What are articles of organization called in Texas?

Texas calls the document that forms an LLC the Certificate of Formation (Form 205). It is filed with the Texas Secretary of State.

Do I have to list the members?

Members' names are asked for only when the LLC does not initially have managers. The name and address of each initial member is then listed. Managers' names are asked for only when the LLC initially has managers. The name and address of each initial manager is then listed.

Texas lets you fill in and file the Certificate of Formation online.

Articles of organization · Texas

How to File Texas's Certificate of Formation

Texas calls its articles of organization a Certificate of Formation. What goes on it, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Texas government sources.

The short answer. To form an LLC in Texas, you file the Certificate of Formation with the Texas Secretary of State. The state filing fee is $300. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 8, asks for 3 only in some cases, makes 1 optional and leaves out 3.

The Texas Certificate of Formation at a Glance

What Texas calls it	Certificate of Formation (Form 205)
State filing fee	$300
Processing time	Check with the Texas Secretary of State
Where to file	Texas Secretary of State
File online	Yes, online, open the filing portal
Blank form	Download it from the state
Law that sets its contents	Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code §§ 3.005, 3.010
Filed with it or right after	Nothing else

Read from a Texas government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Texas cost record. See the sources.

What Goes on Texas's Certificate of Formation

Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Texas's Certificate of Formation asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Certificate of Formation. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.

Item	On the form
LLC name	Required
Registered agent's name	Required
Registered office address	Required
Principal office address	Not on the form
Mailing address	Required
Organizer's name	Required
Members' names	Only when the LLC does not initially have managers. The name and address of each initial member is then listed.
Managers' names	Only when the LLC initially has managers. The name and address of each initial manager is then listed.
Member-managed or manager-managed	Required
Business purpose	Required
Duration	Only when the LLC is meant to exist for a limited period rather than perpetually.
Effective date	Optional
County	Not on the form
Email address	Not on the form
Registered agent's consent	Required

The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Texas's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Texas.

What the LLC's Name Must Include

The LLC's name must include an LLC ending. Accepted endings include "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Company", "LLC", "L.L.C.", "LC" and "L.C.", and the law allows others as well.

Rule: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.056(a).

File These With It or Right After

Nothing else has to be filed with it.

Draft Your Certificate of Formation

The generator below starts with Texas selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.

MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.

Step 1 of 8

Where are you forming your LLC?

State of formation

LLC name

After It Is Approved

Certified copy of the filed Certificate of Formation	See note below
Changing it later (Certificate of Amendment)	$150

Where these fees come from: the sources.

Professional LLCs in Texas

In Texas, a professional LLC files a separate form, the Certificate of Formation for a Professional Limited Liability Company (Form 206), instead of the Certificate of Formation. Your profession's licensing board may have requirements of its own, so check with it before you file.

Worth Knowing in Texas

A certified copy costs $15 per certificate plus $1 per page. A professional LLC in Texas files Form 206 instead of Form 205.

Frequently Asked Questions

: Texas calls the document that forms an LLC the Certificate of Formation (Form 205). It is filed with the Texas Secretary of State.
: The state filing fee is $300.
: Members' names are asked for only when the LLC does not initially have managers. The name and address of each initial member is then listed. Managers' names are asked for only when the LLC initially has managers. The name and address of each initial manager is then listed.
: Texas lets you fill in and file the Certificate of Formation online.

Sources

sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/205_boc.pdfForm 205 Certificate of Formation Limited Liability Company
sos.state.tx.us/corp/instructions/205.shtmlInstructions for Form 205 (Texas Secretary of State)
sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms_boc.shtmlBusiness Organizations Code forms index (Texas Secretary of State)
direct.sos.state.tx.us/help/help-corp.asp?pg=feeSOSDirect corporations fee schedule
tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/BO/htm/BO.3.htmTexas Business Organizations Code Chapter 3
tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/BO/htm/BO.4.htmTexas Business Organizations Code Chapter 4
tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/BO/htm/BO.5.htmTexas Business Organizations Code Chapter 5
tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/BO/htm/BO.301.htmTexas Business Organizations Code Chapter 301
sos.state.tx.us/corp/sosda/index.shtmlSOSDirect business filings
sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/206_boc.pdfForm 206 Certificate of Formation Professional Limited Liability Company

The rows and fees on this page were read from the Texas government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.

Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.