How do I register the business name Dames d'Honneur in Texas?

A good name deserves to be registered properly, and Dames d'Honneur is no exception. Your first step is the name itself: in Texas that means an Assumed Name Certificate, which most people simply call a DBA. Below you will find how Texas treats a business name, whether a newspaper notice is involved, and the other registrations Dames d'Honneur needs.

How Texas handles a business name

In Texas, a business name other than your own legal name is registered as a Assumed Name Certificate, which you will also hear called DBA, assumed business name, or fictitious name. A sole proprietor or partnership using a name that does not include the owners' own names must file one, and so must a corporation or LLC that uses any name other than its exact registered name. If you operate under your exact legal name, there is nothing to file.

Newspaper publication: Texas does not require this name to be published in a newspaper.

How long it lasts: A Texas certificate lasts up to ten years, and a new one has to be filed before it expires if you want to keep using the name.

What Dames d'Honneur needs

1. Assumed Name Certificate – Register "Dames d'Honneur" before you use it on signs, invoices, and your business bank account. Most banks will not open an account or deposit checks made out to a trade name until it is registered to you.
2. Name check – Choose a name that is easy to spell and not confusingly close to a business already operating nearby. Registering a DBA announces your use of the name, but only a trademark gives you exclusive rights to it.
3. LLC (limited liability company) – A DBA only registers a name. Forming an LLC is what puts a legal wall between the business and your personal assets. A guest who slips on a polished aisle or a decoration that catches fire at a ceremony could trigger a serious claim, so an LLC helps shield your home. If you form the LLC under the exact name Dames d'Honneur LLC, the LLC filing itself protects that name and you will not need a separate DBA for it.
4. EIN (federal tax ID number) – You plan on 2 employees, so the federal tax ID number (EIN) is required for payroll, and you will use it for the business bank account opened in the registered name.
5. Texas sales and use tax permit – Needed for the products you sell alongside your service, and it lets you buy items for resale without paying sales tax on them.
6. Texas employer ID – With 2 employees, you need a state employer account number for unemployment insurance. Texas has no state income tax on wages, so there is no withholding account to open.
7. Business license – Governments license businesses so they can collect a modest tax and keep inspectors checking safety. Plan on a local business license for Dames d'Honneur in Houston.
8. Officiant authorization – Whoever performs ceremonies generally needs to be ordained or authorized, and requirements for legal marriage ceremonies vary widely by location.
9. Assembly or occupancy approval – Venues that host guests often need a certificate of occupancy and fire safety approval.

By the numbers: Banks, insurers, and tax forms will ask for your industry code. For a wedding chapel it is NAICS 812990 (All Other Personal Services). With 2 employees planned, you are already creating jobs in Houston. That makes 9 items on your list.

Tip: Confirm parking, noise, and occupancy limits before advertising, since neighbors and fire codes both have opinions about wedding crowds.

To recap: Dames d'Honneur in Houston, TX needs an Assumed Name Certificate, a name check, an LLC, an EIN, a sales tax permit, a state employer ID, a business license, officiant authorization, and assembly or occupancy approval. Check them off one by one and you will open with confidence.

We can file your business name registration and the other paperwork for you: start here.