Core Texas formation and registration information, including entity name, type, number, and formation date, is available through the Texas SOS search portal known as SOSDirect. SOSDirect is available 24/7 and charges a statutorily authorized $1.00 fee for each search; the fee is not charged when an order or filing is placed from the search results.

SOSDirect is the official Secretary of State source for filed formation and other entity instruments, while the Comptroller maintains separate franchise-tax account-status information.

This guide covers how to run a SOSDirect search, where the entity name, type, SOS file number, and formation date each appear in Texas records, and the format each one takes.

Summary table: Finding your Texas entity information

The table below shows where each data point lives in Texas's records and the format it takes.

How to search for Texas business entities

Log on to SOSDirect, the state's filing and search system. You don't need a permanent account; the official SOS instructions let you log on as a temporary user, or you can create and fund a client account if you run frequent searches. Per the SOSDirect fee page, the $1 search fee is not charged when an order or filing is placed on the search results.

Texas also operates a separate "SOS Portal" with its own credentials, described in the SOS Portal guide, but business entity searches still run through SOSDirect.

Once logged in, choose "Business Organizations" from the menu bar, then select "Find Entity" to search by name or "Filing Number Search" if you already know the SOS file number. A 2017 SOS presentation recommended beginning with the first three words of an entity name, or shortening a full-name search from right to left. Current SOSDirect documentation does not reconfirm that specific search syntax, or the presentation's statement that results update in real time, so treat that guidance as historical rather than current system documentation.

Open a specific record from the results list to reach the entity detail screen, which typically displays the entity's type, SOS file number, and formation date, though the exact fields shown can vary by record.

What you'll see in search results

SOSDirect carries the following core data for each entity of record, though the exact fields shown on screen vary by record:

• Legal entity name

• Entity type (LLC, Corporation, LP, LLP, Nonprofit Corporation)

• SOS file number (the identifier assigned by the Secretary of State)

• Formation/file date

The entity detail screen may also surface status and registered agent information depending on the record, but these four fields are what you need for onboarding.

Free alternative: the Comptroller's account status search

The Texas Comptroller's free Franchise Tax Account Status search accepts an 11-digit Comptroller taxpayer number, a 9-digit federal EIN, or a Texas SOS file number, and returns the entity's franchise-tax right-to-transact-business status. A certificate of fact or status, along with your formation date, must still be ordered separately through SOSDirect; the Comptroller search does not substitute for either.

How to find your entity number in Texas

A Texas entity number, also called a state file number, filing number, or SOS file number depending on the document, is a numeric identifier of 6 to 10 digits assigned by the Texas Secretary of State when it processes your filing.

Where to locate your Texas entity number:

1. Texas business search

   • Typically shown in the search results as the filing number

   • Labeled as: "SOS File Number" or "Filing Number"

   • Format: 6 to 10 digits (e.g., 123456789)

2. Certificate of Formation/Organization/Incorporation

   • The SOS file number may appear in the "This space reserved for office use" block when the Secretary of State processes the filing, per the instructions for Form 205

   • May be labeled as "File Number," "Filing Number," or "SOS File Number"

3. Franchise tax filings and state correspondence

   • Displayed in the Public Information Report header alongside your taxpayer number, per the PIR help page

   • The Comptroller-issued 11-digit taxpayer number identifies your Comptroller account; the SOS file number is a separate identifier issued by the Secretary of State, described in the franchise tax questionnaire

Texas entity number format: 6 to 10 digits, per the Comptroller's search parameters. The label varies by document; the Comptroller's questionnaire shows it as "Texas SOS No.," while SOSDirect copy instructions call it the "Filing Number."

How to find your entity type in Texas

Texas recognizes multiple business entity types, but their exact names and formats may vary between business search results and formation documents.

Where to find your Texas entity type:

1. Texas business search (most accessible)

   • Typically displayed with the search results as the entity type

   • Listed as: "Limited Liability Company," "For-Profit Corporation," "Limited Partnership," etc. If you're verifying details after forming a Texas LLC, match the designation exactly

2. Certificate of Formation/Organization/Incorporation

   • At the top of your formation document

   • Under BOC § 3.005, every certificate of formation must state the name of the filing entity and the type of filing entity being formed

   • Entity type changes typically involve a conversion, merger, or amendment filing with the Secretary of State depending on the transaction; confirm the correct filing type for your situation

3. Annual reports and state correspondence

   • Texas entities file a Public Information Report (or Ownership Information Report) with the Comptroller, which forwards the filing to the Secretary of State for processing; see Texas annual report filings for the filing mechanics

How to find your formation date in Texas

Texas business search results may display a formation or filing date. On Form 205, the Secretary of State's office-use area contains processing information such as the file number and filing stamp, rather than a separately labeled "formation date" field.

Where your Texas formation date appears:

1. Texas business search (easiest access)

   • May be shown on the entity details page you open from the search results

   • Reflects the date the certificate of formation was filed with the Secretary of State

2. Certificate of Formation/Organization/Incorporation

   • The processing details, including the file number, appear in the "This space reserved for office use" block the Secretary of State completes when it accepts the filing

Formation date vs. effective date

Under BOC § 4.051, a filing instrument generally takes effect when filed, subject to delayed effectiveness under BOC § 4.052, which permits a specified date, a specified date and time, or a specified future event or fact. The required conditions and the 90-day maximum appear in BOC § 4.053, which provides that a delayed effective date may not be later than the 90th day after the instrument is signed. So a record can carry two dates:

• Formation date (file date): the date the Texas Secretary of State filed your certificate of formation

• Effective date: when the filing instrument takes effect, if the filer elected delayed effectiveness

Absent a delayed-effectiveness election, the file date and effective date match; where the filer elected one, the elected date controls.

Simplify Texas compliance with Discern

With your Texas entity name, type, SOS file number, and formation date in hand, you can onboard to Discern and hand off the tracking work. Discern files Texas periodic and annual reports, tracks franchise tax deadlines and sends notifications, and provides registered agent service.

For teams managing entities beyond Texas, Discern coordinates registered agent coverage, annual report filings, and foreign registrations across all 51 jurisdictions. You track the whole portfolio's filings and deadlines in one record instead of logging into separate state accounts.

Book a demo with Discern.

Frequently asked questions

Here are answers to the questions people most often ask when pulling Texas entity records.

How much does a Texas SOSDirect search cost?

SOSDirect charges a statutorily authorized $1.00 fee per search. The fee is not charged when you place an order or filing directly from the search results.

How many digits are in a Texas SOS file number?

Between 6 and 10 digits. The Secretary of State assigns the number when it processes your certificate of formation, and it also appears in your Comptroller franchise tax filings alongside your separate 11-digit taxpayer number.

What's the difference between my SOS file number and my Texas taxpayer number?

They're issued by two different agencies for two different purposes. The Secretary of State assigns your SOS file number when it processes your formation filing; the Comptroller separately assigns an 11-digit taxpayer number for franchise tax purposes. Both may appear together on your Public Information Report.

Is there a free way to check my Texas entity's status?

Yes. The Comptroller's Franchise Tax Account Status search is free and shows your entity's franchise-tax right-to-transact-business status using your taxpayer number, EIN, or SOS file number. Formation date and certificate of fact requests still route through SOSDirect, which charges its $1.00 search fee.