What it takes to legally operate in Texas. Add your city for local permits.
2 items below — add your city to check local permits, and we're still verifying. We show what we've confirmed and flag what we haven't rather than guess.
Formation & federal100% verified
Form an LLC (or operate as a sole proprietor)Depends on your situation
Texas LLC Articles of Organization filing fee is about $300; formation takes 4–8 business days online (SOSDirect).
$300Verified against the official source · Sep 2026Official source ↗
Texas LLCs file a annual report (about $0). Public Information Report (free) due May 15; no franchise tax due below the ~$2.65M revenue threshold (2026)
FreeVerified against the official source · Sep 2026Official source ↗
Texas taxes100% verified
Sales / use tax registrationNot yet verified
Texas has a sales/use tax — register with the state tax agency before selling taxable goods or services.
Photography occupational licenseDepends on your situation
No professional license, but many states tax the sale of prints and digital files, so sales-tax registration usually applies. Drone work requires an FAA Part 107 certificate.
Verified against the official source · Sep 2026
Local permits0% verified
Local permitsNot yet verified
Local permits (zoning, home occupation, signage, health) are set by your city/county — tell us your city for specifics.
Not yet verified — check the official source
Insurance0% verified
General liability insuranceRecommended
General liability insurance is recommended for most service businesses.
Not yet verified — check the official source
Save this to your FirstBearing roadmap
Keep these requirements, track what you've done, get the filled-in paperwork and one next step every day. Free for 30 days — no card.