Texas

Foreign registration · Form 304

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in Texas

Texas registers an LLC from Iowa as a foreign LLC on Form 304, with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Texas needs nothing from Iowa: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Texas Secretary of State using your Iowa records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Iowa and Texas side by side

	Iowa formed here	Texas registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 304
State fee	$5	$767.13 at order (filing fee $750 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Texas
Required expedite		$50 at order (Texas Express)
Faster options		next-day $500, same-day $750
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Texas Secretary of State
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sos.state.tx.us
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	May 15 each year
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Texas registered agent

From Iowa to Texas, step by step

We prepare and file Form 304
It names us as your Texas registered agent, with your Iowa name and formation date. No Iowa paperwork holds up the Texas filing. Once Texas approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

Your Iowa name and Texas's rules

Texas accepts your Iowa name if it includes limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either. If another Texas company uses the Iowa name, an alternate name is allowed. We search Texas's records for Iowa's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Texas and Iowa

Iowa and Texas both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Iowa; ours takes Texas's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Iowa and Texas

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); Texas wants the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Texas

A corporation formed in Iowa files Form 301 with Texas ($767.13 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and Texas's Franchise Tax Report + Public Information Report (no fee). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Texas into Iowa

An LLC formed in Texas that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Fact - Status ($15) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Iowa to Texas

Does my Iowa company need to register in Texas?

Yes, once an Iowa business operates there; Texas law lists 16 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Texas registration cost?

$1,016.13 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite, with nothing to pay Iowa.

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

No, Texas takes Form 304 without it.

How long does the Texas registration take?

Typically 2 to 3 business days with Texas's required expedite; nothing comes from Iowa first. Faster state options: next-day $500, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Texas?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and Texas's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Texas?

An Iowa company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Texas require a registered agent?

Yes: the Iowa registered agent stays, and ours covers Texas for year one.

Will Texas accept my Iowa name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Iowa name at home. Texas names must include limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either.

Can I form a new Texas LLC instead?

Yes, but Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Texas's Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from Texas later?

Iowa companies leave by filing Form 608, Certificate of Withdrawal of Registration ($15); until then, Texas's report stays due alongside Iowa's filings.

Official sources

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The same move for a corporation