
What are the requirements to name an LLC in Ohio?
#Secretary of state ohio business license search how to#
Related: How to register a Fictitious Business Name in Ohio How to Register a Trade Name (Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships)Ī sole proprietorship or partnership operating their business under a name that is different from the owner’s legal name will register for a Trade Name, which is also known as “Doing Business As,” DBA, Assumed Name, or Fictitious Business Name.īefore registering, a name search will be required, as outlined above. Images of the Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation (Corp), Amendments, and more are available to view as well.Many people find this concerning and use a Registered Agent service like Northwest Registered Agent, so their home address isn’t publically listed. This is often one of the owners, and if their home address is used, that address becomes public information. Registered Agent’s information – An Ohio Statutory Agent is the singular point of contact for the entity should a legal, or tax notice need to be sent to the business.The names of these inactive results may be available to register. Other results include “Cancelled” or “Dead,” among others. Status – Active means the entity is in good standing, and all reports and filing fees are up to date.Original Filing Date – Date the entity was filed with the Secretary of State.Filing Type – Corporation, Limited Liability Company.The database search can find several pieces of information about the business. What information can be looked up in the database? Related: Should I trademark my business name? To protect your business name, consider getting a trademark. Something to also keep in mind is that even though each Corporation and LLC name must be unique, it may not stop someone else from using that name since business names for a sole proprietorship or partnership are not registered by the Secretary of State and are not required to be unique. Even when the name of the business you want looks like it is available, the Secretary of State will make a final determination at the time of filing to ensure the name you picked isn’t too similar to other registered names. These are the basics of searching for a business name in Ohio. Searching for those business names brings a result that says, “There were no records found.” While final approval is still with the Secretary of State, it is likely available to register. While the name “A1 Yard & Lawn” by itself may not be available, other variants are such as “A1 Yard & Lawn of Ohio” are. To find more information about any of the registered business names, click on the “Show Details” button.

If you were looking to form an LLC with this name, you wouldn’t be able to since there is already one registered. To be able to register a corporation or LLC name in Ohio, the name must be distinguishable from the other names registered. Searching the registered names, we get a list of all the businesses with the words “A1 Yard & Lawn”. In this example, we will look up “A1 Yard & Lawn” and click “Search.” It is recommended to keep the search for all results as inactive listings may not yet be able to re-register. Go to the Ohio Secretary of State website.Įnter the name you would like to use in the “Business Name” field. How to do an Ohio Business Name Search Step 1: Visit the Business Name Database

Step 1: Visit the Business Name Database.
