Elmline Commercial Capital, a small-business funding broker in Longview, TX, explains Texas assumed name (DBA) certificates for Gregg County businesses: records kept by the Gregg County Clerk and the Texas Secretary of State, how to search them, and why lenders check that the name on a funding application matches bank, tax and assumed name records. Legal requirements are for counsel.
| County office | Gregg County Clerk, 101 E. Methvin, Suite 200, Longview, TX 75601 |
|---|---|
| County forms listed | Assumed Name Certificate; Abandonment of Assumed Name Cert |
| State office | Texas Secretary of State, Business Services |
| Search | County Clerk Records Search (greggcounty.texas.gov) |
| Checked | 2026-10-16 |
What an assumed name is
An assumed name, often called a DBA (doing business as), is a name a business uses that differs from its legal name. For a sole proprietor, the legal name is the owner's own name, so "Pine Street Plumbing" run by Jane Doe is an assumed name. For an LLC or corporation, the legal name is the one on its formation documents, so an LLC that trades under a shorter brand is using an assumed name too. An assumed name is not a separate legal entity: it does not create an LLC or protect the owner's personal assets.
Where assumed name records are kept
Texas assumed name records sit in two places: the county clerk's office and the Texas Secretary of State. In Gregg County, the clerk's office is at 101 E. Methvin, Suite 200, Longview, TX 75601. The Gregg County Clerk page lists an "Assumed Name Certificate" form and an "Abandonment of Assumed Name Cert" form (checked 2026-10-16). The Secretary of State handles entity records through Texas Secretary of State, Business Services, and the Secretary of State has its own assumed name certificate for entities.
Not every nearby town is in Gregg County, TX
County assumed name records are kept county by county, so the Gregg County Clerk's records cover Gregg County filings only. Hallsville and Marshall are in Harrison County; Gilmer is in Upshur County; Kilgore and Gladewater straddle Gregg County and a neighboring county, and Longview itself reaches into Harrison County. Check your county before you file or search.
Searching Gregg County, TX assumed names
The Gregg County Clerk links to a County Clerk Records Search from its page (checked 2026-10-16). Searching there before you choose a trade name shows whether someone in the county is already using a similar one. Searching before a funding request shows whether the records still list your business the way you think they do, including old names you have stopped using.
- Search by the trade name and by the owner or entity name; spelling variations matter.
- Note the filing date and the owner listed on each record.
- If an old name is still on file and no longer used, the clerk's abandonment form is the document designed for retiring it.
- For entity filings with the state, use the Secretary of State's business search tools.
Why the name matters to a lender
Lending partners verify identity before they fund. They compare the name on the application with the business bank account, the tax returns, the entity records and, for card-heavy businesses, the card processor's statements. A trade name that appears on the bank account but nowhere in public records, or an LLC whose deposits arrive under a different name, raises questions that slow the file down.
| Record | Usually shows | What a partner checks |
|---|---|---|
| Bank account | Legal name, sometimes with a DBA | That deposits belong to the applicant |
| Tax returns | Legal name (and owner for a sole proprietor) | Revenue claimed matches the business |
| Assumed name certificate | Trade name, owner, address | That the trade name is tied to the owner |
| Entity records | Legal name, registered agent, status | That the entity exists and is active |
| UCC filings | Debtor's legal name | Existing liens against the business |
A pre-funding name check
- Write down the legal name exactly as it appears on your formation documents or, for a sole proprietor, your own name.
- List every trade name the business uses on signs, invoices, its website and its bank account.
- Search the Gregg County Clerk records (or your own county's) and the Secretary of State for each one.
- Compare the results with the bank account title and the name on your latest tax return.
- Fix gaps before applying: an unfiled trade name, an outdated address or an abandoned name still on record.
Assumed names and UCC filings
When a lender files a UCC financing statement against a business, it files under the debtor's legal name, not the trade name. If you search for liens using only your DBA, you may miss filings. Search under the legal name too.
Related reading
How a request moves shows when partners ask for records, and the six funding structures explains what each one requires. More Texas and local guides are in the guide library.
By Elmline Commercial Capital · Updated
