VerifySOS is a 50-state business-verification tool for credit and underwriting in trucking and commercial finance. One search merges Secretary of State registration, FMCSA/USDOT authority, OFAC sanctions, ownership, and county DBA filings into a single PDF packet.

How do I look up a business across all 50 states?

Enter the company name and its 2-letter state code (or a USDOT number) on verifysos.com. It searches the Secretary of State and FMCSA SAFER side by side, screens OFAC, and generates a verification packet PDF.

How much does VerifySOS cost?

There is a free tier and a Pro plan at $14.99/month with unlimited searches.

Does VerifySOS show business ownership and officers?

Yes. Where a state publishes officers, members, or managers in its free public records, VerifySOS pulls them into the packet, separate from the registered agent, which is not the owner.

← All posts September 14, 2026

How to find out who owns an LLC in Texas

ownership llc texas

When you pull a Texas LLC record for underwriting, you see a registered agent and a formation date. That’s not who owns the company. Texas publishes member and manager names on public filings, but only if you know where to look and what documents to read. Skip the wrong step and you’ve verified nothing about control or personal guarantee risk.

The registered agent is a legal address, not an owner

The first mistake is stopping at the registered agent. The Secretary of State’s free business search tool shows you the name and address of whoever accepts legal notices for the LLC. That person or firm is a placeholder · often a registered agent service charging $100 a year to answer lawsuits and tax notices. They have zero economic interest in the company and no authority to obligate the entity on a credit line.

To underwrite the deal, you need the member or manager listed on the formation documents, not the agent. This is a critical distinction. A single-member LLC with one manager behind it carries different personal-guarantee risk than a multi-member LLC with passive investors and a hired manager.

Texas Certificate of Formation: What it shows

When an LLC forms in Texas, the Secretary of State publishes the Certificate of Formation. On that document you’ll find:

The LLC’s legal name and formation date
The registered agent (name and address)
The registered office address
A statement of whether the LLC is manager-managed or member-managed
In some cases, the manager’s or member’s name

The weakness: many filers don’t list manager or member names on the public-facing Certificate. Texas does not mandate that the formation document include owner identity for public disclosure. If the Certificate says “manager-managed” but shows no manager name, you cannot rely on that record alone.

This is where many underwriters stop and incorrectly assume the registered agent is the owner. They are not.

First step: Pull the annual report (Form 802)

Texas LLCs file an annual report (Form 802) to renew their good standing. The annual report is more likely to list a manager or member name than the original Certificate of Formation. When you pull the LLC record from the Secretary of State’s free business lookup, check the filing history and download the most recent annual report on file.

The annual report includes:

LLC name and Texas Business Account Number (TBAN)
Principal place of business
Registered agent information (again)
Manager name(s) or member name(s), depending on governance structure
Often a signature line showing who signed the report (usually the manager or an authorized person)

If the annual report shows a named manager or member, that is your starting point. Cross-reference the name against the principal’s affidavit or personal guarantee you expect to collect. If the annual report is stale (more than a year old) and shows a different manager than your application claims, that is a red flag for undisclosed ownership changes.

What to do when names are missing

Not all Texas LLC annual reports will name the manager or member. If the filed documents are blank or generic, you have three options.

Contact the LLC directly. Call the phone number listed under principal place of business on the Secretary of State record or the business itself. Ask for the manager or managing member by name. Document the answer. This is not a formal verification, but it closes the information gap and gives you grounds to ask for a personal guarantee from the person who claims to control the company.

Request a Certificate of Good Standing. The Texas Secretary of State issues Certificates of Good Standing that confirm LLC status and often repeat the most current filing information on hand. This is a one-step request and usually returns within days. It does not always add new owner information, but it creates a formal, dated record of what Texas knew at that moment.

Cross-reference UCC filings. If the LLC has borrowed money or pledged assets, UCC search results in Texas will show the debtor name and may list the principal owner or authorized representative who signed the UCC-1. A UCC record does not always name the true owner, but it shows who the LLC authenticated as authorized to pledge collateral. That person’s identity is relevant to your credit decision and should match the manager or member name from the Secretary of State records.

Beneficial owner vs. manager: Two different things

Texas distinguishes between the person who manages the LLC day-to-day (the manager) and the people who own an economic interest in it (the members). An LLC can have:

A single member who also manages (owner-operator)
Multiple members with one or more designated managers (investors and operators separated)
Members who never appear on public filings (passive equity holders or silent partners)

Your underwriting model should reflect this split. The manager on the Secretary of State record is the person liable to sign a personal guarantee and the person you can hold accountable. But if you suspect there is an undisclosed beneficial owner funding the LLC or controlling the manager, you must dig further. Look at the business application, ask for a cap table or ownership certification, and if the debt is large enough, retain counsel to demand full beneficial ownership disclosure.

Annual reports are your audit trail

Mark the renewal date from the most recent annual report on your underwriting file. If the LLC’s next annual report shows a new manager or manager address, that is material information for your loan servicer and your risk committee. Changes in control or management without notice are a sign of deteriorating stewardship.

Bottom line

Texas publishes member and manager names, but only if you read the annual report instead of stopping at the Certificate of Formation or registered agent. Always pull the most recent annual report, note the manager or member name, and if it’s blank or conflicts with your application, reconcile it before closing. The registered agent is just mail delivery. The manager is the person you are betting your credit on.