Travis County DBA: How to File an Assumed Name Certificate With the County Clerk

If you do business under a name that is different from your own legal name or your entity's legal name, Texas requires you to file an assumed name certificate. In Travis County, that filing goes to the Travis County Clerk, but only for certain business types. Searches for a travis county dba or dba travis county usually come down to four questions: where the form goes, what it costs, who has to show up, and how long the filing lasts. This guide answers each one using the Travis County Clerk's published requirements and the Texas rules that apply around them.

Informational content only. This article explains public filing steps and fees as of 2026. It is not legal or tax advice. If you are choosing between a sole proprietorship, a partnership, and an LLC, or you have an unusual ownership structure, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA before you file.

What an Assumed Name Certificate Does

An assumed name certificate, often called a DBA (doing business as), tells the public who stands behind a business name. If you operate as Blue Heron Lawn Care but your legal name is Sam Rivera, the certificate connects those two names in the public record. It does not create a new business entity, it does not give you a trademark, and it does not reserve a name for an LLC you have not formed yet.

Texas does not require a state business license for most businesses, so the assumed name certificate is often the first public filing a sole proprietor makes. It is also one of the few filings that a county, not the state, handles.

Who Files With Travis County and Who Files With the State

The office you file with depends on how your business is organized. Sole proprietors and general partnerships file with the county clerk in each county where they maintain a business office or conduct business. LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and other registered filing entities file with the Texas Secretary of State instead.

Business type	Where the assumed name certificate is filed	Filing fee shown in this guide
Sole proprietorship	Travis County Clerk, if your business operates in Travis County	$23 for the name and one owner
General partnership	Travis County Clerk, if your business operates in Travis County	$23 for the name and one owner
LLC, corporation, LP, or other registered filing entity	Texas Secretary of State, Form 503	$25 (Secretary of State fee)

Since September 1, 2019, LLCs, corporations, and other registered filing entities no longer also file their assumed name certificate with the county clerk. If you formed an LLC, do not file a DBA at the Travis County Clerk. File Form 503 with the Secretary of State instead. The state's assumed name FAQ is at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/namefilingsfaqs.shtml.

Austin businesses use the Travis County Clerk for sole proprietor and general partnership filings. Austin also extends into neighboring counties, so if your business office or business activity sits near a county line, confirm which county applies before you file. The wrong county filing can leave you with a certificate that does not cover where you actually operate.

Travis County Fees at a Glance

The Travis County Clerk's Recording, DBAs page lists the fees below as of 2026. Fees change, so check the current amounts on countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov under Recording, DBAs before you file.

• $23 filing fee for the business name and one owner
• $0.50 for each additional owner listed on the same statement
• $2 extra per acknowledgment if you complete the filing in the office
• $10 for the clerk to search the records for a name

Here is how the base fee scales for a sole proprietor filing. One owner costs $23. Two owners on the same statement cost $23.50. Three owners cost $24.00. Those totals do not include the $2 in-office acknowledgment charge. Ask the clerk how acknowledgments are counted when more than one owner signs, because the clerk's published wording controls the final amount.

Accepted payment methods listed by the clerk are cash, personal check, and credit card. Confirm which of these applies to the way you submit your filing, since an online submission and an in-office completion can involve different steps.

What to Gather Before You File

Most rejected or delayed DBA filings trace back to missing information or an owner who is not present for recording. Collect these items before you start:

1. The exact business name. Spelling, spacing, and punctuation go into the public record, so copy the name exactly as you will use it on signs, invoices, and bank accounts.
2. The full legal name of every owner. A general partnership lists each partner. A sole proprietorship lists the one owner.
3. Valid government-issued photo ID for every owner. All owners must be present with valid ID for recording, not just the person who submits the application.
4. A payment method. Use cash, a personal check, or a credit card, as the clerk allows for your filing method.
5. Your Travis County business location. This determines the county you file in.

Before you pay the clerk's $10 name search fee, you can run a free preliminary check in the Secretary of State's business records at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/searches.shtml. That search covers registered entities, so it helps you spot an LLC or corporation already using a name. It is a screening step, not a substitute for the county clerk's own search of its records.

Step-by-Step: Filing a Travis County DBA

Here is the filing sequence for a sole proprietor or general partnership in Travis County. Confirm each step against the clerk's current instructions on the Recording, DBAs page.

1. Confirm your structure and county. If you are an LLC or corporation, stop here and file Form 503 with the Secretary of State. If you are a sole proprietor or general partnership operating in Travis County, continue.
2. Start the online application. Go to countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov, open the Recording section, and select DBAs.
3. Enter the business name and owner information. Make sure the number of owners matches the number of people who will appear for recording, because the fee changes with each additional owner.
4. Submit the application online. Save the confirmation page and any reference number the system gives you.
5. Arrange recording with every owner. All owners must be present with valid government ID. If you want to complete the filing in the office, expect the $2 per acknowledgment charge, and confirm the office hours and location on the clerk's site before you go.
6. Pay the fees. Use an accepted method. Keep the receipt with your business records.
7. Get the recorded certificate. Keep at least one copy for your bank, your accountant, and your own files.

