Form 201 — Texas Certificate of Formation (For-Profit Corporation)

What is Form 201?

Form 201, Certificate of Formation, is how you form a Texas for-profit corporation. It is filed with the Texas Secretary of State and gives the entity's name, its registered agent and registered office, the initial directors, the authorized shares, the initial mailing address the Comptroller uses for franchise tax correspondence, any supplemental provisions, and when the filing takes effect. The organizer signs it; it does not need to be notarized.

The form sets out a general purpose: any lawful purpose a for-profit corporation may be organized for under the Texas Business Organizations Code. Use the supplemental provisions for a more specific purpose or extra articles, and attach an addendum for anything longer. The filing fee printed on the form and in the instructions is $300. The current edition is Form 201 (Revised 09/26).

FileIt asks each question in plain English, prints your answers into the agency's own official PDF, keeps the finished PDF in your vault, and can send it for e-signature. You then file or deliver it yourself: FileIt never submits anything for you.

Who needs to fill out Form 201?

• Anyone starting a Texas for-profit corporation.
• Business owners and their attorneys or accountants preparing the filing for a client.
• Founders who want to file on paper rather than through SOSPortal.
• Not for a nonprofit organization, a close corporation or a corporation managed by a shareholders' agreement.

When to use Form 201

• When you are ready to create the entity and have chosen an available name and a registered agent who has agreed to serve.
• When you want the entity to exist from the filing date, from a later date within 90 days of signing, or from a future event.

What you need before you start

• The entity name, with the designator the form requires.
• The registered agent's name (an organization, or an individual Texas resident) and a Texas street address for the registered office.
• The name and address of each initial director (at least one, each a natural person).
• The number of authorized shares, and their par value or a statement of no par value.
• The initial mailing address for franchise tax correspondence.
• The organizer's name and address.

What’s on Form 201

The 2026 edition has 3 pages. FileIt asks for it in 11 parts, and it is signed by Organizer:

1. Article 1: Entity name and typeOrganizer
2. Article 2: Registered agent and registered officeOrganizer
3. Article 3: Director 1Organizer
4. Article 3: Director 2Organizer
5. Article 3: Director 3Organizer
6. Article 4: Authorized sharesOrganizer
7. Initial mailing addressOrganizer
8. Supplemental provisions / informationOrganizer
9. OrganizerOrganizer
10. Effectiveness of filingOrganizer
11. ExecutionOrganizer

How to fill out Form 201, step by step

1 Article 1: Entity name

Enter the name with its required designator. It must be distinguishable from names already on file. The secretary of state can give a preliminary view of availability by phone or email, but the instructions warn not to spend money or sign documents on a preliminary clearance.

2 Article 2: Registered agent and office

Choose an organization or an individual Texas resident as registered agent, never the entity itself, and give the registered office: a Texas street address where the agent can be served in person during business hours, not just a mailbox or answering service. The agent must have consented, but you don't attach the consent.

3 Article 3: Directors

List at least one director, each a natural person, with a name in the form's format and an address. Directors serve until the first annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors are elected. The filing is a public record, so you may use a business or PO box address.

4 Article 4: Authorized shares

Give the total number of shares the corporation may issue and choose par value (with the amount) or no par value, not both. Don't state a $0 par value; choose no par value instead. Classes of shares go in the supplemental provisions.

5 Initial mailing address and supplemental provisions

Give the mailing address for state franchise tax correspondence (a PO box is fine). Add any supplemental provisions, such as a specific purpose or a limited duration; an attached addendum is incorporated by reference.

6 Organizer, effectiveness and execution

Enter the organizer, choose when the certificate takes effect (on filing, on a later date within 90 days of signing, or on a future event, with the 90th day after signing), date it and print the organizer's name. The organizer signs.

Common mistakes to avoid

• A name without the required designator, or one too close to a name already on file.
• Naming the entity itself as its own registered agent.
• A registered office that is only a mailbox service or outside Texas.
• Ticking both par value and no par value, or stating a $0 par value.
• A delayed effective date more than 90 days after signing.
• Including personal identifying information or the instructions pages, which the instructions say may get the filing rejected.

After you fill it out

The organizer signs. Send it with the $300 fee by mail to P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697, deliver it to 400 W. 15th St., Austin, or file the same information online through SOSPortal. Payment on paper is by check or money order.

Keep the PDF FileIt saves in your vault with the entity's records. Texas entities are subject to state franchise tax; contact the Texas Comptroller for franchise tax information, and the IRS for an EIN (Form SS-4).

Keep a registered agent and registered office in Texas, and file a change with the secretary of state if either changes.

Form 201: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Texas Secretary of State: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/201_boc.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/instructions/201.shtml
• Edition shown on this page: Form 201 (Revised 09/26) (checked 2026-10-25).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Texas Secretary of State or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-25.

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