The Texas Secretary of State SOSDirect portal is the official online system for filing business documents, searching entity records, and accessing public information about businesses registered in Texas.
This comprehensive guide explains how to use SOSDirect for both one-time searches and ongoing filings, the costs involved, what information you can access, and alternatives such as the Texas Comptroller's free search tool.
What is SOSDirect?
SOSDirect is the Texas SOS's official online portal for business entity filings and searches.
It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and allows users to file formation documents (such as Certificates of Formation for LLCs and corporations), search for existing entities, and access public records[citation:9].
The system charges a statutory fee of $1.00 per search query, which supports the system's operations[citation:9].
The SOSDirect platform serves two primary audiences: business owners and their representatives who need to file formation or amendment documents, and anyone conducting due diligence on Texas entities.
How to perform a business entity search on SOSDirect
Running a search on SOSDirect is straightforward:
- Access the portal: Navigate to sos.state.tx.us/corp/sosda. You can log in with an existing account or select "I will use a temporary login"—no registration is required for one-off searches[citation:9].
- Navigate to Business Organizations: Once logged in, click the "Business Organizations" tab in the top navigation bar[citation:9].
- Select your search type: Choose from: entity name, registered agent name, officer name, or SOS file number[citation:9].
- Enter your search term and pay the fee: Enter your query and hit search. The $1.00 fee is billed per search query, not per result viewed[citation:9].
- View results: Select the matching entity to view its full public record.
What information does an SOSDirect search return?
A successful Texas SOS entity search returns the following information[citation:9]:
- Legal entity name and any assumed names (DBAs)
- Entity type (LLC, corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, nonprofit, etc.)
- Registered agent name and physical address
- Date of formation or registration
- Current status (Active, Forfeited, Withdrawn, Dissolved, etc.)
- SOS file number
- Principal office address
- Registered office address
What SOSDirect does NOT return: Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), financial data, ownership information (beneficial ownership/UBO), sanctions screening results, or other confidential information[citation:9].
Using SOSDirect for filings
Business owners can file various documents through SOSDirect, including[citation:3][citation:5]:
- Certificate of Formation (Form 205): The primary document to form an LLC. Filing fee is $300. Processing typically takes 3 to 5 business days online.
- Name Reservation (Form 501): Reserve an entity name for 120 days. Filing fee is $40.
- Certificate of Amendment: Change LLC name, registered agent, or management structure. Fee is $150.
- Certificate of Termination: Dissolve an LLC (no fee).
- Certificate of Correction: Correct errors in a previously filed document.
To file on SOSDirect, you must create a user account. This requires providing contact information and establishing billing credentials.
Credit card payments are accepted and are subject to a statutorily authorized convenience fee of 2.7 percent of total fees[citation:5].
Free alternatives: Texas Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search
If you only need to check an entity's franchise tax status or confirm basic information without paying the $1.00 SOSDirect fee, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts offers a completely free taxable entity search tool at comptroller.texas.gov[citation:9].
This tool is useful for:
- Verifying that an entity is in good standing for franchise tax purposes
- Checking the entity's tax filing status
- Finding the Comptroller's taxpayer number
However, the Comptroller's search does not provide the full filing history, registered agent details, or formation documents available through SOSDirect.
Common SOSDirect mistakes to avoid
- Using incorrect entity information: If your search term does not exactly match the registered name, you may not find the entity. Use partial name searches or search by file number if available.
- Assuming public information is free: SOSDirect charges $1.00 per search—this is statutory and not waivable.
- Filing incomplete forms: Forms rejected by SOSDirect result in forfeiture of filing fees. Carefully review all information before submitting.
- Using a PO Box for registered agent address: The registered agent address must be a physical street address in Texas. PO Boxes are not accepted[citation:5].
Pro tip: For one-off entity verification, the $1.00 SOSDirect search is quick and authoritative.
However, if you need to verify many entities regularly, consider automated business verification APIs that can pull SOS data programmatically[citation:9].
The SOSDirect fee applies per search query, so high-volume manual searches become expensive.