TX Secretary of State API: Business Entity Lookup

Introduction: The TX Secretary of State API

The Texas Secretary of State maintains a comprehensive database of business entities registered in the state. Rather than manually searching the SOS website, developers and compliance teams can automate lookups using a dedicated REST API.

OpenSOSData provides direct access to Texas SOS data through a simple, pay-per-lookup REST API. At $0.0314 per transaction, it's a cost-effective solution for teams that need programmatic access to business registration information.

What Is the TX Secretary of State API?

The TX Secretary of State API is a REST endpoint that queries the Texas Secretary of State database and returns structured business entity data. Instead of web scraping or manual lookups, you can integrate secretary of state searches directly into your application, compliance workflow, or data pipeline.

Typical use cases include:

Vendor due diligence and onboarding verification
Know Your Business (KYB) compliance checks
Business formation monitoring and tracking
Real-time entity status validation
Registered agent and officer information retrieval

What Data Does the API Return?

Each lookup returns comprehensive entity information including:

Entity name and business type (LLC, Corporation, etc.)
Unique Secretary of State ID
Current entity status (Active, Inactive, Dissolved, etc.)
Formation date
Registered agent name and full address
Principal business address
Officers and ownership information

This data is scraped directly from the Texas Secretary of State database in real-time, then cached for 7 days to reduce redundant lookups.

Pricing: $0.0314 Per Lookup

OpenSOSData uses Pi pricing ($0.0314 per lookup), a rational approach to irrational costs. No subscription tiers, no hidden fees, no monthly minimums.

To get started, you need a minimum wallet balance of $3.14 (which equals 100 lookups). After that, you pay only for what you use.

Cost Comparison:

OpenSOSData: $0.0314 per lookup
OpenCorporates: $0.10–$0.50 per lookup
Cobalt Intelligence: $0.50–$2.00 per lookup
Middesk: $1.00+ per lookup

For a batch of 1,000 lookups, OpenSOSData costs $31.40, while competitors charge $100–$2,000.

Quick Start: Making Your First API Call

The TX Secretary of State API endpoint is a POST request to:

POST https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup

Authentication

Include your API key in the request header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Request Body

Send a JSON payload with the entity name and optional filters:

{
  "entity_name": "Tesla Inc",
  "state": "TX",
  "fresh": false
}

Example: cURL Request

curl -X POST https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "entity_name": "Apple Inc",
    "state": "TX",
    "fresh": false
  }'

Response

The API returns a JSON object with entity details:

{
  "entity_name": "Apple Inc",
  "sos_id": "0800123456",
  "entity_type": "Corporation",
  "status": "Active",
  "formation_date": "2005-03-14",
  "registered_agent": {
    "name": "Jane Smith",
    "address": "123 Main St, Austin, TX 78701"
  },
  "principal_address": "123 Main St, Austin, TX 78701",
  "officers": [
    {
      "name": "John Doe",
      "title": "President"
    }
  ]
}

Real-Time vs. Cached Data

By default, the API returns cached data (7-day cache). To force a real-time scrape of the Texas SOS website, add the fresh=true parameter:

curl -X POST https://api.opensosdata.com/v1/lookup \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "entity_name": "Tesla Inc",
    "state": "TX",
    "fresh": true
  }'

Why Use an API Instead of Manual Lookups?

Speed and Scale

The Texas SOS website can be slow and is designed for manual browsing. An API allows you to process thousands of lookups in minutes.

Automation and Integration

Embed entity verification directly into your application, backend workflow, or data pipeline. No manual copy-pasting or form submissions.

Compliance and Audit Trails

Programmatic lookups create timestamped records suitable for compliance audits and due diligence documentation.

Cost Efficiency at Scale

At $0.0314 per lookup, bulk operations are significantly cheaper than manual research or competing API services.

Coverage and State Support

OpenSOSData currently supports TX and 48 other US states and territories, including California, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Alaska, Montana, and more. This makes it easy to expand your compliance checks beyond Texas.

Integration and Documentation

Full OpenAPI documentation is available at https://opensosdata.com/openapi.yaml. SDKs and code examples are provided for common languages and frameworks.

Limitations and Considerations

The API relies on Secretary of State data, which updates on government timelines. Changes to entity status or officer information may not be reflected immediately. For critical compliance checks, use fresh=true to force real-time scraping.

Rate limits apply to prevent abuse. Contact support for high-volume use cases.

Alternatives and Comparison

Other vendors offer Secretary of State lookups, but OpenSOSData's $0.0314 pricing is significantly lower. Competitors like OpenCorporates and Cobalt Intelligence charge 3–16x more per lookup. Middesk offers KYB as a service but charges subscription fees unsuitable for occasional lookups.

Getting Started

Sign up at https://opensosdata.com to join the waitlist and get API credentials. Once approved, add $3.14 to your account wallet and start making lookups immediately. No credit card required until you're ready to use the service.

Conclusion

The TX Secretary of State API from OpenSOSData provides a fast, affordable way to automate business entity lookups in Texas and 48 other states. At $0.0314 per lookup, it's the most cost-effective option for developers and compliance teams that need programmatic access to SOS data.

Query Texas Business Entities with the TX Secretary of State API