Start an LLC in Dallas
Starting an LLC in Dallas means forming a Texas LLC: Form 205, filed with the Texas Secretary of State, with a $300 state fee. Dallas adds no city-level formation filing. The Dallas-specific questions come after formation: which county a sole proprietor's DBA belongs in, what sales tax applies, and whether a space needs a new certificate of occupancy.
We do not have a Dallas office. Lone Star LLC Attorney serves Texas statewide from Houston, and Texas formation filings are made online, so the company's location does not change how the filing works.
The State Part Is the Same Across Texas
A Dallas LLC follows the same state steps as an LLC anywhere in Texas. It names a registered agent with a physical Texas registered office, files the Certificate of Formation with the Secretary of State, signs a company agreement that stays with the company's records, and files a Public Information Report with the Texas Comptroller each May 15. Franchise tax itself is owed only above the no-tax-due threshold, which is $2,650,000 for report years 2026 and 2027.
Each of those steps is covered in order on How to Start an LLC in Texas.
Five Counties Inside One City
The City of Dallas is not only in Dallas County. The Texas Comptroller's city rate table lists the City of Dallas in five counties: Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall.
For an LLC, this barely matters, because an LLC's assumed name goes to the state. For a sole proprietorship or general partnership it decides where the DBA is filed. The Texas Secretary of State says those businesses file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in each county where a business office is or will be maintained. A sole proprietor with an office in the Collin County part of Dallas files with the Collin County Clerk, not the Dallas County Clerk.
Assumed Names in Dallas
A Dallas LLC that uses a trade name files Form 503 with the Texas Secretary of State. The state fee is $25, and the certificate can run up to 10 years. LLCs and corporations have filed assumed names only with the state since House Bill 3609 took effect on September 1, 2019.
For unincorporated businesses in Dallas County, the Dallas County Clerk's Recording Division takes assumed name applications online or in its office. A few local details from the clerk's procedures:
- Search first. The clerk points filers to its county assumed name records at dallas.tx.publicsearch.us and recommends searching every variation of the name.
- Walk-in filings require all owners to be present with valid government-issued ID, and a deputy takes the acknowledgment.
- Mail-in filings must be notarized and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
- The clerk does not accept personal checks. Money orders, cashier's checks, and credit cards are accepted; mail-in filings can also use a business check.
- The clerk's fee schedule lists no filing fee for an assumed name application filed with a valid veteran ID.
The clerk's pages list the standard filing fee; check the Dallas County Clerk fee schedule for the current amount before paying.
Dallas Sales Tax: 8.25%
The Texas Comptroller lists a total sales tax rate of 8.25% for the City of Dallas, and the split is the same in all five of its counties: 6.25% state, 1% City of Dallas, and 1% for the Dallas transit authority (listed as Dallas MTA). Because the local share already reaches the 2% cap, no county or special district rate is added on top inside the city.
A Dallas business that sells taxable goods or services applies for a Texas sales tax permit through the Comptroller. There is no fee for the permit. See Texas Sales Tax Permit.
Certificate of Occupancy in Dallas
The City of Dallas requires a new certificate of occupancy (CO) in four situations:
- The first use of land or a building
- A change of use of land or a building
- A change of tenant on an existing CO
- An existing use that increases or decreases floor area
The change-of-tenant rule is the one that catches new LLCs. Signing a lease on a space that already has a CO for the same kind of business still means a new CO for the new tenant.
There is one shortcut. When only the business name (DBA) on a CO changes, the city allows a "record change" for $30.00. A multi-tenant property also needs multi-tenant approval from Dallas Code Compliance before the CO application.
If the proposed use differs from the previous one, the city routes the application to its Building Code and Zoning teams, and the applicant may need to upload a site plan, a floor plan, and a parking analysis. Dallas has zoning districts, so the use has to fit the district. The city's certificate of occupancy page has the current forms.
Registered Agent and Address Options for Dallas Owners
For an owner running a Dallas business from home, two of our services apply, and neither depends on where in Texas the business is.
Registered agent coverage is included in every monthly plan, starting with Standard at $14.99 a month, so the registered office on the public record is not a home address. Virtual Office+, at $49.99 a month, adds a business address at 1800 St. James Place in Houston with mail handling. That is a Houston address, not a Dallas one. If a Dallas street address matters for customers, a Houston address will not provide it. See Texas Registered Agent and Texas Virtual Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Dallas LLC registered with the City of Dallas?
No. A Dallas LLC is formed with the Texas Secretary of State on Form 205 for $300. The City of Dallas handles local requirements such as certificates of occupancy.
Which county clerk records a Dallas DBA?
For an LLC, none: LLCs file assumed names with the Texas Secretary of State on Form 503 for $25. A sole proprietor or general partnership files with the county clerk where its business office is, and the City of Dallas extends into Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties.
What is the sales tax rate in Dallas?
The Texas Comptroller lists 8.25% for the City of Dallas in each of its five counties: 6.25% state, 1% City of Dallas, and 1% Dallas transit authority.
Does Lone Star LLC Attorney have a Dallas office?
No. We serve Texas statewide from our office in Houston. Formation filings go to the Secretary of State online, so a Dallas owner does not need to visit an office, and Virtual Office+ provides a Houston business address.