Filing a DBA in Travis County

A DBA, or assumed name, lets a business run under a name that is not the owner's legal name. If you are a sole proprietor or general partnership operating in Travis County, you file that name with the County Clerk's Recording Division. The county tells filers to search the assumed-name records first (so you are not duplicating an existing name), then either file online with all owners present and holding ID, or mail a notarized form for recording.

Here's a change a lot of filers miss: since September 1, 2019, the County Clerk no longer records assumed names for incorporated businesses. If you run an LLC or corporation, your DBA registers with the Texas Secretary of State, not the county.

A DBA is just a name registration. It is not a city business license, a sales-tax permit, or zoning approval. Before you print menus, order signs, or open a bank account, check the County Clerk, the city where you actually operate, and any state agency that regulates your line of work.