cost in year one and $99 a year from then on.
- File the Certificate of Formation (Form 205) with the Texas Secretary of State and pay the $300 fee, online through SOSPortal or by mail. Paying by card on SOSPortal brings the total to $307.00.
- Adopt an operating agreement. Texas never sees this document, but it decides ownership splits, voting power, and exits. Without one, the default LLC statute makes those calls for you.
- Get your EIN from the IRS. It is free, the online application takes minutes, and every bank will ask for it. Paying a third party for an EIN is money wasted.
- Calendar the yearly Comptroller filings. Texas LLCs file a franchise tax report and a Public Information Report by May 15 each year, with no tax owed at or below the revenue threshold. Details live in our annual report guide.
Rather skip the paperwork entirely? $199 puts our team on it today.
The Registered Agent Requirement, Up Close
Every Texas LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent, from the day of formation until dissolution. The agent needs a genuine Texas street address (a lone PO box fails the statute), has to be available during normal business hours to accept service of process, and must actually consent to the role.
Here is the catch for privacy-minded founders: whatever agent address goes on Form 205 becomes a permanent, searchable entry in the Secretary of State's database. List yourself and your home address is public. List us and it never appears. That is the core of what $99 a year buys.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Texas?
The state filing fee is $300, paid to the Texas Secretary of State with your Certificate of Formation. Paid by card on SOSPortal, it comes to $307.00 ($0.25 plus 2.25 percent). If you want it handled, our $199 preparation and filing service sits on top, with the opening year of registered agent coverage bundled in.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Texas?
Processing times move with the Secretary of State's workload. Filings submitted electronically through SOSPortal generally clear sooner than mailed paper forms.
Does Texas require an annual report?
Not with the Secretary of State. The recurring filing is the Comptroller's franchise tax report plus Public Information Report, due every May 15. LLCs at or below the no-tax-due revenue threshold ($2.65 million for 2026) owe nothing but still file the PIR.
Do I need a registered agent for my Texas LLC?
Yes, without exception. The agent must be at a Texas street address, and the obligation runs for the entire life of the LLC.
Can I form an LLC in Texas if I live in another state?
Absolutely. Texas places no residency requirement on LLC owners. Only the registered agent must be in-state, and our $99 per year service covers exactly that.
What if my company is already formed in another state?
Then you register it in Texas rather than forming a new one. An out-of-state LLC files the Application for Registration (Form 304) with a $750 state fee, and we handle Texas foreign qualification for $199 plus the state fees.
Start Your Texas LLC the Right Way
Filing directly with the Texas Secretary of State is always an option, and the $300 goes to the state either way. What no one can skip is the agent requirement. Put our name on your Form 205 and you get a stable Texas address, same-day scanning of everything served on your company, and a reminder before every deadline, all for $99 a year (the first year is included when we file your LLC).
Only need the Texas registered agent? The registered agent product is $99 per year by itself.
More questions about forming an LLC in Texas or how the agent role works? The FAQ covers most of it; otherwise contact us.
Ready to file your Texas LLC?
We prepare and submit your Certificate of Formation for $199, with year one of registered agent coverage included. Keeping us as your agent after that costs $99/year.