Description

An Assumed Name Certificate is used when you want to go by part of your Legal Business Name and not the full Legal Business Name all the time.

You may be asking yourself, “Why would you need to go by another name – other than your legal business name”?

In many states, including Texas where I practice, you must include the business entity designation within your business’ name. For example, if you register an LLC with the state of Texas, your business name must include one of the following designations within your business’ name:

• Limited Company
• Limited Liability Company
• L.L.C.
• LLC
• LC
• L.C.
• Ltd. Co.

Because of this designation requirement, business owners must include their full legal business’ name on everything – including marketing materials. 

But! There is a way around this → the Assumed Name Certificate. 

This legal document allows you to designate a new name for your business to go by on things like marketing materials, advertisements, business cards, letterhead, etc. 

As an example, my other law firm’s legal name is “Fergus & Tomanka, PLLC” but we recently filed an Assumed Name Certificate to go by “Fergus & Tomanka” legally on all of our marketing materials.