diff --git a/scripts/formation/states/tx/adapter.py b/scripts/formation/states/tx/adapter.py
index 902feab..fc22632 100644
--- a/scripts/formation/states/tx/adapter.py
+++ b/scripts/formation/states/tx/adapter.py
@@ -51,99 +51,68 @@ class TXPortal(StatePortal):
     # ── Name Search (Comptroller Taxable Entity Search — no login) ──────
 
     async def search_name(self, name: str) -> NameSearchResult:
-        """Search Texas business name availability via the Comptroller
-        Taxable Entity Search (free, no login required).
+        """Search Texas business name availability via the Texas open-data API.
 
-        URL: https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html
+        Uses the Comptroller "Active Franchise Taxpayers" dataset on the state
+        Socrata portal (data.texas.gov, dataset 9cir-efmm) over SoQL. This is a
+        free, no-auth, no-login JSON API -- far more robust than scraping the
+        Comptroller web search (which is a JS form) or SOSDirect (login-gated,
+        ASP.NET). An entity name appearing as an *active* franchise taxpayer is
+        a strong "name in use" signal; absence => available (subject to a final
+        SOSDirect confirmation when the order is actually filed).
 
-        This searches the Comptroller's database, not the SOS. A name
-        can be "available" in the Comptroller DB but reserved at SOS.
-        For definitive availability, SOSDirect's name check is better —
-        but requires login. We check Comptroller first (free + fast),
-        then flag for SOSDirect confirmation if the customer proceeds.
+        Availability semantics:
+          - exact (normalized) match  -> available=False, exact_match=True
+          - only similar names        -> available=True,  similar_names listed
+          - no rows                   -> available=True
+          - API error                 -> available=None (never a false "taken")
         """
+        import json as _json
+        import urllib.parse as _url
+        import urllib.request as _req
+
+        def _norm(s: str) -> str:
+            return (
+                s.upper()
+                .replace(",", "")
+                .replace(".", "")
+                .replace("  ", " ")
+                .strip()
+            )
+
+        # SoQL: case-insensitive LIKE on the first ~20 normalized chars so we
+        # catch the exact name plus close variants, capped at 25 rows.
+        needle = _norm(name)[:20].replace("'", "''")
+        where = f"upper(taxpayer_name) like '%{needle}%'"
+        api = (
+            "https://data.texas.gov/resource/9cir-efmm.json?"
+            + _url.urlencode({"$where": where, "$limit": "25",
+                              "$select": "taxpayer_name"})
+        )
         try:
-            page = await self.start_browser()
-            await page.goto(
-                "https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html",
-                wait_until="networkidle",
-            )
-            await self.human_delay(1.0, 2.0)
+            loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
 
-            # The Comptroller search page has a text input + search button
-            # Selector: input field for entity name
-            await page.fill(
-                'input[name="entityName"], input#entityName, input[type="text"]',
-                "",
-            )
-            await self.type_slowly(
-                page,
-                'input[name="entityName"], input#entityName, input[type="text"]',
-                name,
-            )
-            await self.human_delay(0.5, 1.0)
-
-            # Click search
-            await page.click(
-                'input[type="submit"], button[type="submit"], '
-                '#searchButton, input[value="Search"]'
-            )
-            await page.wait_for_load_state("networkidle")
-            await self.human_delay(1.0, 2.0)
-
-            # Parse results
-            content = await page.content()
-            await self.screenshot(page, f"tx_name_search_{name}")
-
-            # Check for "no results" indicator
-            no_results = (
-                "no match" in content.lower()
-                or "no entities found" in content.lower()
-                or "no records" in content.lower()
-                or "0 results" in content.lower()
-            )
-
-            if no_results:
-                return NameSearchResult(
-                    available=True,
-                    exact_match=False,
-                    similar_names=[],
-                    state_code="TX",
-                    searched_name=name,
-                    raw_response=content[:2000],
-                )
-
-            # Extract matching entity names from results
-            similar: list[str] = []
-            # Common patterns: table rows with entity names
-            name_pattern = re.compile(
-                r'<td[^>]*>([^<]*?' + re.escape(name[:10]) + r'[^<]*?)</td>',
-                re.IGNORECASE,
-            )
-            for m in name_pattern.finditer(content):
-                found = m.group(1).strip()
-                if found and len(found) > 3:
-                    similar.append(found)
-
-            # Exact match = one of the results matches our name closely
-            exact = any(
-                s.upper().replace(",", "").replace(".", "").strip()
-                == name.upper().replace(",", "").replace(".", "").strip()
-                for s in similar
-            )
+            def _fetch() -> list[dict]:
+                req = _req.Request(api, headers={"User-Agent": "PerformanceWest formation name-check"})
+                with _req.urlopen(req, timeout=20) as resp:
+                    return _json.loads(resp.read().decode("utf-8"))
 
+            rows = await loop.run_in_executor(None, _fetch)
+            similar = [r.get("taxpayer_name", "").strip() for r in rows if r.get("taxpayer_name")]
+            target = _norm(name)
+            exact = any(_norm(s) == target for s in similar)
             return NameSearchResult(
                 available=not exact,
                 exact_match=exact,
                 similar_names=similar[:10],
                 state_code="TX",
                 searched_name=name,
-                raw_response=content[:2000],
+                raw_response=f"texas-open-data 9cir-efmm: {len(similar)} match(es)",
             )
-
         except Exception as exc:
+            # available=None => "could not determine" (never a false "taken").
             return NameSearchResult(
-                available=False,
+                available=None,
                 state_code="TX",
                 searched_name=name,
                 raw_response=f"Error: {exc}",