A Worked Example

Suppose two people run a landscaping business as a general partnership called Blue Heron Lawn Care, with its main work area in Austin. Because the business operates in Travis County, both partners file with the Travis County Clerk. The base fee covers the name and the first owner at $23, and the second partner adds $0.50, for $23.50 before any in-office acknowledgment charge. Both partners must come in with valid government ID for recording. If one partner cannot attend, the filing cannot be recorded until everyone who must appear is present, so schedule the visit with all owners in mind.

Now suppose the same two people later form Blue Heron Lawn Care LLC. The LLC does not use the county clerk for its assumed name. It files Form 503 with the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State fee for that filing is $25. The old county DBA does not transfer to the new LLC, so the LLC needs its own filing for the name it uses.

The 10-Year Term and Keeping the Filing Current

A Travis County assumed name certificate is recorded for 10 years. That is a long window, but it is easy to lose track of, and a lapsed filing can cause problems with banks, customers, and anyone trying to confirm who operates the business. Put the recording date on your calendar when you receive the certificate, and set a reminder well before the 10-year mark to file a new certificate.

Changes to the business also matter. If you change the business name, add or remove an owner, or change the business structure, the existing certificate may no longer describe your business accurately. Ask the clerk whether your change requires a new filing, and do not assume the old record updates itself.

What Comes After the Filing

The DBA is one piece of the setup, not the whole thing. These are the other items most Travis County sole proprietors and partnerships deal with next:

• Bank account. Banks typically ask for the recorded assumed name certificate when you open an account in the business name. Confirm the bank's requirements before you visit.
• Sales and use tax permit. Most businesses selling taxable goods or services in Texas need a sales and use tax permit from the Comptroller at https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit/. The permit is issued at no charge and typically takes two to three weeks to process. The state sales tax rate is 6.25 percent.
• Licenses and permits. Texas does not issue or require a general state business license. Texas also has no statewide general contractor or roofing license, and counties license nothing beyond the assumed name filing by sole proprietors. Your city or your trade may still require its own registration or permit, so use the Texas Business Licenses and Permits Guide published by the Business Permit Office within the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office to identify what applies to your activity.
• Taxes. Texas has no state personal income tax and no corporate income tax. Entities such as LLCs and corporations are subject to the Texas franchise tax administered by the Comptroller, with a no tax due revenue threshold of $2,650,000 for the 2026 and 2027 report years. Entities at or below that total revenue owe no franchise tax but still file the Public Information Report, which is due May 15 each year to the Comptroller. Federal tax obligations still apply to sole proprietors, so talk with a CPA about how your income is reported.
• No publication requirement. Texas does not require you to publish your assumed name in a newspaper after filing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Filing at the county after forming an LLC. Registered filing entities use Form 503 with the Secretary of State. A county filing does not serve that purpose.
• Showing up without every owner. Each owner must appear with valid government ID for recording. Missing one owner can stall the filing.
• Assuming the DBA protects the name. A recorded assumed name certificate is a public record that ties a name to an owner. It is not a trademark, and it does not stop another business from using a similar name. A trademark search and registration are separate steps.
• Letting the filing lapse. The certificate is recorded for 10 years. Set a reminder and refile before the term ends.
• Relying on an old fee. County fees can change. Check the clerk's current amounts before you pay.

Where to Get Help

For questions about the filing itself, start with the Travis County Clerk's Recording, DBAs page at countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov, and call the clerk's office with specific questions about acknowledgments, payment methods, or multiple owners. For questions about the state filing, the Texas Secretary of State is the source at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/index.shtml.

The Texas Small Business Development Center Network, at https://www.sbdctexas.org/, can help you think through startup decisions and paperwork before you file. For decisions about your business structure, liability, taxes, or ownership shares, a qualified attorney or CPA is the right person to ask. A DBA is simple to file, but the structure it sits under is not something to guess at.

Bottom Line

If you are a sole proprietor or general partnership operating in Travis County, file your assumed name certificate with the Travis County Clerk through the online DBA process. Expect a $23 base fee for the name and one owner, $0.50 for each additional owner on the same statement, and a $2 acknowledgment charge if you complete the filing in the office. Bring every owner with valid government ID, keep the recorded certificate, and calendar the 10-year term. If you are an LLC or corporation, your assumed name goes to the Texas Secretary of State on Form 503 instead.