How much does it cost to form a Texas LLC?

How much does it cost to form a Texas LLC?


The filing fee to form an LLC in Texas is $300. The filing fee is collected by the Secretary of State when the Certificate of Formation is submitted.

This article outlines the initial formation cost for a Texas LLC and describes other potential costs you might incur at the outset.

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Optional LLC Formation Expenses

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In addition to the required state filing fee, there are additional expenses that are viewed as optional:
  1. Convenience Fee ($8.10). If the Certificate of Formation is filed online or the filing fee is paid with a credit card, there is an additional convenience fee of 2.7% (of $300) charged by the state to cover the additional credit card processing fees.
  2. Expediting Fee ($25). If the Certificate of Formation is filed via fax or mail, you'll want to consider paying an extra $25 to expedite the filing (online filings cannot be expedited). Expedited fax and mail filings take about 10 business days, while non-expedited fax/mail filings take around 30 business days.
  3. Professional Registered Agent (~$120/year). The registered agent is the agent designated by the LLC to receive legal notices (i.e., notice of a lawsuit). Typically, one of the LLC's owners will serve as the registered agent, and there will be no added costs. If, however, you choose to hire a professional registered agent, you can expect to pay an additional $40 to $350 per year.
  4. Name Reservation ($40). If you are not yet ready to form an LLC, but the name you desire is available, you can file an Application to Reserve Entity Name (Form 501) and pay a $40 filing fee to the secretary of state to reserve the name for a period of 120 days.
  5. Assumed Name Certificate ($25). If your LLC will be using an assumed name (any name that does not equal the LLC name), you will need to file an Assumed Name Certificate (also known as a DBA, which is the acronym for "doing business as").
  6. Certificate of Fact ($15). A Certificate of Fact is typically needed to register a Texas LLC in another state.
  7. Pre-clearance Fee ($50). The Secretary of State will pre-clear a document upon written request. A document submitted for preclearance is a draft of a document that will be submitted for filing at a later date. The instrument to be pre-cleared will not be filed but reviewed for compliance with minimal statutory filing requirements. The instrument will be returned with a written statement that the draft instrument is suitable for filing or with the reasons why the instrument would be rejected if submitted for filing as drafted.
  8. Certificate of Correction ($15). If a mistake is made in the Certificate of Formation, you can file a Certificate of Correction (Form 403).
  9. Corporate Transparency Act Compliance. A new LLC must file a beneficial owner information report (BOI Report) with the US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This report is free if you DIY or $197 if you'd prefer that we prepare and file the BOI Report on your behalf.
  10. Service Fee. If you hire an attorney (or use an online formation service) to form your Texas LLC and prepare the LLC's governing documents, you will likely incur an additional service fee. For example, we charge a flat fee of $400 to form a Texas LLC.  You can see what is included in our flat fee below.

Our Service Fee

Our Texas LLC formation service is $400 (+ the state filing fee) and includes the following: (1) attorney consultation; (2) a preliminary name availability search; (3) preparation and filing of the Certificate of Formation (aka Articles of Organization); (4) customized Company Agreement; (5) Organizational Meeting with a banking resolution; (6) the Membership Transfer Ledger; and (7) an eleven-page instructional/guidance letter that includes all kinds of good information about using the LLC. For an additional $75, we can get the LLC's federal tax ID (aka EIN) too.
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What LLC filing options are available in Texas?

There are four ways to submit a Certificate of Formation in Texas (listed in order of processing speed):

Filing MethodCost
SOS Direct$300 + $8.10 (2.7% convenience fee)
SOS Upload$300 + $8.10 (2.7% convenience fee)
Mail/Fax Expedited$300 + $25 expediting fee
Mail/Fax $300
Due to the quick processing times, all of our client's LLCs are submitted via SOS Direct. You can read more about processing times in our article: How long does it take to form a Texas LLC?

How much does it cost to register a Foreign LLC in Texas LLC?

An LLC formed outside of Texas that does business in Texas must register in Texas as a "Foreign LLC." The filing fee for the Application to Register Foreign LLC in Texas is $750 (+2.7% convenience fee if paid with a credit card).

If you'd like for us to register an existing foreign LLC in Texas, we charge a service fee of $100 (+ the filing and convenience fees described above).

Annual Costs to Maintain a Texas LLC

Unlike most states, there is no fee to maintain a Texas LLC. However, every Texas LLC must file an annual report (aka a Franchise Tax Report and Public Information Report) no later than May 15th each year. There are no filing fees for the annual reports. Read more about the annual costs for a Texas LLC.

Zachary Copp, Esq.

Attorney at Copp Law Firm, PC

Mr. Copp is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the founder of the Copp Law Firm. He has been licensed in Texas for 20 years and has personally formed over 3,500 Texas LLCs since 2015. He was recognized as a Rising Star by SuperLawyers® for seven straight years. See full bio →